Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gent and Aalst

For one person, living is cheaper in Aalst: $2,156 a month against $2,254 in Gent, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

108

Cost of Living Index in Gent
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Gent Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Aalst
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Aalst Living Index

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Gent

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,254

/mo nomad

Aalst

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,156

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gent and in Aalst

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,254 in Gent versus $2,156 in Aalst.

Gent $2,254
Aalst $2,156

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,450 in Gent versus $3,186 in Aalst.

Gent $3,450
Aalst $3,186

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,646 in Gent versus $4,217 in Aalst.

Gent $4,646
Aalst $4,217

Living in Gent is roughly 5% more expensive than in Aalst, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gent 67% above, Aalst 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.29 €19.85

$23.80 €21.20

-6.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$113 €100

$95.7 €85.3

17.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.76 €14.04

$13.56 €12.08

16.22%

Cappuccino

$4.29 €3.82

$4.24 €3.78

1.18%

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

$3.58 €3.19

$3.48 €3.10

2.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 €2.70

$3.16 €2.82

-4.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 €5.05

$5.63 €5.02

0.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 €5.05

$5.47 €4.87

3.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.09

$1.36 €1.21

-9.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 €2.59

$2.77 €2.47

5.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 €1.86

$2.30 €2.05

-9.57%

Eggs

$4.18 €3.72

$3.88 €3.45

7.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.10 €17.90

$16.58 €14.77

21.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.35 €11.00

$12.03 €10.72

2.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.96 €17.78

$22.18 €19.76

-10.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.42

$2.98 €2.65

-8.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 €2.26

$2.45 €2.18

3.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 €2.29

$2.68 €2.39

-4.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.97 €2.64

$3.31 €2.95

-10.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 €2.06

$2.43 €2.17

-4.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$1.87 €1.67

5.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.56 €1.39

-12.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 €0.93

$1.12 €0.99

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.86 €11.46

$12.87 €11.46

-0.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.74 €7.78

$8.75 €7.79

-0.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.89 €1.69

10.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 €2.18

$2.04 €1.82

20.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.33 €2.96

$3.02 €2.69

10.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.9 €52.5

$55.0 €48.95

7.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.82 €9.64

$2.93 €2.61

269.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.86 €2.55

$2.35 €2.09

21.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.4 €45.79

$40.31 €35.91

27.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.83

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

$35.1K €31.3K

$35.6K €31.7K

-1.27%

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

$36.5K €32.5K

$36.0K €32.0K

1.45%

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

$223 €199

$211 €188

5.72%

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

$21.82 €19.43

$21.20 €18.89

2.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.58 €43.28

$52.2 €46.49

-6.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.80 €29.22

$36.57 €32.57

-10.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.13 €12.59

$19.51 €17.38

-27.58%

Cinema Ticket

$16.21 €14.44

$15.62 €13.92

3.78%

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

$565 €503

$1,627 €1,449

-65.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K €20.4K

$32.7K €29.1K

-29.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 €96.0

$112 €99.6

-3.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.67 €43.36

$46.49 €41.42

4.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €103

$104 €92.8

10.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 €129

$168 €150

-14.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,159 €1,032

$928 €827

24.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$903 €804

$819 €730

10.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,806 €1,609

$1,393 €1,241

29.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,458 €1,299

$1,121 €999

30.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,934 €4,395

$4,210 €3,750

17.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,090 €2,753

$2,927 €2,608

5.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,615 €3,220

$2,785 €2,481

29.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

3.53

-4.82%

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

Last update for Gent: November 1, 2026

Last update for Aalst: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gent

$903 40.1%

Aalst

$819 38% 9.3% $84

Groceries & Markets

Gent

$364 16.2%

Aalst

$361 16.8% 0.8% $3

Eating Out

Gent

$343 15.2%

Aalst

$348 16.1% 1.3% $4.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gent

$293 13%

Aalst

$284 13.2% 3.1% $9.1

Clothing & Footwear

Gent

$187 8.3%

Aalst

$194 9% 3.4% $6.5

Getting Around

Gent

$97 4.3%

Aalst

$82 3.8% 16.1% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Gent

$65 2.9%

Aalst

$68 3.2% 4% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,159 in Gent and $928 in Aalst. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gent pays 30% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $113 in Gent vs $96 in Aalst for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $361 per month, with Aalst cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Gent

🇧🇪 Aalst

🕒 Local time

23:25 11:25 PM

Same time as Gent

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

237,000

78,271

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Gent Aalst 25 km

From you

Gent
Aalst

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

Gent vs Aalst: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,254 in Gent and $2,156 in Aalst, so Aalst is about 4% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 30% higher in Gent, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,159 in Gent versus $928 in Aalst. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Aalst runs roughly 7% less than in Gent. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $2,254 per month in Gent versus $2,156 in Aalst – Aalst is about 4% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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

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