Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Herentals and Leuven

For one person, living is cheaper in Leuven: $2,222 a month against $2,288 in Herentals, rent and utilities included – about $790 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

105

Cost of Living Index in Herentals
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Herentals Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Leuven
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Leuven Living Index

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Herentals

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,288

/mo nomad

Leuven

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,222

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Herentals 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 Herentals and in Leuven actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,288 per month in Herentals vs $2,222 in Leuven, rent included.

Herentals $2,288
Leuven $2,222

A couple spends around $3,178 per month in Herentals vs $3,303 in Leuven, rent included.

Herentals $3,178
Leuven $3,303

A family of three spends $4,067 per month in Herentals vs $4,383 in Leuven, rent included.

Herentals $4,067
Leuven $4,383

Herentals costs about 3% more than Leuven, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Herentals and Leuven sit above the global median – Herentals by 68%, Leuven by 63%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.89 €16.03

$22.36 €20.04

-19.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 €80.8

$77.6 €69.6

16.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.36 €11.07

$13.26 €11.89

-6.79%

Cappuccino

$3.70 €3.32

$4.33 €3.88

-14.55%

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

$3.52 €3.16

$3.02 €2.70

16.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.28

$2.89 €2.59

-12.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.61 €5.03

$5.69 €5.10

-1.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 €4.02

$4.57 €4.10

-1.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.11

$1.39 €1.24

-10.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 €2.42

$2.67 €2.39

1.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 €3.29

$2.02 €1.81

81.68%

Eggs

$3.61 €3.24

$3.92 €3.51

-7.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.89 €16.03

$11.38 €10.20

57.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.75 €10.53

$12.38 €11.09

-5.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.01 €13.45

$18.98 €17.01

-20.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 €2.77

$2.69 €2.41

14.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 €2.05

$2.17 €1.94

5.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 €2.59

$2.23 €2.00

29.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.99 €2.68

$2.31 €2.07

29.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 €2.16

$2.26 €2.03

6.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.80

$1.68 €1.51

19.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 €1.52

$1.54 €1.38

9.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.94

$0.96 €0.86

9.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.22 €8.26

$13.34 €11.95

-30.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.03 €7.19

$7.19 €6.45

11.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.21

$2.00 €1.79

23.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 €2.88

$1.78 €1.60

80.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.06 €2.74

$3.43 €3.08

-10.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.9 €53.7

$47.52 €42.58

26.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.07 €4.54

$10.15 €9.09

-50.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.56 €2.29

$2.50 €2.24

2.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.06 €15.29

$24.93 €22.34

-31.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.63

$2.05 €1.84

-11.22%

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

$35.5K €31.9K

$35.0K €31.4K

1.57%

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

$37.1K €33.2K

$36.3K €32.5K

2.03%

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

$335 €300

$212 €190

58.16%

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

$25.21 €22.59

$17.90 €16.04

40.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.3 €54.0

$53.1 €47.61

13.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.13 €34.17

$40.05 €35.89

-4.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.20 €19.00

$19.62 €17.59

8.05%

Cinema Ticket

$14.48 €12.97

$14.57 €13.06

-0.62%

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

$850 €762

$699 €626

21.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €14.6K

$16.4K €14.7K

-0.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.1 €77.2

$97.6 €87.5

-11.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 €45.15

$26.13 €23.42

92.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.4

$88.7 €79.5

16.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €117

$142 €127

-7.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 €757

$1,108 €993

-23.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$911 €817

$975 €874

-6.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,312 €1,175

$1,996 €1,788

-34.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 €969

$1,581 €1,417

-31.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,972 €3,560

$5,066 €4,539

-21.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,505 €2,245

$3,640 €3,262

-31.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,727 €3,340

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.65

3.52

3.69%

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

Last update for Herentals: October 26, 2026

Last update for Leuven: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Herentals

$911 39.8%

Leuven

$975 43.9% 7% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Herentals

$420 18.4%

Leuven

$283 12.7% 32.7% $138

Groceries & Markets

Herentals

$347 15.2%

Leuven

$320 14.4% 7.8% $27

Eating Out

Herentals

$286 12.5%

Leuven

$332 14.9% 16.1% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Herentals

$167 7.3%

Leuven

$160 7.2% 4.3% $7.1

Getting Around

Herentals

$90 3.9%

Leuven

$84 3.8% 6.8% $6.2

Sport & Entertainment

Herentals

$67 2.9%

Leuven

$69 3.1% 3.1% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $845 in Herentals 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Herentals versus $78 in Leuven. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $347 vs $320 – making Leuven the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Herentals

🇧🇪 Leuven

🕒 Local time

09:58 9:58 AM

Same time as Herentals

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,912

102,275

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Herentals Leuven 34 km

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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

Herentals vs Leuven: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Herentals is pricier by about 3%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,433 per month in Herentals 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 Herentals, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $845 there versus $1,108 in Leuven.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Herentals and $78 in Leuven. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,288 in Herentals and $2,222 in Leuven. That makes Leuven about 3% cheaper.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,288 in Herentals 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 $2,222 in Leuven to $2,288 in Herentals. 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.