Cost of Living Comparison Between Gent and Aalst Cost of Living Comparison Between Gent and Aalst

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,235 in Gent versus $2,156 in Aalst.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,471 in Gent versus $3,151 in Aalst.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,707 in Gent versus $4,146 in Aalst.

Living in Gent is roughly 4% more expensive than Aalst, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gent 68% above, Aalst 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.05 €19.85

$23.39 €20.14

-1.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$115 €99.4

$104 €89.2

11.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.79 €11.88

$12.81 €11.03

7.65%

Cappuccino

$4.15 €3.57

$4.17 €3.59

-0.48%

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

$3.40 €2.93

$3.48 €3.00

-2.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.85

$2.93 €2.52

12.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.93 €5.10

$5.47 €4.71

8.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 €4.89

$4.68 €4.03

21.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.11

$1.33 €1.15

-3.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.88 €2.48

-4.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.76 €2.38

-16.30%

Eggs

$4.26 €3.67

$4.17 €3.59

2.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.71 €15.25

$16.44 €14.16

7.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.75 €10.12

$11.93 €10.27

-1.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$19.01 €16.37

-3.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 €2.61

$2.89 €2.48

4.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$2.42 €2.08

2.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 €2.26

$2.27 €1.95

15.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 €2.71

$3.28 €2.82

-3.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.57

$2.58 €2.22

-29.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$2.37 €2.04

-12.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.42 €1.22

-2.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.83

$0.86 €0.74

12.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.70 €10.94

$12.58 €10.83

0.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.45 €8.14

$9.37 €8.07

0.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.71 €1.47

18.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 €2.64

$2.03 €1.75

50.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 €2.42

$2.97 €2.55

-5.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.5 €50.4

$56.2 €48.39

4.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.21 €9.65

$5.96 €5.13

88.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.69 €2.31

$2.45 €2.11

9.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$53.7 €46.26

$34.87 €30.03

54.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.87 €1.61

-0.53%

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

$33.9K €29.2K

$35.1K €30.3K

-3.48%

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

$38.5K €33.1K

$32.8K €28.3K

17.10%

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

$229 €197

$204 €176

11.88%

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

$22.96 €19.77

$21.67 €18.66

5.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.5 €43.52

$56.8 €48.88

-10.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.19 €30.30

$39.16 €33.72

-10.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.62 €11.73

$17.20 €14.81

-20.81%

Cinema Ticket

$16.10 €13.86

$15.13 €13.03

6.41%

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

$580 €499

$611 €526

-5.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.4K €16.7K

$13.4K €11.5K

44.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 €97.5

$105 €90.8

7.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 €46.73

$48.75 €41.98

11.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €92.0

$117 €100

-8.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 €142

$154 €133

6.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 €889

$970 €835

6.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$901 €776

$869 €748

3.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,789 €1,540

$1,380 €1,188

29.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,414 €1,217

$1,086 €935

30.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,815 €5,007

$3,210 €2,764

81.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,175 €2,734

$3,035 €2,613

4.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,663 €3,154

$2,701 €2,325

35.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.74

3.27

14.37%

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

Last update for Gent: June 13, 2026

Last update for Aalst: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,033 in Gent and $970 in Aalst. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gent pays 36% 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: $115 in Gent vs $104 in Aalst for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $350 per month, with Aalst cheaper across the board.

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

Gent and Aalst differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($2,235 vs $2,156 including rent). Aalst is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Gent pays 36% more on average, 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: $1,033 in Gent versus $970 in Aalst. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Aalst – a meal for two runs $104 versus $115 in Gent. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,235 per month in Gent versus $2,156 in Aalst – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,156 in Aalst versus $2,235 in Gent, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Aalst but tight or insufficient in Gent. The gap between the two cities makes Aalst 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, Gent and Aalst 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 Aalst gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Gent. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.