Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gent and Mons

For one person, living is cheaper in Mons: $1,885 a month against $2,229 in Gent, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Gent
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Gent Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Mons
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Mons Living Index

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Gent

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,229

/mo nomad

Mons

🇧🇪 Belgium

$1,885

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gent and in Mons

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

A single person spends $2,229 per month in Gent vs $1,885 in Mons, rent included.

Gent $2,229
Mons $1,885

A couple spends around $3,454 per month in Gent vs $2,806 in Mons, rent included.

Gent $3,454
Mons $2,806

A family of three spends $4,679 per month in Gent vs $3,727 in Mons, rent included.

Gent $4,679
Mons $3,727

Gent costs about 18% more than Mons, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Gent and Mons sit above the global median – Gent by 64%, Mons by 39%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.69 €20.33

$16.72 €14.99

35.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$113 €101

$81.4 €73.0

39.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.92 €14.27

$10.17 €9.12

56.54%

Cappuccino

$4.22 €3.78

$2.41 €2.16

75.10%

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

$3.37 €3.02

$2.76 €2.47

22.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 €2.55

$1.70 €1.52

67.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 €5.13

$3.80 €3.40

50.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 €5.14

$4.22 €3.78

36.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.09

$1.16 €1.04

4.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 €2.48

$2.27 €2.03

21.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 €1.92

$2.20 €1.97

-2.27%

Eggs

$4.03 €3.61

$4.04 €3.62

-0.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.70 €16.76

$18.56 €16.63

0.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 €11.29

$12.30 €11.02

2.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.54 €17.51

$19.58 €17.54

-0.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 €2.40

$2.78 €2.49

-3.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 €2.11

$2.46 €2.21

-4.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$2.54 €2.28

1.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.94 €2.63

$2.95 €2.64

-0.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 €1.89

$2.18 €1.95

-3.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 €1.73

$1.20 €1.07

60.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.21

$1.37 €1.23

-1.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 €0.97

$1.06 €0.95

1.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.20 €11.83

$9.96 €8.92

32.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.02 €8.08

$5.50 €4.93

64.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.79

$1.89 €1.70

5.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.12

$1.92 €1.72

22.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.37 €3.02

$3.03 €2.72

11.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.5 €53.3

$55.1 €49.33

8.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.07 €9.92

$11.24 €10.07

-1.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.89 €2.59

$2.99 €2.68

-3.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.4 €46.03

$51.7 €46.35

-0.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.84

$1.82 €1.63

12.64%

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

$35.5K €31.8K

$35.7K €32.0K

-0.61%

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

$36.6K €32.8K

0.20%

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

$221 €198

$224 €201

-1.58%

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

$20.94 €18.76

$21.11 €18.91

-0.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.87 €41.10

$47.18 €42.28

-2.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.76 €29.36

$26.73 €23.96

22.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.19 €11.82

$16.86 €15.10

-21.77%

Cinema Ticket

$15.84 €14.19

$12.24 €10.96

29.41%

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

$564 €505

$556 €498

1.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K €18.8K

$21.3K €19.1K

-1.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €94.7

$107 €96.0

-1.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.81 €41.95

$46.16 €41.37

1.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €97.0

$109 €97.8

-0.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 €133

$145 €130

2.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 €1,067

$683 €612

74.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$893 €800

$686 €615

30.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,809 €1,621

$1,059 €949

70.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,517 €1,360

$998 €894

52.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,994 €4,475

$4,164 €3,731

19.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,015 €2,702

$2,879 €2,580

4.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,688 €3,305

$2,819 €2,526

30.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.2

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

Last update for Gent: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mons: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gent

$893 40.1%

Mons

$686 36.4% 23.2% $207

Groceries & Markets

Gent

$356 16%

Mons

$340 18% 4.5% $16

Eating Out

Gent

$345 15.5%

Mons

$238 12.7% 30.9% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gent

$288 12.9%

Mons

$293 15.5% 1.7% $5

Clothing & Footwear

Gent

$184 8.3%

Mons

$183 9.7% 0.6% $1.2

Getting Around

Gent

$98 4.4%

Mons

$93 5% 5.2% $5.1

Sport & Entertainment

Gent

$64 2.9%

Mons

$51 2.7% 20.5% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,191 in Gent versus $683 in Mons. 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 31% higher in Gent. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $113 in Gent versus $81 in Mons. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $356 vs $340 – making Mons the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Gent

🇧🇪 Mons

🕒 Local time

06:25 6:25 AM

Same time as Gent

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

237,000

92,721

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Gent Mons 68 km

From you

Gent
Mons

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 Mons: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Gent is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,344 per month in Gent and $2,828 in Mons. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mons, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $683 there versus $1,191 in Gent.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,229 in Gent and $1,885 in Mons. That makes Mons about 15% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 7% less in Mons. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,229 in Gent and $1,885 in Mons, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Gent has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,885 in Mons to $2,229 in Gent. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Mons. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Gent makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.