Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kortrijk and Leuven

For one person, living is cheaper in Kortrijk: $1,833 a month against $2,222 in Leuven, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Kortrijk
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Kortrijk Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Leuven
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Leuven Living Index

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Kortrijk

🇧🇪 Belgium

$1,833

/mo nomad

Leuven

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,222

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,833 per month in Kortrijk vs $2,222 in Leuven, rent included.

Kortrijk $1,833
Leuven $2,222

A couple spends around $2,655 per month in Kortrijk vs $3,303 in Leuven, rent included.

Kortrijk $2,655
Leuven $3,303

A family of three spends $3,478 per month in Kortrijk vs $4,383 in Leuven, rent included.

Kortrijk $3,478
Leuven $4,383

Kortrijk is about 18% cheaper than Leuven, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Kortrijk and Leuven sit above the global median – Kortrijk by 35%, Leuven by 63%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.46 €20.18

$22.36 €20.09

0.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 €64.0

$77.6 €69.7

-8.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.06 €9.94

$13.26 €11.91

-16.59%

Cappuccino

$3.00 €2.69

$4.33 €3.89

-30.72%

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

$2.96 €2.66

$3.02 €2.71

-1.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 €2.37

$2.89 €2.60

-8.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.56 €4.10

$5.69 €5.11

-19.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 €2.98

$4.57 €4.11

-27.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.07

$1.39 €1.24

-14.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.57

$2.67 €2.40

-34.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 €1.28

$2.02 €1.81

-29.21%

Eggs

$3.00 €2.70

$3.92 €3.52

-23.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.72 €10.53

$11.38 €10.22

2.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 €7.44

$12.38 €11.12

-33.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.35 €12.89

$18.98 €17.05

-24.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 €1.96

$2.69 €2.42

-18.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 €1.71

$2.17 €1.95

-11.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 €1.79

$2.23 €2.01

-10.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.01 €1.81

$2.31 €2.07

-12.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.77

$2.26 €2.03

-12.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 €1.49

$1.68 €1.51

-1.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.33

$1.54 €1.39

-3.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.73

$0.96 €0.86

-15.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.71 €11.42

$13.34 €11.98

-4.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.35 €6.60

$7.19 €6.46

2.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.86

$2.00 €1.79

3.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 €1.61

$1.78 €1.60

0.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.73 €2.45

$3.43 €3.08

-20.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.2 €48.66

$47.52 €42.69

13.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.27 €2.04

$10.15 €9.12

-77.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.21 €1.99

$2.50 €2.24

-11.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.72 €22.21

$24.93 €22.40

-0.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.65

$2.05 €1.85

-10.24%

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

$33.9K €30.5K

$35.0K €31.4K

-3.14%

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

$33.6K €30.2K

$36.3K €32.6K

-7.54%

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

$202 €181

$212 €190

-4.58%

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

$17.48 €15.70

$17.90 €16.08

-2.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.0 €47.58

$53.1 €47.72

-0.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 €46.76

$40.05 €35.98

29.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.44 €12.07

$19.62 €17.63

-31.50%

Cinema Ticket

$14.61 €13.13

$14.57 €13.09

0.27%

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

$657 €590

$699 €628

-5.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €14.6K

$16.4K €14.7K

-1.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 €50.1

$97.6 €87.7

-42.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.79 €23.16

$26.13 €23.47

-1.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.5 €78.6

$88.7 €79.7

-1.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 €91.7

$142 €128

-28.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$834 €750

$1,108 €996

-24.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 €644

$975 €876

-26.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,224 €1,099

$1,996 €1,793

-38.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$999 €898

$1,581 €1,420

-36.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,237 €3,806

$5,066 €4,551

-16.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,263 €2,033

$3,640 €3,270

-37.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,814 €2,528

$3,727 €3,348

-24.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.9

3.52

10.80%

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

Last update for Kortrijk: October 27, 2026

Last update for Leuven: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kortrijk

$717 39.1%

Leuven

$975 43.9% 36% $258

Eating Out

Kortrijk

$301 16.4%

Leuven

$332 14.9% 10.4% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kortrijk

$272 14.9%

Leuven

$283 12.7% 3.8% $10

Groceries & Markets

Kortrijk

$261 14.2%

Leuven

$320 14.4% 22.8% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Kortrijk

$122 6.7%

Leuven

$160 7.2% 30.7% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Kortrijk

$81 4.4%

Leuven

$69 3.1% 14.9% $12

Getting Around

Kortrijk

$78 4.3%

Leuven

$84 3.8% 7% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $834 in Kortrijk 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 32% higher in Leuven. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71 in Kortrijk versus $78 in Leuven. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $261 vs $320 – making Kortrijk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Kortrijk

🇧🇪 Leuven

🕒 Local time

22:50 10:50 PM

Same time as Kortrijk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

76,700

102,275

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Kortrijk Leuven 100 km

From you

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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

Kortrijk vs Leuven: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Leuven costs about 21% more than Kortrijk, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,749 per month in Kortrijk 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 Kortrijk, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $834 there versus $1,108 in Leuven.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Leuven, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71 in Kortrijk and $78 in Leuven. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Kortrijk – 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 Kortrijk. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Leuven makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.