Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dendermonde and Leuven

For one person, living is cheaper in Dendermonde: $2,065 a month against $2,222 in Leuven, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Dendermonde
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Dendermonde Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Leuven
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Leuven Living Index

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Dendermonde

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,065

/mo nomad

Leuven

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,222

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dendermonde and in Leuven

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,065 in Dendermonde versus $2,222 in Leuven.

Dendermonde $2,065
Leuven $2,222

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,905 in Dendermonde versus $3,303 in Leuven.

Dendermonde $2,905
Leuven $3,303

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,746 in Dendermonde versus $4,383 in Leuven.

Dendermonde $3,746
Leuven $4,383

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dendermonde 52% above, Leuven 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.06 €19.82

$22.36 €20.09

-1.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 €65.5

$77.6 €69.7

-5.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.56 €12.18

$13.26 €11.91

2.26%

Cappuccino

$3.48 €3.13

$4.33 €3.89

-19.63%

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

$2.75 €2.47

$3.02 €2.71

-8.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 €1.98

$2.89 €2.60

-23.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.50 €4.94

$5.69 €5.11

-3.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.55

$4.57 €4.11

-13.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.21

$1.39 €1.24

-2.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 €2.43

$2.67 €2.40

1.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 €1.84

$2.02 €1.81

1.49%

Eggs

$3.79 €3.41

$3.92 €3.52

-3.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.62 €10.44

$11.38 €10.22

2.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.01 €10.79

$12.38 €11.12

-2.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.22 €17.27

$18.98 €17.05

1.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 €2.54

$2.69 €2.42

5.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 €1.98

$2.17 €1.95

1.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 €1.94

$2.23 €2.01

-3.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 €2.06

$2.31 €2.07

-0.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 €2.02

$2.26 €2.03

-0.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 €1.57

$1.68 €1.51

3.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.34

$1.54 €1.39

-3.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.84

$0.96 €0.86

-3.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.15 €11.81

$13.34 €11.98

-1.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.06 €6.34

$7.19 €6.46

-1.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 €1.78

$2.00 €1.79

-1.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 €1.61

$1.78 €1.60

0.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 €2.76

$3.43 €3.08

-10.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.2 €55.9

$47.52 €42.69

30.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.04 €9.02

$10.15 €9.12

-1.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 €2.24

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.67 €22.16

$24.93 €22.40

-1.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.87

$2.05 €1.85

1.46%

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

$35.8K €32.2K

$35.0K €31.4K

2.38%

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

$36.7K €33.0K

$36.3K €32.6K

1.17%

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

$207 €186

$212 €190

-2.09%

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

$18.43 €16.55

$17.90 €16.08

2.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.9 €47.51

$53.1 €47.72

-0.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.80 €37.55

$40.05 €35.98

4.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.70 €15.90

$19.62 €17.63

-9.79%

Cinema Ticket

$14.57 €13.09

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

$706 €634

$699 €628

1.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.7K

-0.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.3 €89.2

$97.6 €87.7

1.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.42 €23.73

$26.13 €23.47

1.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 €81.0

$88.7 €79.7

1.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €128

$142 €128

0.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 €752

$1,108 €996

-24.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$824 €740

$975 €876

-15.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 €1,428

$1,996 €1,793

-20.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$976 €876

$1,581 €1,420

-38.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,741 €4,258

$5,066 €4,551

-6.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,248 €2,917

$3,640 €3,270

-10.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,387 €3,043

$3,727 €3,348

-9.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

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

Last update for Dendermonde: October 26, 2026

Last update for Leuven: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dendermonde

$824 39.9%

Leuven

$975 43.9% 18.3% $151

Groceries & Markets

Dendermonde

$319 15.4%

Leuven

$320 14.4% 0.4% $1.2

Eating Out

Dendermonde

$314 15.2%

Leuven

$332 14.9% 5.6% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dendermonde

$279 13.5%

Leuven

$283 12.7% 1.5% $4.1

Clothing & Footwear

Dendermonde

$161 7.8%

Leuven

$160 7.2% 1.1% $1.8

Getting Around

Dendermonde

$97 4.7%

Leuven

$84 3.8% 13.6% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Dendermonde

$71 3.4%

Leuven

$69 3.1% 2.5% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $837 in Dendermonde and $1,108 in Leuven. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leuven pays 10% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $73 in Dendermonde vs $78 in Leuven for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $320 per month, with Dendermonde cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Dendermonde

🇧🇪 Leuven

🕒 Local time

21:32 9:32 PM

Same time as Dendermonde

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,768

102,275

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Dendermonde Leuven 45 km

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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

Dendermonde vs Leuven: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,065 in Dendermonde and $2,222 in Leuven, so Dendermonde is about 7% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Dendermonde. 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: $837 in Dendermonde versus $1,108 in Leuven. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Leuven runs roughly 24% less than in Dendermonde. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $2,065 per month in Dendermonde versus $2,222 in Leuven – Dendermonde is about 7% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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

It comes down to priorities – Dendermonde wins on affordability, Leuven on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.