Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gent and Diest

For one person, living is cheaper in Diest: $2,088 a month against $2,254 in Gent, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 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
100

Cost of Living Index in Diest
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Diest Living Index

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Gent

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,254

/mo nomad

Diest

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,088

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gent and in Diest

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 Diest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,254 in Gent versus $2,088 in Diest.

Gent $2,254
Diest $2,088

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,450 in Gent versus $3,070 in Diest.

Gent $3,450
Diest $3,070

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,646 in Gent versus $4,052 in Diest.

Gent $4,646
Diest $4,052

Living in Gent is roughly 8% more expensive than in Diest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gent 67% above, Diest 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.29 €19.85

$21.93 €19.53

1.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$113 €100

$85.0 €75.7

32.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.76 €14.04

$11.89 €10.59

32.55%

Cappuccino

$4.29 €3.82

$3.54 €3.15

21.19%

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

$3.58 €3.19

$2.94 €2.62

21.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 €2.70

$2.80 €2.50

8.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 €5.05

$5.38 €4.79

5.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 €5.05

$4.35 €3.87

30.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.09

$1.26 €1.12

-2.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 €2.59

$2.73 €2.43

6.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 €1.86

$2.25 €2.00

-7.56%

Eggs

$4.18 €3.72

$3.93 €3.50

6.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.10 €17.90

$15.20 €13.54

32.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.35 €11.00

$11.87 €10.57

4.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.96 €17.78

$18.91 €16.84

5.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.42

$2.78 €2.48

-2.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 €2.26

$2.25 €2.01

12.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 €2.29

$2.61 €2.32

-1.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.97 €2.64

$2.93 €2.61

1.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 €2.06

$2.18 €1.94

5.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$1.72 €1.54

14.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.52 €1.36

-9.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 €0.93

$1.02 €0.91

1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.86 €11.46

$13.13 €11.69

-2.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.74 €7.78

$8.44 €7.52

3.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.95 €1.74

7.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 €2.18

$2.05 €1.82

19.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.33 €2.96

$3.07 €2.74

8.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.9 €52.5

$54.4 €48.47

8.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.82 €9.64

$5.69 €5.07

90.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.86 €2.55

$2.47 €2.20

15.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.4 €45.79

$30.18 €26.89

70.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.83

$2.07 €1.84

-0.97%

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

$35.1K €31.3K

$36.0K €32.1K

-2.55%

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

$36.5K €32.5K

$36.1K €32.1K

1.20%

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

$223 €199

$209 €186

6.89%

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

$21.82 €19.43

$20.59 €18.34

5.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.58 €43.28

$51.4 €45.77

-5.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.80 €29.22

$36.60 €32.60

-10.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.13 €12.59

$19.94 €17.76

-29.14%

Cinema Ticket

$16.21 €14.44

$14.29 €12.73

13.44%

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

$565 €503

$781 €696

-27.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K €20.4K

$19.3K €17.2K

18.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 €96.0

$103 €91.9

4.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.67 €43.36

$48.33 €43.05

0.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €103

$106 €94.8

8.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 €129

$147 €131

-1.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,159 €1,032

$938 €836

23.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$903 €804

$825 €735

9.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,806 €1,609

$1,367 €1,217

32.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,458 €1,299

$1,168 €1,040

24.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,934 €4,395

$4,180 €3,723

18.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,090 €2,753

$2,949 €2,627

4.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,615 €3,220

$2,138 €1,905

69.05%

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 Diest: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gent

$903 40.1%

Diest

$825 39.5% 8.6% $78

Groceries & Markets

Gent

$364 16.2%

Diest

$338 16.2% 7.2% $26

Eating Out

Gent

$343 15.2%

Diest

$312 15% 9.1% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gent

$293 13%

Diest

$281 13.4% 4.4% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Gent

$187 8.3%

Diest

$182 8.7% 2.8% $5.2

Getting Around

Gent

$97 4.3%

Diest

$85 4.1% 13% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Gent

$65 2.9%

Diest

$65 3.1% 0.1% $0

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,159 in Gent and $938 in Diest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gent pays 69% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $113 in Gent vs $85 in Diest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $338 per month, with Diest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Gent

🇧🇪 Diest

🕒 Local time

23:34 11:34 PM

Same time as Gent

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

237,000

22,516

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Gent Diest 93 km

From you

Gent
Diest

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 Diest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Diest wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Gent. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Diest the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 69% 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 $938 in Diest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Diest runs roughly 8% less than in Gent. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $565 in Gent versus $781 in Diest. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Diest is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Diest are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Diest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Gent. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.