Cost of Living Comparison Between Dendermonde and Leuven Cost of Living Comparison Between Dendermonde and Leuven

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,952 in Dendermonde versus $2,270 in Leuven.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,902 in Dendermonde versus $3,399 in Leuven.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,852 in Dendermonde versus $4,527 in Leuven.

Living in Dendermonde costs roughly 14% less than in Leuven, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dendermonde 45% above, Leuven 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.28 €14.98

$17.57 €15.22

-1.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.1 €79.0

$93.5 €81.1

-2.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.72 €10.16

$11.54 €10.00

1.56%

Cappuccino

$4.29 €3.72

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

$3.54 €3.07

$3.56 €3.08

-0.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 €2.92

$3.34 €2.90

0.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.99 €4.32

$4.83 €4.19

3.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 €3.11

$3.68 €3.19

-2.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.39 €1.20

-5.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 €1.84

$2.08 €1.80

1.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.89 €2.51

$3.03 €2.63

-4.62%

Eggs

$3.59 €3.11

$3.53 €3.06

1.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.01 €10.41

$12.14 €10.52

-1.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.27 €11.50

$13.25 €11.48

0.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.15 €14.86

$17.43 €15.11

-1.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$2.71 €2.35

-2.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 €2.04

$2.27 €1.97

3.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 €1.77

$2.03 €1.76

0.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.25

$2.57 €2.23

0.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 €1.93

$2.23 €1.94

-0.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 €1.47

$1.64 €1.42

3.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 €1.37

$1.54 €1.33

2.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.26 €1.09

0.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.61 €10.93

$12.64 €10.95

-0.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.30 €6.33

$7.37 €6.38

-0.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.04

$2.30 €2.00

2.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 €1.84

$2.10 €1.82

0.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 €2.55

$2.97 €2.57

-0.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.0 €49.41

$38.18 €33.09

49.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.55 €5.68

$6.52 €5.65

0.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.54 €2.20

$2.63 €2.28

-3.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.68 €30.06

$35.35 €30.63

-1.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.83 €1.58

4.37%

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

$30.1K €26.1K

-0.08%

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

$28.2K €24.4K

$28.3K €24.5K

-0.54%

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

$184 €160

$181 €157

1.66%

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

$21.83 €18.92

$21.28 €18.44

2.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.36 €41.91

$48.99 €42.46

-1.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.30 €34.06

$47.30 €40.99

-16.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 €14.57

$16.76 €14.53

0.30%

Cinema Ticket

$14.74 €12.77

$14.35 €12.43

2.72%

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

$661 €573

-0.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K €11.8K

$13.5K €11.7K

1.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €91.7

$103 €89.4

2.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.79 €28.42

$32.91 €28.52

-0.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.1 €82.4

$92.2 €79.9

3.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €116

$131 €114

2.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$892 €773

$1,033 €895

-13.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$742 €643

$1,082 €938

-31.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 €1,195

$2,182 €1,891

-36.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 €939

$1,749 €1,516

-38.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,547 €3,941

$5,589 €4,844

-18.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,013 €2,611

$3,788 €3,283

-20.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,460 €2,999

$3,556 €3,082

-2.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.83

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

Last update for Dendermonde: June 7, 2026

Last update for Leuven: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $892 in Dendermonde and $1,033 in Leuven. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leuven pays 3% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $91.0 in Dendermonde vs $94.0 in Leuven for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $326 per month, with Dendermonde cheaper across the board.

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

Dendermonde vs Leuven: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dendermonde and Leuven differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($1,952 vs $2,270 including rent). Dendermonde is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Leuven earns 3% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $892 in Dendermonde versus $1,033 in Leuven. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Dendermonde runs roughly 49% less than in Leuven. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $661 in Dendermonde versus $661 in Leuven. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,952 in Dendermonde versus $2,270 in Leuven, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Dendermonde but tight or insufficient in Leuven. The gap between the two cities makes Dendermonde the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Dendermonde and Leuven are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Dendermonde gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Leuven. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.