Cost of Living Comparison Between Diest and Leuven Cost of Living Comparison Between Diest and Leuven

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,084 in Diest versus $2,226 in Leuven.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,105 in Diest versus $3,347 in Leuven.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,126 in Diest versus $4,468 in Leuven.

Living in Diest costs roughly 6% less than in Leuven, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Diest 56% above, Leuven 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.50 €20.07

$17.28 €14.76

36.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.3 €78.9

$94.4 €80.6

-2.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 €10.35

$11.68 €9.98

3.77%

Cappuccino

$3.63 €3.10

$4.30 €3.67

-15.58%

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

$3.42 €2.92

$3.59 €3.06

-4.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.58

$3.48 €2.97

-13.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.40 €4.62

$4.89 €4.18

10.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 €4.06

$3.63 €3.10

30.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.11

$1.37 €1.17

-5.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 €2.35

$2.17 €1.86

26.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.52 €2.15

$2.94 €2.51

-14.29%

Eggs

$4.05 €3.46

$3.54 €3.03

14.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.31 €14.78

$11.96 €10.21

44.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.71 €10.00

$13.02 €11.12

-10.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.71 €18.54

$17.52 €14.96

23.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.32

$2.76 €2.35

-1.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.02

$2.30 €1.96

3.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$2.04 €1.74

11.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.93 €2.50

$2.63 €2.25

11.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.89

$2.13 €1.82

3.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.70 €1.45

22.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.21

$1.57 €1.34

-10.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$1.21 €1.03

-25.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.60 €10.76

$12.86 €10.99

-2.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.12 €6.94

$7.73 €6.60

5.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.44

$2.35 €2.00

-28.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 €1.65

$2.18 €1.86

-11.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.86 €2.44

$2.83 €2.41

1.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.3 €48.93

$37.24 €31.81

53.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.68 €4.85

$6.44 €5.50

-11.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.53 €2.16

$2.58 €2.21

-1.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.73 €32.22

$34.34 €29.33

9.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.59

$1.92 €1.64

-3.12%

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

$33.2K €28.4K

$30.1K €25.7K

10.54%

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

$31.5K €26.9K

$27.9K €23.8K

12.86%

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

$209 €178

$182 €156

14.74%

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

$25.37 €21.67

$21.74 €18.56

16.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 €44.41

$47.78 €40.80

8.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.66 €33.01

$46.28 €39.52

-16.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.91 €14.44

$17.03 €14.54

-0.70%

Cinema Ticket

$15.00 €12.81

$14.49 €12.38

3.52%

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

$608 €519

$660 €564

-7.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K €11.6K

0.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 €91.1

$103 €87.6

4.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.29 €41.24

$33.03 €28.21

46.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €93.0

$93.9 €80.2

16.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 €135

$134 €114

18.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$902 €771

$1,009 €862

-10.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$740 €632

$1,086 €927

-31.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 €1,138

$2,155 €1,840

-38.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,112 €950

$1,738 €1,485

-36.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,591 €3,067

$5,641 €4,818

-36.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,465 €2,105

$3,766 €3,216

-34.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,239 €1,912

$3,465 €2,959

-35.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.42

3.83

-10.70%

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

Last update for Diest: April 26, 2026

Last update for Leuven: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $902 in Diest and $1,009 in Leuven. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leuven pays 55% 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: $92.0 in Diest vs $94.0 in Leuven. Groceries flip the comparison at $350 vs $326, with Leuven cheaper for home cooking.

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

Diest vs Leuven: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Diest wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Leuven. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Diest the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Leuven earns 55% 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: $902 in Diest versus $1,009 in Leuven. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Diest runs roughly 54% less than in Leuven. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $608 in Diest versus $660 in Leuven. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,084 in Diest versus $2,226 in Leuven, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Diest but tight or insufficient in Leuven. The gap between the two cities makes Diest 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, Diest 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 Diest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Leuven. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.