Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Charleroi and Antwerp

For one person, living is cheaper in Charleroi: $2,041 a month against $2,202 in Antwerp, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Charleroi, Belgium
Antwerp, Belgium
Charleroi
🇧🇪 Belgium
$2,041
/mo nomad
Antwerp
🇧🇪 Belgium
$2,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Charleroi and in Antwerp

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,041 in Charleroi versus $2,202 in Antwerp.

  • Charleroi $2,041
  • Antwerp $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,937 in Charleroi versus $3,326 in Antwerp.

  • Charleroi $2,937
  • Antwerp $3,326

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,833 in Charleroi versus $4,449 in Antwerp.

  • Charleroi $3,833
  • Antwerp $4,449

Living in Charleroi costs roughly 7% less than in Antwerp, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Charleroi 50% above, Antwerp 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Charleroi
Antwerp
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.95 €19.72
$23.81 €21.39
-7.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$82.4 €74.0
$95.7 €85.9
-13.86%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.56 €12.18
$13.19 €11.85
2.81%
Cappuccino
$3.01 €2.70
$4.27 €3.84
-29.51%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 €1.98
$3.56 €3.19
-38.20%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 €1.95
$3.48 €3.12
-37.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.31 €2.97
$5.57 €5.00
-40.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.11 €3.69
$6.26 €5.63
-34.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Charleroi
Antwerp
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.18 €1.06
$1.39 €1.25
-15.11%
White Bread (500g)
$2.45 €2.20
$2.77 €2.49
-11.55%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.22 €2.00
$2.21 €1.99
0.45%
Eggs
$4.00 €3.59
$3.97 €3.57
0.76%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.52 €14.84
$16.34 €14.68
1.10%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.01 €10.79
$11.81 €10.61
1.69%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.11 €19.86
$22.46 €20.17
-1.56%
Apples (1kg)
$2.62 €2.35
$2.97 €2.67
-11.78%
Banana (1kg)
$2.25 €2.03
$2.40 €2.16
-6.25%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.67 €2.40
$2.59 €2.32
3.09%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.41 €3.06
$3.42 €3.07
-0.29%
Potato (1kg)
$2.07 €1.86
$2.64 €2.37
-21.59%
Onion (1kg)
$1.14 €1.03
$1.77 €1.59
-35.59%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.55 €1.39
-12.26%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.68 €0.61
$1.15 €1.03
-40.87%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.74 €11.45
$13.03 €11.71
-2.23%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.75 €7.86
$8.88 €7.98
-1.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$1.82 €1.63
-4.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.99 €1.79
$2.07 €1.86
-3.86%
🚌 Getting Around
Charleroi
Antwerp
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.93 €2.64
$3.36 €3.02
-12.80%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.93 €37.67
$55.4 €49.73
-24.26%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.56 €4.99
$5.73 €5.15
-2.97%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.60 €2.34
$2.72 €2.45
-4.41%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$44.93 €40.36
$43.85 €39.39
2.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.82 €1.64
$2.05 €1.84
-11.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.7K €26.7K
$35.5K €31.8K
-16.26%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.3K €29.0K
$37.3K €33.5K
-13.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Charleroi
Antwerp
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$208 €187
$208 €186
0.28%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.83 €19.61
$22.06 €19.82
-1.04%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$46.70 €41.95
$47.17 €42.38
-1.00%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Charleroi
Antwerp
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.51 €28.30
$37.59 €33.77
-16.17%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.27 €25.39
$26.44 €23.75
6.92%
Cinema Ticket
$15.79 €14.19
$15.40 €13.83
2.53%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Charleroi
Antwerp
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,619 €1,455
$1,616 €1,452
0.21%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K €14.8K
$33.3K €29.9K
-50.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Charleroi
Antwerp
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$114 €103
$114 €103
0.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.0 €47.60
$52.9 €47.50
0.23%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.6 €81.4
$105 €94.2
-13.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.5 €81.3
$177 €159
-48.77%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Charleroi
Antwerp
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$799 €718
$1,061 €953
-24.69%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$834 €749
$856 €769
-2.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,043 €937
$1,604 €1,441
-34.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,052 €945
$1,317 €1,183
-20.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,886 €2,593
$4,329 €3,889
-33.33%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,941 €2,642
$2,965 €2,664
-0.82%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Charleroi
Antwerp
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,251 €2,022
$3,012 €2,705
-25.25%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.53
3.53
-

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

Last update for Charleroi: October 25, 2026

Last update for Antwerp: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Charleroi
$834
Antwerp
$856 2.7% $22
Groceries & Markets
Charleroi
$344
Antwerp
$361 5% $17
Eating Out
Charleroi
$295
Antwerp
$350 18.7% $55
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Charleroi
$277
Antwerp
$277 0% $0.1
Clothing & Footwear
Charleroi
$157
Antwerp
$202 28.8% $45
Getting Around
Charleroi
$72
Antwerp
$88 22% $16
Sport & Entertainment
Charleroi
$63
Antwerp
$68 8.4% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $799 in Charleroi and $1,061 in Antwerp. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antwerp pays 34% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $82 in Charleroi vs $96 in Antwerp for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $361 per month, with Charleroi cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇧🇪 Charleroi
🇧🇪 Antwerp
🕒 Local time
20:58 8:58 PM
20:58 8:58 PM
Same time as Charleroi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
202,730
525,935
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Charleroi Antwerp 90 km
From you
  • Charleroi
  • Antwerp

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Charleroi vs Antwerp: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Charleroi and in Antwerp?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,041 in Charleroi and $2,202 in Antwerp, so Charleroi is about 7% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 25% lower in Charleroi. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Charleroi and in Antwerp?
Rent for a central apartment: $799 in Charleroi versus $1,061 in Antwerp. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Charleroi and in Antwerp?
A monthly transit pass in Charleroi runs roughly 24% less than in Antwerp. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Charleroi and Antwerp?
Childcare runs $1,619 in Charleroi versus $1,616 in Antwerp. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How far does $3,000 go in Charleroi compared to Antwerp?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Charleroi gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Charleroi and Antwerp?
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.
Where should expats move: Charleroi or Antwerp?
Expats usually find Charleroi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Antwerp. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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