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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,105 per month in Hasselt vs $2,257 in Leuven, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,106 per month in Hasselt vs $3,360 in Leuven, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,108 per month in Hasselt vs $4,463 in Leuven, rent included.

Hasselt is about 7% cheaper than Leuven, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Hasselt and Leuven sit above the global median – Hasselt by 57%, Leuven by 68%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.77 €19.42

$17.05 €14.55

33.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.9 €80.1

$90.9 €77.6

3.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 €10.74

$11.79 €10.06

6.79%

Cappuccino

$3.84 €3.28

$4.31 €3.68

-10.90%

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

$3.36 €2.87

$3.42 €2.92

-1.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 €2.71

$3.48 €2.97

-8.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 €4.35

$4.99 €4.25

2.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.93

$3.72 €3.17

23.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.13

$1.32 €1.13

0.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 €2.35

$2.18 €1.86

26.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.74 €2.34

$2.89 €2.46

-5.19%

Eggs

$3.60 €3.07

$3.45 €2.94

4.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.95 €15.31

$12.09 €10.32

48.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.96 €8.50

$13.30 €11.34

-25.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.43 €19.13

$17.43 €14.87

28.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 €1.99

$2.72 €2.32

-14.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.00

$2.35 €2.01

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 €1.94

$2.08 €1.78

9.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 €2.00

$2.69 €2.29

-12.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 €1.94

$2.20 €1.88

3.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 €1.40

$1.71 €1.46

-4.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 €0.77

$1.54 €1.31

-41.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.76

$1.21 €1.03

-26.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.50 €10.66

$12.60 €10.75

-0.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.16 €7.82

$7.77 €6.63

17.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.52

$2.34 €2.00

-23.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.66

$2.10 €1.79

-7.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 €2.40

$2.96 €2.53

-5.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.33 €28.43

$37.10 €31.65

-10.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.83 €4.97

$6.36 €5.42

-8.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.44 €2.08

$2.63 €2.24

-7.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.32 €31.83

$34.65 €29.55

7.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.58

$1.86 €1.58

-0.54%

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

$36.2K €30.9K

$30.2K €25.7K

19.95%

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

$32.8K €28.0K

$28.7K €24.5K

14.05%

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

$204 €174

$179 €152

14.48%

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

$21.10 €18.00

$21.98 €18.75

-4.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.1 €43.61

$47.31 €40.35

8.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.49 €24.30

$47.52 €40.54

-40.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.33 €7.95

$16.95 €14.46

-44.96%

Cinema Ticket

$14.97 €12.77

$14.31 €12.20

4.61%

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

$638 €544

$672 €573

-5.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K €11.5K

$13.4K €11.5K

0.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 €94.6

$105 €89.5

5.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.17 €41.09

$32.19 €27.46

49.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €97.4

$92.3 €78.7

23.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €114

$133 €113

0.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$983 €839

$1,012 €863

-2.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$848 €723

$1,058 €903

-19.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,502 €1,281

$2,132 €1,818

-29.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,051

$1,744 €1,488

-29.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,876 €4,159

$5,808 €4,954

-16.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,526 €2,155

$3,816 €3,255

-33.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,202 €2,732

$3,517 €3,000

-8.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.27

3.83

-14.62%

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

Last update for Hasselt: April 22, 2026

Last update for Leuven: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $983 in Hasselt versus $1,012 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 10% 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 $94 in Hasselt versus $91 in Leuven. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $339 vs $327 – making Leuven the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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: $2,105 in Hasselt, $2,257 in Leuven – roughly 7% apart. Leuven costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,158 per month in Hasselt and $3,386 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 $638 per month in Hasselt and $672 in Leuven. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Leuven – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Hasselt, where all-in costs run around $2,105, than in Leuven at $2,257. 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.