Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gent and Ostend

For one person, living is cheaper in Ostend: $1,840 a month against $2,229 in Gent, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 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
88

Cost of Living Index in Ostend
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Ostend Living Index

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Gent

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,229

/mo nomad

Ostend

🇧🇪 Belgium

$1,840

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gent and in Ostend

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

A single person spends $2,229 per month in Gent vs $1,840 in Ostend, rent included.

Gent $2,229
Ostend $1,840

A couple spends around $3,454 per month in Gent vs $2,725 in Ostend, rent included.

Gent $3,454
Ostend $2,725

A family of three spends $4,679 per month in Gent vs $3,611 in Ostend, rent included.

Gent $4,679
Ostend $3,611

Gent costs about 21% more than Ostend, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Gent and Ostend sit above the global median – Gent by 64%, Ostend by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.69 €20.32

$22.11 €19.80

2.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$113 €101

$77.6 €69.5

45.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.92 €14.26

$13.50 €12.09

17.93%

Cappuccino

$4.22 €3.78

$4.20 €3.76

0.48%

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

$3.37 €3.02

$2.91 €2.60

15.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 €2.55

$2.61 €2.34

9.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 €5.13

$4.54 €4.06

26.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 €5.14

$4.36 €3.90

31.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.09

$1.19 €1.06

1.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 €2.48

$2.69 €2.41

2.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 €1.92

$2.00 €1.79

7.50%

Eggs

$4.03 €3.61

$3.88 €3.47

3.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.70 €16.75

$11.65 €10.44

60.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 €11.28

$11.86 €10.62

6.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.54 €17.50

$13.65 €12.22

43.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 €2.40

$2.70 €2.42

-0.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 €2.11

$2.06 €1.84

14.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$2.16 €1.93

19.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.94 €2.63

$2.22 €1.99

32.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 €1.89

$1.77 €1.58

19.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 €1.73

$1.68 €1.51

14.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.21

$1.24 €1.11

8.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 €0.97

$0.95 €0.85

13.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.20 €11.82

$10.11 €9.05

30.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.02 €8.08

$6.65 €5.96

35.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.78

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.11

$1.87 €1.67

26.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.37 €3.02

$3.30 €2.96

2.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.5 €53.3

$39.48 €35.35

50.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.07 €9.92

$3.44 €3.08

221.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.89 €2.59

$2.18 €1.95

32.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.4 €46.01

$25.61 €22.93

100.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.84

$1.95 €1.74

5.13%

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

$35.5K €31.8K

$35.2K €31.6K

0.64%

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

$36.6K €32.8K

$31.3K €28.0K

17.14%

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

$221 €198

$178 €159

24.01%

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

$20.94 €18.75

$18.03 €16.14

16.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.87 €41.08

$53.6 €48.04

-14.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.76 €29.34

$36.64 €32.82

-10.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.19 €11.81

$11.33 €10.15

16.42%

Cinema Ticket

$15.84 €14.18

$14.59 €13.06

8.57%

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

$564 €505

$379 €339

48.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K €18.8K

$16.4K €14.7K

27.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €94.7

$99.0 €88.7

6.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.81 €41.92

$25.65 €22.97

82.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.9

$89.0 €79.7

21.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 €133

$121 €109

22.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 €1,066

$800 €716

48.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$893 €800

$690 €618

29.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,809 €1,620

$1,250 €1,120

44.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,517 €1,359

$992 €888

52.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,994 €4,472

$3,798 €3,402

31.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,015 €2,700

$1,973 €1,767

52.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,688 €3,303

$3,053 €2,734

20.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.2

3.33

-3.90%

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

Last update for Gent: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ostend: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gent

$893 40.1%

Ostend

$690 37.5% 22.7% $203

Groceries & Markets

Gent

$356 16%

Ostend

$295 16% 17.2% $61

Eating Out

Gent

$345 15.5%

Ostend

$321 17.5% 6.9% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gent

$288 12.9%

Ostend

$250 13.6% 13.2% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Gent

$184 8.3%

Ostend

$151 8.2% 18.3% $34

Getting Around

Gent

$98 4.4%

Ostend

$67 3.6% 31.9% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Gent

$64 2.9%

Ostend

$66 3.6% 2.1% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,191 in Gent versus $800 in Ostend. 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 21% higher in Gent, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $113 in Gent versus $78 in Ostend. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $356 vs $295 – making Ostend the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Gent

🇧🇪 Ostend

🕒 Local time

18:07 6:07 PM

Same time as Gent

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

237,000

70,600

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Gent Ostend 59 km

From you

Gent
Ostend

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 Ostend: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Gent is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,344 per month in Gent and $2,759 in Ostend. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ostend, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $800 there versus $1,191 in Gent.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,229 in Gent and $1,840 in Ostend. That makes Ostend about 17% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 34% less in Ostend. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,229 in Gent and $1,840 in Ostend, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Ostend – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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