Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Leuven Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Leuven

😐 Solo nomad: Brussels is 21.7% more expensive than Leuven without rent, and 16.5% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Brussels is 19.3% more expensive than Leuven without rent, and 13.6% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Brussels
Leuven
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$28.86 €24.92
$17.2 €14.85
67.79%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$93.8 €80.9
$93.5 €80.7
0.28%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.91 €12.87
$11.78 €10.17
26.57%
Cappuccino
$4.84 €4.18
$4.29 €3.71
12.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.06 €2.65
$3.59 €3.1
-14.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.03 €2.62
$3.44 €2.97
-11.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.07 €6.11
$4.99 €4.31
41.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.7 €4.92
$3.73 €3.22
52.82%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Brussels
Leuven
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.54 €1.33
$1.34 €1.15
14.93%
White Bread (500g)
$2.93 €2.53
$2.07 €1.79
41.55%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.93 €2.53
$3.03 €2.62
-3.30%
Eggs
$4.81 €4.15
$3.55 €3.07
35.49%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.31 €14.09
$11.84 €10.22
37.75%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.92 €12.02
$13.31 €11.49
4.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.01 €16.41
$17.65 €15.24
7.71%
Apples (1kg)
$2.94 €2.54
$2.64 €2.28
11.36%
Banana (1kg)
$2.48 €2.14
$2.37 €2.04
4.64%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.72 €2.35
$2.12 €1.83
28.30%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.26 €2.82
$2.55 €2.2
27.84%
Potato (1kg)
$2.68 €2.31
$2.12 €1.83
26.42%
Onion (1kg)
$2.52 €2.18
$1.71 €1.47
47.37%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.66 €1.43
$1.59 €1.37
4.40%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.12 €0.96
$1.26 €1.09
-11.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.2 €10.54
$12.88 €11.12
-5.28%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.49 €8.19
$7.93 €6.84
19.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.59 €2.23
$2.44 €2.1
6.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.22 €2.78
$2.2 €1.9
46.36%
🚌 Getting Around
Brussels
Leuven
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.91 €2.51
$2.97 €2.56
-2.02%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$60.8 €52.5
$37.32 €32.22
62.78%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$7.43 €6.41
$6.2 €5.36
19.84%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.44 €2.11
$2.62 €2.26
-6.87%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$34.53 €29.81
$35.09 €30.29
-1.60%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.86 €1.6
$1.84 €1.59
1.09%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.5K €29.8K
$30.2K €26.1K
14.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.1K €31.2K
$27.9K €24.1K
29.51%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brussels
Leuven
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$255 €220
$184 €159
38.67%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.51 €18.57
$21.72 €18.76
-0.97%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$55.5 €47.88
$48.46 €41.84
14.44%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Brussels
Leuven
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.31 €35.67
$46.14 €39.84
-10.47%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$31.78 €27.44
$17.29 €14.92
83.81%
Cinema Ticket
$14.86 €12.83
$14.2 €12.26
4.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Brussels
Leuven
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,134 €979
$676 €584
67.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.7K €19.6K
$13.5K €11.7K
68.16%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Brussels
Leuven
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$107 €92.1
$104 €89.4
2.98%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.55 €42.78
$31.89 €27.53
55.38%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$115 €99
$92.5 €79.8
24.05%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$152 €132
$133 €115
14.63%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Brussels
Leuven
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,332 €1,150
$1,017 €878
31.00%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,076 €929
$1,096 €946
-1.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,320 €2,003
$2,171 €1,875
6.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,804 €1,558
$1,760 €1,519
2.52%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,847 €4,185
$5,873 €5,071
-17.48%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,782 €3,265
$3,978 €3,435
-4.94%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Brussels
Leuven
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,582 €3,093
$3,234 €2,792
10.76%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.65
3.83
-4.70%

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

Last update for Brussels: October 29, 2025

Last update for Leuven: October 29, 2025

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