Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gent and Hasselt

For one person, living is cheaper in Hasselt: $2,040 a month against $2,254 in Gent, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Gent, Belgium
Hasselt, Belgium
Gent
🇧🇪 Belgium
$2,254
/mo nomad
Hasselt
🇧🇪 Belgium
$2,040
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gent and in Hasselt

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

A single person spends $2,254 per month in Gent vs $2,040 in Hasselt, rent included.

  • Gent $2,254
  • Hasselt $2,040

A couple spends around $3,450 per month in Gent vs $3,052 in Hasselt, rent included.

  • Gent $3,450
  • Hasselt $3,052

A family of three spends $4,646 per month in Gent vs $4,064 in Hasselt, rent included.

  • Gent $4,646
  • Hasselt $4,064

Gent costs about 10% more than Hasselt, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Gent and Hasselt sit above the global median – Gent by 67%, Hasselt by 51%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Gent
Hasselt
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.29 €19.93
$22.24 €19.89
0.22%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$113 €101
$97.7 €87.3
15.31%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.76 €14.10
$13.45 €12.03
17.17%
Cappuccino
$4.29 €3.84
$3.70 €3.31
15.95%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.58 €3.20
$3.61 €3.22
-0.83%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.03 €2.71
$3.10 €2.77
-2.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.67 €5.07
$5.28 €4.73
7.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.67 €5.07
$5.44 €4.86
4.23%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Gent
Hasselt
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.23 €1.10
$1.40 €1.25
-12.14%
White Bread (500g)
$2.91 €2.60
$2.55 €2.28
14.12%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.08 €1.86
$2.30 €2.05
-9.57%
Eggs
$4.18 €3.74
$3.39 €3.03
23.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$20.10 €17.97
$7.91 €7.07
154.11%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.35 €11.05
$11.76 €10.51
5.02%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.96 €17.85
$22.90 €20.48
-12.84%
Apples (1kg)
$2.72 €2.43
$1.97 €1.76
38.07%
Banana (1kg)
$2.54 €2.27
$1.74 €1.55
45.98%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.57 €2.30
$2.61 €2.33
-1.53%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.97 €2.65
$2.72 €2.43
9.19%
Potato (1kg)
$2.31 €2.07
$1.76 €1.58
31.25%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.36 €1.21
44.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.37 €1.23
$1.01 €0.90
35.64%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.04 €0.93
$1.02 €0.91
1.96%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.86 €11.50
$12.91 €11.54
-0.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.74 €7.81
$9.06 €8.10
-3.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.09 €1.86
$1.55 €1.39
34.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.45 €2.19
$2.06 €1.84
18.93%
🚌 Getting Around
Gent
Hasselt
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.33 €2.97
$3.07 €2.74
8.47%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$58.9 €52.7
$33.14 €29.63
77.70%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$10.82 €9.68
$5.47 €4.90
97.81%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.86 €2.56
$2.66 €2.38
7.52%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$51.4 €45.96
$36.50 €32.64
40.82%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.05 €1.84
$2.00 €1.79
2.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.1K €31.4K
$35.8K €32.0K
-1.90%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.5K €32.6K
$33.7K €30.2K
8.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Gent
Hasselt
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$223 €199
$208 €186
6.93%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.82 €19.51
$19.75 €17.66
10.48%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.58 €43.44
$48.00 €42.93
1.21%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Gent
Hasselt
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.80 €29.33
$27.75 €24.82
18.20%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.13 €12.63
$8.72 €7.80
62.04%
Cinema Ticket
$16.21 €14.50
$15.12 €13.52
7.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Gent
Hasselt
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$565 €505
$1,630 €1,458
-65.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.9K €20.5K
$33.8K €30.2K
-32.16%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Gent
Hasselt
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$108 €96.3
$117 €105
-8.20%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.67 €43.52
$54.4 €48.62
-10.48%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$116 €103
$108 €96.3
7.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$145 €129
$133 €119
8.62%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Gent
Hasselt
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,159 €1,036
$941 €841
23.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$903 €808
$817 €731
10.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,806 €1,615
$1,437 €1,285
25.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,458 €1,304
$1,212 €1,084
20.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,934 €4,412
$4,483 €4,009
10.06%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,090 €2,763
$2,457 €2,197
25.79%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Gent
Hasselt
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,615 €3,233
$3,054 €2,731
18.35%
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 Hasselt: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Gent
$903
Hasselt
$817 9.5% $86
Groceries & Markets
Gent
$364
Hasselt
$312 14.3% $52
Eating Out
Gent
$343
Hasselt
$327 4.8% $16
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Gent
$293
Hasselt
$276 5.8% $17
Clothing & Footwear
Gent
$187
Hasselt
$186 1% $1.8
Getting Around
Gent
$97
Hasselt
$64 34.1% $33
Sport & Entertainment
Gent
$65
Hasselt
$58 11.1% $7.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,159 in Gent versus $941 in Hasselt. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 18% higher in Gent. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $113 in Gent versus $98 in Hasselt. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $364 vs $312 – making Hasselt the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇪 Gent
🇧🇪 Hasselt
🕒 Local time
14:34 2:34 PM
14:34 2:34 PM
Same time as Gent
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
237,000
74,694
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.894 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Gent Hasselt 110 km
From you
  • Gent
  • Hasselt

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 Hasselt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hasselt cheaper than Gent?
Yes – Gent is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,381 per month in Gent and $3,060 in Hasselt. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Hasselt, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $941 there versus $1,159 in Gent.
What are total monthly expenses in Gent and in Hasselt?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,254 in Gent and $2,040 in Hasselt. That makes Hasselt about 9% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 44% less in Hasselt. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $3,000 enough for either Gent or Hasselt?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,254 in Gent and $2,040 in Hasselt, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Gent or in Hasselt?
It depends on your priorities. Gent has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,040 in Hasselt to $2,254 in Gent. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is safer, Gent or Hasselt?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Hasselt. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Gent makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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