Cost of Living Comparison Between Geel and Leuven Cost of Living Comparison Between Geel and Leuven

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,078 in Geel versus $2,225 in Leuven.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,939 in Geel versus $3,357 in Leuven.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,800 in Geel versus $4,489 in Leuven.

Living in Geel costs roughly 7% less than in Leuven, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Geel 56% above, Leuven 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.25 €15.09

$17.25 €15.10

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.3 €56.2

$91.9 €80.4

-30.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.64

$11.54 €10.09

-4.51%

Cappuccino

$3.86 €3.38

$4.35 €3.80

-11.26%

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

$2.94 €2.57

$3.49 €3.05

-15.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 €2.59

$3.46 €3.03

-14.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.73 €4.14

$5.02 €4.39

-5.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 €3.10

$3.77 €3.30

-5.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 €1.36

$1.32 €1.16

17.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 €2.51

$2.16 €1.89

32.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 €2.54

$3.01 €2.63

-3.32%

Eggs

$4.92 €4.31

$3.45 €3.02

42.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.39 €14.34

$12.04 €10.54

36.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 €12.13

$12.97 €11.35

6.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.06 €16.67

$17.21 €15.06

10.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 €2.71

$2.65 €2.32

16.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 €2.21

$2.24 €1.96

12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$2.08 €1.82

32.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.26 €2.85

$2.63 €2.30

23.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.26

$2.13 €1.86

21.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 €2.11

$1.64 €1.43

47.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 €1.44

$1.57 €1.37

5.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.63

$1.20 €1.05

-40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.31 €10.77

$12.98 €11.36

-5.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.90 €7.79

$7.48 €6.55

18.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 €2.31

$2.31 €2.02

14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 €2.78

$2.18 €1.91

45.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 €2.47

$2.94 €2.57

-4.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.9 €49.80

$37.97 €33.22

49.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.48 €6.54

$6.43 €5.63

16.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.36 €2.06

$2.61 €2.29

-9.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.47 €30.16

$34.89 €30.52

-1.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.69

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

$24.9K €21.8K

$29.7K €25.9K

-16.01%

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

$35.3K €30.9K

$27.9K €24.4K

26.60%

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

$175 €153

$179 €156

-1.84%

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

$21.38 €18.70

$21.91 €19.17

-2.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 €48.81

$48.77 €42.66

14.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.09 €35.95

$46.82 €40.96

-12.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.29 €15.12

$17.20 €15.05

0.52%

Cinema Ticket

$15.00 €13.13

$14.68 €12.85

2.18%

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

$624 €546

$658 €576

-5.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K €11.9K

$13.5K €11.8K

0.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 €93.5

$103 €89.9

4.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.49 €43.30

$32.17 €28.14

53.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 €102

$93.7 €82.0

24.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 €136

$130 €114

19.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$951 €832

$1,002 €877

-5.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$803 €702

$1,079 €944

-25.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,091 €954

$2,178 €1,905

-49.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$979 €856

$1,735 €1,518

-43.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,907 €3,418

$5,572 €4,875

-29.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,398 €2,973

$3,631 €3,177

-6.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,487 €2,176

$3,561 €3,115

-30.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.83

-21.67%

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

Last update for Geel: July 12, 2026

Last update for Leuven: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $951 in Geel and $1,002 in Leuven. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leuven pays 43% 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: $64.0 in Geel vs $92.0 in Leuven. Groceries flip the comparison at $374 vs $323, 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

Geel vs Leuven: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Geel and Leuven differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($2,078 vs $2,225 including rent). Geel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 43% lower in Leuven. 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: $951 in Geel versus $1,002 in Leuven. 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 $64.0 versus $92.0 in Leuven. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,078 per month in Geel versus $2,225 in Leuven – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,078 in Geel versus $2,225 in Leuven, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Geel but tight or insufficient in Leuven. 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 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 Geel 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.