Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Geel and Gent

For one person, living is cheaper in Geel: $2,037 a month against $2,229 in Gent, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Geel, Belgium
Gent, Belgium
Geel
🇧🇪 Belgium
$2,037
/mo nomad
Gent
🇧🇪 Belgium
$2,229
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Geel and in Gent

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,037 in Geel versus $2,229 in Gent.

  • Geel $2,037
  • Gent $2,229

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,915 in Geel versus $3,454 in Gent.

  • Geel $2,915
  • Gent $3,454

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,793 in Geel versus $4,679 in Gent.

  • Geel $3,793
  • Gent $4,679

Living in Geel costs roughly 9% less than in Gent, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Geel 50% above, Gent 64% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Geel
Gent
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.27 €16.30
$22.69 €20.25
-19.48%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$76.9 €68.6
$113 €101
-32.09%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.54 €9.41
$15.92 €14.21
-33.79%
Cappuccino
$3.94 €3.51
$4.22 €3.77
-6.64%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.70 €2.41
$3.37 €3.01
-19.88%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.19 €2.85
$2.85 €2.54
11.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.52 €4.03
$5.73 €5.11
-21.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.42 €3.05
$5.74 €5.12
-40.42%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Geel
Gent
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.28 €1.14
$1.21 €1.08
5.79%
White Bread (500g)
$2.67 €2.38
$2.76 €2.47
-3.26%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.71 €2.42
$2.15 €1.92
26.05%
Eggs
$5.29 €4.72
$4.03 €3.59
31.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.60 €15.70
$18.70 €16.69
-5.88%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.21 €11.78
$12.60 €11.24
4.84%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.92 €19.55
$19.54 €17.43
12.18%
Apples (1kg)
$3.14 €2.80
$2.68 €2.39
17.16%
Banana (1kg)
$2.47 €2.21
$2.36 €2.10
4.66%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.82 €2.52
$2.59 €2.31
8.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.15 €3.70
$2.94 €2.62
41.16%
Potato (1kg)
$2.46 €2.20
$2.11 €1.88
16.59%
Onion (1kg)
$2.14 €1.91
$1.93 €1.72
10.88%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.87 €1.67
$1.35 €1.20
38.52%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.69 €0.61
$1.08 €0.97
-36.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.61 €12.14
$13.20 €11.78
3.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.90 €7.94
$9.02 €8.05
-1.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.62 €2.34
$1.99 €1.78
31.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.01 €2.68
$2.36 €2.11
27.54%
🚌 Getting Around
Geel
Gent
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.26 €2.90
$3.37 €3.01
-3.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$68.9 €61.5
$59.5 €53.1
15.93%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.94 €2.62
$11.07 €9.88
-73.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.22 €1.98
$2.89 €2.58
-23.18%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$40.50 €36.14
$51.4 €45.83
-21.16%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.84 €1.65
$2.05 €1.83
-10.24%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.2K €21.6K
$35.5K €31.6K
-31.71%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.7K €31.9K
$36.6K €32.7K
-2.51%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Geel
Gent
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$168 €150
$221 €197
-23.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.24 €18.95
$20.94 €18.68
1.43%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$50.8 €45.32
$45.87 €40.93
10.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Geel
Gent
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.64 €34.48
$32.76 €29.23
17.95%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$13.19 €11.77
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.62 €13.94
$15.84 €14.13
-1.39%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Geel
Gent
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,617 €1,443
$564 €503
186.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$36.0K €32.2K
$20.9K €18.7K
72.04%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Geel
Gent
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €90.6
$106 €94.3
-3.95%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.70 €40.77
$46.81 €41.77
-2.37%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 €100
$108 €96.6
3.95%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$144 €129
$149 €133
-3.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Geel
Gent
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,015 €905
$1,191 €1,062
-14.75%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$789 €704
$893 €797
-11.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,066 €951
$1,809 €1,614
-41.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$940 €839
$1,517 €1,354
-38.04%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,968 €3,540
$4,994 €4,455
-20.53%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,415 €3,047
$3,015 €2,690
13.26%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Geel
Gent
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,369 €2,114
$3,688 €3,291
-35.76%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3
3.2
-6.25%

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

Last update for Geel: October 27, 2026

Last update for Gent: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Geel
$789
Gent
$893 13.3% $105
Groceries & Markets
Geel
$383
Gent
$356 7% $27
Eating Out
Geel
$278
Gent
$345 24.1% $67
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Geel
$240
Gent
$288 19.8% $47
Clothing & Footwear
Geel
$182
Gent
$184 1.4% $2.6
Getting Around
Geel
$96
Gent
$98 2.6% $2.4
Sport & Entertainment
Geel
$70
Gent
$64 7.8% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,015 in Geel and $1,191 in Gent. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gent pays 56% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $77 in Geel vs $113 in Gent. Groceries flip the comparison at $383 vs $356, with Gent cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇧🇪 Geel
🇧🇪 Gent
🕒 Local time
17:45 5:45 PM
17:45 5:45 PM
Same time as Geel
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
40,781
237,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Geel Gent 89 km
From you
  • Geel
  • Gent

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
Geel vs Gent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Geel and in Gent?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,037 in Geel and $2,229 in Gent, so Geel is about 9% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 36% lower in Geel. 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 Geel and in Gent?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,015 in Geel versus $1,191 in Gent. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Geel – a meal for two runs $77 versus $113 in Gent. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Geel or Gent?
All in, you’ll spend $2,037 per month in Geel versus $2,229 in Gent – Geel is about 9% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How far does $3,000 go in Geel compared to Gent?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Geel 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 Geel and Gent?
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.
Is Geel or Gent safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Geel and Gent are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
How do I decide between Geel and Gent?
It comes down to priorities – Geel wins on affordability, Gent on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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