Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Leuven and Aalst

For one person, living is cheaper in Aalst: $2,156 a month against $2,237 in Leuven, rent and utilities included – about $970 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Leuven outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

106

Cost of Living Index in Leuven
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Leuven Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Aalst
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Aalst Living Index

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Leuven

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,237

/mo nomad

Aalst

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,156

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Leuven and in Aalst

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,237 in Leuven versus $2,156 in Aalst.

Leuven $2,237
Aalst $2,156

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,310 in Leuven versus $3,186 in Aalst.

Leuven $3,310
Aalst $3,186

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,382 in Leuven versus $4,217 in Aalst.

Leuven $4,382
Aalst $4,217

Living in Leuven is roughly 4% more expensive than in Aalst, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Leuven 65% above, Aalst 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.45 €20.00

$23.80 €21.20

-5.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.9 €68.5

$95.7 €85.3

-19.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.34 €11.89

$13.56 €12.08

-1.62%

Cappuccino

$4.20 €3.74

$4.24 €3.78

-0.94%

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

$2.81 €2.51

$3.48 €3.10

-19.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.60

$3.16 €2.82

-7.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.46 €4.86

$5.63 €5.02

-3.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €4.08

$5.47 €4.87

-16.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.20

$1.36 €1.21

-0.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 €2.43

$2.77 €2.47

-1.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 €1.83

$2.30 €2.05

-10.87%

Eggs

$3.80 €3.38

$3.88 €3.45

-2.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 €10.10

$16.58 €14.77

-31.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.16 €10.83

$12.03 €10.72

1.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.14 €17.05

$22.18 €19.76

-13.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 €2.49

$2.98 €2.65

-6.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.99

$2.45 €2.18

-8.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 €1.90

$2.68 €2.39

-20.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.32 €2.07

$3.31 €2.95

-29.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.43 €2.17

-9.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.87 €1.67

-6.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.36

$1.56 €1.39

-2.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.83

$1.12 €0.99

-16.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.58 €12.10

$12.87 €11.46

5.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.39 €6.58

$8.75 €7.79

-15.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.85

$1.89 €1.69

10.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.68

$2.04 €1.82

-7.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.27 €2.91

$3.02 €2.69

8.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.71 €41.60

$55.0 €48.95

-15.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.13 €9.92

$2.93 €2.61

279.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.10 €2.76

$2.35 €2.09

31.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.55 €44.14

$40.31 €35.91

22.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 €1.81

$2.05 €1.83

-0.98%

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

$35.0K €31.2K

$35.6K €31.7K

-1.51%

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

$36.9K €32.9K

$36.0K €32.0K

2.68%

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

$214 €191

$211 €188

1.68%

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

$18.38 €16.37

$21.20 €18.89

-13.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.1 €46.40

$52.2 €46.49

-0.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.54 €36.11

$36.57 €32.57

10.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.79 €17.62

$19.51 €17.38

1.44%

Cinema Ticket

$14.54 €12.95

$15.62 €13.92

-6.91%

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

$707 €630

$1,627 €1,449

-56.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K €16.1K

$32.7K €29.1K

-44.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.2 €87.5

$112 €99.6

-12.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.68 €22.87

$46.49 €41.42

-44.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 €78.9

$104 €92.8

-14.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 €128

$168 €150

-14.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 €979

$928 €827

18.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 €878

$819 €730

20.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,991 €1,774

$1,393 €1,241

42.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 €1,406

$1,121 €999

40.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,096 €4,539

$4,210 €3,750

21.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,650 €3,251

$2,927 €2,608

24.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,768 €3,357

$2,785 €2,481

35.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.53

-0.28%

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

Last update for Leuven: November 1, 2026

Last update for Aalst: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Leuven

$986 44.1%

Aalst

$819 38% 16.9% $166

Eating Out

Leuven

$329 14.7%

Aalst

$348 16.1% 5.5% $18

Groceries & Markets

Leuven

$320 14.3%

Aalst

$361 16.8% 12.7% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Leuven

$285 12.7%

Aalst

$284 13.2% 0.2% $0.6

Clothing & Footwear

Leuven

$160 7.2%

Aalst

$194 9% 21.1% $34

Getting Around

Leuven

$86 3.9%

Aalst

$82 3.8% 5.5% $4.7

Sport & Entertainment

Leuven

$70 3.1%

Aalst

$68 3.2% 2.6% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,099 in Leuven and $928 in Aalst. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leuven pays 35% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $77 in Leuven vs $96 in Aalst for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $361 per month, with Leuven cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Leuven

🇧🇪 Aalst

🕒 Local time

03:53 3:53 AM

Same time as Leuven

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

102,275

78,271

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Leuven Aalst 47 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

Leuven vs Aalst: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,237 in Leuven and $2,156 in Aalst, so Aalst is about 4% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 35% higher in Leuven, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,099 in Leuven versus $928 in Aalst. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Leuven – a meal for two runs $77 versus $96 in Aalst. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,237 per month in Leuven versus $2,156 in Aalst – Aalst is about 4% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Aalst gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Leuven and Aalst are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Aalst wins on affordability, Leuven on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.