Cost of Living Comparison Between Hasselt and Leuven Cost of Living Comparison Between Hasselt and Leuven

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,111 per month in Hasselt vs $2,314 in Leuven, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,204 per month in Hasselt vs $3,390 in Leuven, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,296 per month in Hasselt vs $4,465 in Leuven, rent included.

Hasselt is about 9% cheaper than Leuven, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Hasselt and Leuven sit above the global median – Hasselt by 53%, Leuven by 68%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.19 €19.99

$22.42 €19.32

3.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 €90.6

$81.5 €70.3

28.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.98 €12.05

$11.81 €10.18

18.37%

Cappuccino

$3.95 €3.40

$4.68 €4.03

-15.60%

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

$3.74 €3.22

$3.13 €2.70

19.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 €2.75

$3.00 €2.59

6.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 €4.78

$5.58 €4.81

-0.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 €4.87

$4.69 €4.04

20.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.33 €1.14

2.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 €2.27

$2.95 €2.54

-10.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.28 €1.96

2.63%

Eggs

$3.53 €3.05

$3.97 €3.42

-11.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.95 €6.85

$12.07 €10.40

-34.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.01 €10.36

$12.86 €11.08

-6.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.89 €20.59

$19.96 €17.20

19.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.87 €2.48

-29.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.24 €1.93

-21.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 €2.29

$2.29 €1.97

16.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 €2.41

$2.38 €2.05

17.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.38 €2.06

-21.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 €1.21

$1.82 €1.57

-23.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.59 €1.37

-30.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 €0.92

$0.93 €0.80

13.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.40 €11.55

$13.99 €12.06

-4.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.11 €7.86

$7.62 €6.56

19.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 €1.39

$2.17 €1.87

-25.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.94 €1.67

10.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.16 €2.73

$3.48 €3.00

-9.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.62 €28.98

$40.24 €34.69

-16.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.68 €4.89

$10.30 €8.88

-44.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.73 €2.36

$2.61 €2.25

4.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.55 €31.51

$26.39 €22.75

38.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.07 €1.78

-3.86%

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

$36.3K €31.3K

$37.3K €32.2K

-2.58%

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

$35.2K €30.3K

$34.3K €29.6K

2.49%

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

$209 €180

$218 €188

-4.18%

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

$20.46 €17.63

$19.35 €16.68

5.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.05 €42.28

$54.9 €47.30

-10.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.48 €25.42

$44.21 €38.11

-33.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.46 €8.16

$20.61 €17.76

-54.10%

Cinema Ticket

$15.93 €13.73

$15.38 €13.26

3.58%

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

$1,656 €1,428

$726 €626

128.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.1K €30.2K

$16.5K €14.3K

111.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$118 €101

$103 €88.7

14.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 €46.31

$26.77 €23.07

100.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €91.3

$93.4 €80.5

13.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 €119

$150 €129

-7.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$953 €822

$1,106 €954

-13.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$841 €725

$1,029 €887

-18.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,536 €1,324

$2,108 €1,817

-27.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,248 €1,076

$1,639 €1,413

-23.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,679 €4,033

$5,753 €4,959

-18.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,560 €2,207

$3,779 €3,258

-32.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,205 €2,763

$3,805 €3,280

-15.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.42

3.52

-2.84%

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

Last update for Hasselt: September 6, 2026

Last update for Leuven: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $953 in Hasselt versus $1,106 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 19% higher in Leuven, 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 $105 in Hasselt versus $82.0 in Leuven. Groceries tell a different story – $320 in Hasselt vs $335 in Leuven – so Hasselt wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Hasselt vs Leuven: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,111 in Hasselt, $2,314 in Leuven – roughly 10% apart. Leuven costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,167 per month in Hasselt and $3,471 in Leuven. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hasselt, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,656 per month in Hasselt and $726 in Leuven. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Leuven, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Hasselt, where all-in costs run around $2,111, than in Leuven at $2,314. In Hasselt it covers expenses comfortably, while in Leuven it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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