Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Antwerp and Waterloo

For one person, living is cheaper in Antwerp: $2,211 a month against $2,318 in Waterloo, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Waterloo outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

106

Cost of Living Index in Antwerp
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Antwerp Living Index
111

Cost of Living Index in Waterloo
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Waterloo Living Index

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Antwerp

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,211

/mo nomad

Waterloo

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,318

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Antwerp and in Waterloo

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 Waterloo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,211 in Antwerp versus $2,318 in Waterloo.

Antwerp $2,211
Waterloo $2,318

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,337 in Antwerp versus $3,259 in Waterloo.

Antwerp $3,337
Waterloo $3,259

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,463 in Antwerp versus $4,199 in Waterloo.

Antwerp $4,463
Waterloo $4,199

Living in Antwerp costs roughly 5% less than in Waterloo.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Antwerp 64% above, Waterloo 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.63 €21.94

$22.50 €20.05

9.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.2 €85.7

$99.6 €88.7

-3.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.33 €11.87

$14.95 €13.32

-10.84%

Cappuccino

$4.25 €3.79

$4.46 €3.98

-4.71%

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

$3.64 €3.24

$3.79 €3.38

-3.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.07

$3.20 €2.85

7.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.61 €5.00

$5.72 €5.09

-1.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.04 €5.38

$5.49 €4.89

10.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.24

$1.36 €1.21

2.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 €2.51

$2.77 €2.47

1.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.14 €1.90

2.34%

Eggs

$3.84 €3.43

$3.98 €3.55

-3.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.55 €14.75

$17.74 €15.81

-6.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.76 €10.48

$12.48 €11.12

-5.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.27 €19.84

$19.58 €17.44

13.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 €2.61

$2.84 €2.53

3.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 €2.16

$2.43 €2.17

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 €2.29

$2.78 €2.48

-7.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.47 €3.09

$2.79 €2.49

24.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 €2.34

$2.10 €1.88

24.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.65

$1.94 €1.73

-4.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 €1.39

$1.37 €1.22

13.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 €1.03

$1.09 €0.97

6.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.96 €11.54

$12.94 €11.53

0.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.02 €8.03

$8.64 €7.70

4.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 €1.63

$1.90 €1.70

-3.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.76

$2.39 €2.13

-17.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.38 €3.01

$3.02 €2.69

11.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.1 €49.09

$54.1 €48.21

1.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.47 €4.87

$2.84 €2.53

92.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.61 €2.33

$2.32 €2.07

12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.47 €39.61

$40.67 €36.23

9.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.86

$2.12 €1.88

-1.42%

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

$35.2K €31.3K

$35.5K €31.6K

-0.85%

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

$36.7K €32.7K

$36.2K €32.3K

1.24%

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

$210 €187

$222 €198

-5.70%

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

$22.31 €19.87

$21.06 €18.76

5.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.06 €42.81

$50.8 €45.24

-5.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.96 €33.82

$31.76 €28.29

19.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.25 €24.28

$19.20 €17.11

41.93%

Cinema Ticket

$15.73 €14.01

$15.47 €13.78

1.68%

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

$1,625 €1,448

$767 €683

111.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.8K €29.3K

$26.4K €23.5K

24.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 €102

$99.8 €88.9

14.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 €47.31

$45.81 €40.81

15.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.3

$113 €101

-6.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$179 €160

$144 €128

24.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 €943

$1,029 €916

2.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$853 €759

$999 €890

-14.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,635 €1,457

$1,372 €1,222

19.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,305 €1,163

$1,141 €1,017

14.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,341 €3,867

$4,107 €3,659

5.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,925 €2,606

$2,911 €2,593

0.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,024 €2,694

$2,469 €2,199

22.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.53

3.71

-4.85%

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

Last update for Antwerp: November 2, 2026

Last update for Waterloo: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Antwerp

$853 38.6%

Waterloo

$999 43.1% 17.2% $146

Groceries & Markets

Antwerp

$361 16.3%

Waterloo

$354 15.3% 1.9% $6.9

Eating Out

Antwerp

$357 16.1%

Waterloo

$346 14.9% 3% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Antwerp

$280 12.7%

Waterloo

$294 12.7% 5.1% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Antwerp

$204 9.2%

Waterloo

$181 7.8% 11.1% $23

Getting Around

Antwerp

$87 3.9%

Waterloo

$81 3.5% 7.5% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Antwerp

$69 3.1%

Waterloo

$63 2.7% 9.7% $6.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,058 in Antwerp and $1,029 in Waterloo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antwerp pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $96 in Antwerp vs $100 in Waterloo. Groceries flip the comparison at $361 vs $354, with Waterloo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Antwerp

🇧🇪 Waterloo

🕒 Local time

19:38 7:38 PM

Same time as Antwerp

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

525,935

29,649

💱 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 Waterloo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,211 in Antwerp and $2,318 in Waterloo, so Antwerp is about 5% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 23% higher in Antwerp, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,058 in Antwerp versus $1,029 in Waterloo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,625 in Antwerp versus $767 in Waterloo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $2,211 per month in Antwerp versus $2,318 in Waterloo – Antwerp is about 5% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Antwerp 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 Waterloo are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.