Cost of Living Comparison Between Geel and Gent Cost of Living Comparison Between Geel and Gent

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,060 in Geel versus $2,291 in Gent.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,912 in Geel versus $3,458 in Gent.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,765 in Geel versus $4,624 in Gent.

Living in Geel costs roughly 10% less than in Gent, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Geel 54% above, Gent 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.34 €14.80

$23.09 €19.72

-24.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €53.8

$114 €97.6

-44.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.21 €9.57

$13.92 €11.89

-19.47%

Cappuccino

$3.86 €3.30

$4.18 €3.57

-7.66%

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

$2.93 €2.50

$3.43 €2.93

-14.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 €2.44

$3.37 €2.88

-15.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €3.86

$5.87 €5.02

-23.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 €3.03

$5.77 €4.92

-38.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 €1.27

$1.26 €1.07

17.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 €2.56

$2.65 €2.26

13.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.93 €2.50

$2.35 €2.01

24.68%

Eggs

$4.84 €4.14

$4.16 €3.55

16.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.31 €13.93

$17.21 €14.70

-5.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.63 €11.64

$11.77 €10.05

15.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.93 €16.16

$18.50 €15.80

2.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 €2.56

$3.14 €2.68

-4.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 €2.21

$2.43 €2.08

6.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.77 €2.36

$2.63 €2.25

5.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.29 €2.81

$3.04 €2.59

8.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 €2.29

$1.93 €1.64

38.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 €2.19

$2.15 €1.84

19.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 €1.46

$1.37 €1.17

24.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.65

$0.89 €0.76

-14.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.60 €10.76

$12.75 €10.89

-1.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.27 €7.92

$9.58 €8.18

-3.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 €2.16

$1.94 €1.66

30.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 €2.74

$2.90 €2.47

10.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.97 €2.54

$2.88 €2.46

3.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.2 €48.81

$58.0 €49.53

-1.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.40 €6.32

$10.88 €9.29

-31.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.44 €2.08

$2.76 €2.36

-11.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.47 €29.44

$54.3 €46.33

-36.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.63

$1.94 €1.65

-1.55%

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

$24.8K €21.2K

$32.9K €28.1K

-24.77%

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

$35.5K €30.4K

$37.9K €32.4K

-6.31%

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

$176 €150

$233 €199

-24.41%

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

$21.35 €18.23

$23.48 €20.05

-9.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.1 €47.93

$50.1 €42.80

12.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.08 €35.09

$35.04 €29.93

17.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.26 €14.74

$13.69 €11.69

26.08%

Cinema Ticket

$15.18 €12.96

$16.16 €13.80

-6.06%

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

$605 €516

$585 €500

3.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K €11.6K

$19.3K €16.5K

-29.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €90.4

$113 €96.7

-6.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.61 €42.37

$53.2 €45.45

-6.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €97.4

$104 €89.0

9.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 €130

$161 €137

-5.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 €797

$1,041 €889

-10.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$815 €696

$924 €789

-11.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,119 €956

$1,772 €1,514

-36.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$969 €828

$1,395 €1,192

-30.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,601 €3,076

$5,459 €4,662

-34.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,465 €2,105

$3,195 €2,729

-22.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,540 €2,169

$3,338 €2,850

-23.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.74

-19.79%

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

Last update for Geel: April 25, 2026

Last update for Gent: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $933 in Geel and $1,041 in Gent. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gent pays 31% 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: $63.0 in Geel vs $114 in Gent. Groceries flip the comparison at $375 vs $348, with Gent 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

Geel vs Gent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Geel and Gent differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($2,060 vs $2,291 including rent). Geel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Gent earns 31% 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: $933 in Geel versus $1,041 in Gent. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Geel – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $114 in Gent. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,060 per month in Geel versus $2,291 in Gent – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,060 in Geel versus $2,291 in Gent, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Geel but tight or insufficient in Gent. The gap between the two cities makes Geel 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, Geel and Gent 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 Geel gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Gent. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.