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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Living in Gent is roughly 11% more expensive than Geel, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.09 €19.76

$17.34 €14.84

33.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$114 €97.8

$62.9 €53.9

81.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.92 €11.92

$11.21 €9.59

24.17%

Cappuccino

$4.18 €3.58

$3.86 €3.30

8.29%

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

$3.43 €2.94

$2.93 €2.51

17.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 €2.88

$2.86 €2.44

17.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.87 €5.03

$4.52 €3.87

29.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 €4.94

$3.55 €3.04

62.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.08

$1.48 €1.27

-14.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 €2.27

$3.00 €2.57

-11.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 €2.01

$2.93 €2.50

-19.80%

Eggs

$4.16 €3.56

$4.84 €4.15

-14.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.21 €14.73

$16.31 €13.96

5.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.77 €10.08

$13.63 €11.67

-13.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.50 €15.83

$18.93 €16.20

-2.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 €2.69

$3.00 €2.57

4.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 €2.08

$2.58 €2.21

-5.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 €2.25

$2.77 €2.37

-5.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.04 €2.60

$3.29 €2.82

-7.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 €1.65

$2.68 €2.29

-27.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.84

$2.56 €2.19

-16.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.71 €1.46

-19.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.76

$0.76 €0.65

17.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 €10.91

$12.60 €10.79

1.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.58 €8.20

$9.27 €7.93

3.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 €1.66

$2.53 €2.17

-23.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$3.20 €2.74

-9.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.46

$2.97 €2.54

-3.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.0 €49.65

$57.2 €48.92

1.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.88 €9.31

$7.40 €6.33

47.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.76 €2.36

$2.44 €2.09

13.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$54.3 €46.44

$34.47 €29.51

57.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.91 €1.63

1.57%

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

$32.9K €28.2K

$24.8K €21.2K

32.92%

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

$37.9K €32.5K

$35.5K €30.4K

6.73%

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

$233 €199

$176 €151

32.29%

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

$23.48 €20.10

$21.35 €18.27

9.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 €42.90

$56.1 €48.05

-10.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.04 €30.00

$41.08 €35.17

-14.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.69 €11.72

$17.26 €14.78

-20.68%

Cinema Ticket

$16.16 €13.83

$15.18 €12.99

6.46%

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

$585 €501

$605 €518

-3.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.3K €16.5K

$13.6K €11.6K

42.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 €96.9

$106 €90.6

6.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 €45.56

$49.61 €42.47

7.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.2

$114 €97.6

-8.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$161 €138

$152 €130

5.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 €891

$933 €799

11.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$924 €791

$815 €697

13.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,772 €1,517

$1,119 €958

58.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,395 €1,194

$969 €830

43.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,459 €4,673

$3,601 €3,083

51.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,195 €2,735

$2,465 €2,110

29.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,338 €2,857

$2,540 €2,174

31.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.74

24.67%

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

Last update for Gent: April 25, 2026

Last update for Geel: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,041 in Gent and $933 in Geel. 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: $114 in Gent vs $63.0 in Geel. Groceries flip the comparison at $348 vs $375, 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

Gent vs Geel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Gent pays 31% 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: $1,041 in Gent versus $933 in Geel. 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 $2,291 per month in Gent versus $2,060 in Geel – 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, Gent and Geel 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.