Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Antwerp and Ostend

For one person, living is cheaper in Ostend: $1,832 a month against $2,211 in Antwerp, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Antwerp
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Antwerp Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Ostend
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Ostend Living Index

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Antwerp

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,211

/mo nomad

Ostend

🇧🇪 Belgium

$1,832

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Antwerp and in Ostend

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Antwerp and in Ostend actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,211 in Antwerp versus $1,832 in Ostend.

Antwerp $2,211
Ostend $1,832

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,337 in Antwerp versus $2,715 in Ostend.

Antwerp $3,337
Ostend $2,715

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,463 in Antwerp versus $3,599 in Ostend.

Antwerp $4,463
Ostend $3,599

Living in Antwerp is roughly 21% more expensive than in Ostend, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Antwerp 64% above, Ostend 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.63 €21.94

$22.30 €19.86

10.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.2 €85.7

$79.4 €70.8

21.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.33 €11.87

$13.46 €11.99

-0.97%

Cappuccino

$4.25 €3.79

$4.17 €3.71

1.92%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 €3.24

$2.84 €2.53

28.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.07

$2.59 €2.31

32.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.61 €5.00

$4.52 €4.03

24.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.04 €5.38

$4.38 €3.90

37.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.24

$1.21 €1.08

14.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 €2.51

$2.57 €2.28

9.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.08 €1.85

5.29%

Eggs

$3.84 €3.43

$3.81 €3.40

0.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.55 €14.75

$11.64 €10.37

42.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.76 €10.48

$11.56 €10.30

1.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.27 €19.84

$13.41 €11.94

66.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 €2.61

$2.80 €2.50

4.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 €2.16

$2.07 €1.84

17.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 €2.29

$2.20 €1.96

16.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.47 €3.09

$2.29 €2.04

51.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 €2.34

$1.84 €1.64

42.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.65

$1.75 €1.56

5.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 €1.39

$1.21 €1.07

28.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 €1.03

$0.94 €0.84

23.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.96 €11.54

$10.01 €8.91

29.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.02 €8.03

$6.66 €5.93

35.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 €1.63

$1.98 €1.77

-7.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.76

$1.81 €1.62

8.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.38 €3.01

$3.39 €3.02

-0.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.1 €49.09

$39.86 €35.51

38.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.47 €4.87

$3.40 €3.02

60.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.61 €2.33

$2.31 €2.06

12.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.47 €39.61

$33.26 €29.62

33.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.93 €1.72

8.29%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.2K €31.3K

$35.2K €31.4K

-0.06%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$36.7K €32.7K

$31.1K €27.7K

18.03%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$210 €187

$176 €157

19.19%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$22.31 €19.87

$18.29 €16.29

21.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.06 €42.81

$52.0 €46.30

-7.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.96 €33.82

$36.37 €32.40

4.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.25 €24.28

$11.28 €10.05

141.58%

Cinema Ticket

$15.73 €14.01

$14.77 €13.16

6.50%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,625 €1,448

$394 €351

313.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.8K €29.3K

$17.6K €15.6K

87.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 €102

$96.6 €86.0

18.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 €47.31

$26.06 €23.21

103.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.3

$87.6 €78.0

20.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$179 €160

$121 €108

48.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 €943

$817 €728

29.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$853 €759

$688 €613

23.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,635 €1,457

$1,241 €1,105

31.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,305 €1,163

$978 €871

33.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,341 €3,867

$3,686 €3,284

17.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,925 €2,606

$1,943 €1,731

50.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,024 €2,694

$3,077 €2,741

-1.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.53

3.33

6.01%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Antwerp: November 2, 2026

Last update for Ostend: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Antwerp

$853 38.6%

Ostend

$688 37.5% 19.3% $165

Groceries & Markets

Antwerp

$361 16.3%

Ostend

$293 16% 18.9% $68

Eating Out

Antwerp

$357 16.1%

Ostend

$322 17.6% 9.7% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Antwerp

$280 12.7%

Ostend

$246 13.4% 12.1% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Antwerp

$204 9.2%

Ostend

$149 8.1% 26.9% $55

Getting Around

Antwerp

$87 3.9%

Ostend

$68 3.7% 21.6% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Antwerp

$69 3.1%

Ostend

$66 3.6% 5.1% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,058 in Antwerp and $817 in Ostend. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $96 in Antwerp vs $79 in Ostend for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $361 vs $293 per month, with Ostend cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Antwerp

🇧🇪 Ostend

🕒 Local time

23:25 11:25 PM

Same time as Antwerp

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

525,935

70,600

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Antwerp vs Ostend: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,211 in Antwerp and $1,832 in Ostend, so Ostend is about 17% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,316 in Antwerp and $2,748 in Ostend to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,058 in Antwerp versus $817 in Ostend. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ostend runs roughly 28% less than in Antwerp. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $1,625 in Antwerp versus $394 in Ostend. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Ostend gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Antwerp and Ostend are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Ostend gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Antwerp. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.