Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Geraardsbergen and Leuven

For one person, living is cheaper in Geraardsbergen: $2,077 a month against $2,222 in Leuven, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Leuven outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

98

Cost of Living Index in Geraardsbergen
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Geraardsbergen Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Leuven
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Leuven Living Index

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Geraardsbergen

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,077

/mo nomad

Leuven

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,222

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Geraardsbergen and in Leuven

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Geraardsbergen and in Leuven actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,077 per month in Geraardsbergen vs $2,222 in Leuven, rent included.

Geraardsbergen $2,077
Leuven $2,222

A couple spends around $3,072 per month in Geraardsbergen vs $3,303 in Leuven, rent included.

Geraardsbergen $3,072
Leuven $3,303

A family of three spends $4,068 per month in Geraardsbergen vs $4,383 in Leuven, rent included.

Geraardsbergen $4,068
Leuven $4,383

Geraardsbergen is about 7% cheaper than Leuven, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Geraardsbergen and Leuven sit above the global median – Geraardsbergen by 53%, Leuven by 63%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.67 €21.27

$22.36 €20.09

5.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.1 €64.8

$77.6 €69.7

-7.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.33 €7.48

$13.26 €11.91

-37.18%

Cappuccino

$4.20 €3.77

$4.33 €3.89

-3.00%

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

$2.25 €2.02

$3.02 €2.71

-25.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 €2.04

$2.89 €2.60

-21.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.08 €2.77

$5.69 €5.11

-45.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €3.05

$4.57 €4.11

-25.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 €1.21

$1.39 €1.24

-3.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 €2.44

$2.67 €2.40

1.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 €2.06

$2.02 €1.81

13.37%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.60

$3.92 €3.52

2.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.49 €14.81

$11.38 €10.22

44.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.87 €10.66

$12.38 €11.12

-4.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 €20.69

$18.98 €17.05

21.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 €2.62

$2.69 €2.42

8.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.14

$2.17 €1.95

10.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 €2.43

$2.23 €2.01

21.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.42 €3.07

$2.31 €2.07

48.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.30

$2.26 €2.03

13.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.68

$1.68 €1.51

11.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.38

$1.54 €1.39

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €1.02

$0.96 €0.86

18.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.00 €11.68

$13.34 €11.98

-2.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.64 €7.76

$7.19 €6.46

20.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.62

$2.00 €1.79

-10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.86

$1.78 €1.60

16.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.83

$3.43 €3.08

-8.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.5 €48.09

$47.52 €42.69

12.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.48 €4.93

$10.15 €9.12

-46.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.75 €2.47

$2.50 €2.24

10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.29 €40.69

$24.93 €22.40

81.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.92

$2.05 €1.85

4.39%

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

$34.8K €31.3K

$35.0K €31.4K

-0.58%

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

$30.2K €27.2K

$36.3K €32.6K

-16.76%

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

$136 €123

$212 €190

-35.55%

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

$18.92 €17.00

$17.90 €16.08

5.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.57 €34.65

$53.1 €47.72

-27.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.37 €34.47

$40.05 €35.98

-4.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.25 €16.39

$19.62 €17.63

-6.98%

Cinema Ticket

$15.68 €14.09

$14.57 €13.09

7.62%

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

$788 €708

$699 €628

12.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.6K €30.2K

$16.4K €14.7K

105.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 €102

$97.6 €87.7

16.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.9 €47.48

$26.13 €23.47

102.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.9

$88.7 €79.7

17.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$180 €162

$142 €128

26.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$939 €843

$1,108 €996

-15.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$858 €771

$975 €876

-12.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,410 €1,267

$1,996 €1,793

-29.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 €1,095

$1,581 €1,420

-22.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,943

$5,066 €4,551

-13.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,076 €2,763

$3,640 €3,270

-15.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,440 €2,192

$3,727 €3,348

-34.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.4

3.52

-3.41%

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

Last update for Geraardsbergen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Leuven: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Geraardsbergen

$858 41.3%

Leuven

$975 43.9% 13.7% $117

Groceries & Markets

Geraardsbergen

$362 17.4%

Leuven

$320 14.4% 11.7% $42

Eating Out

Geraardsbergen

$305 14.7%

Leuven

$332 14.9% 8.8% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Geraardsbergen

$203 9.8%

Leuven

$160 7.2% 21.4% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Geraardsbergen

$194 9.3%

Leuven

$283 12.7% 45.8% $89

Getting Around

Geraardsbergen

$85 4.1%

Leuven

$84 3.8% 1.8% $1.5

Sport & Entertainment

Geraardsbergen

$70 3.4%

Leuven

$69 3.1% 0.8% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $939 in Geraardsbergen versus $1,108 in Leuven. 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 53% higher in Leuven. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72 in Geraardsbergen versus $78 in Leuven. Groceries tell a different story – $362 in Geraardsbergen vs $320 in Leuven – so Leuven wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Geraardsbergen

🇧🇪 Leuven

🕒 Local time

21:33 9:33 PM

Same time as Geraardsbergen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

33,204

102,275

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Geraardsbergen Leuven 59 km

From you

Geraardsbergen
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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

Geraardsbergen vs Leuven: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Leuven costs about 7% more than Geraardsbergen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,115 per month in Geraardsbergen and $3,333 in Leuven. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Geraardsbergen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $939 there versus $1,108 in Leuven.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,077 in Geraardsbergen and $2,222 in Leuven. That makes Geraardsbergen about 7% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 11% less in Leuven. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,077 in Geraardsbergen and $2,222 in Leuven. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Leuven has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,077 in Geraardsbergen to $2,222 in Leuven. 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 Geraardsbergen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Leuven makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.