Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Leuven and Aarschot

For one person, living is cheaper in Aarschot: $1,990 a month against $2,196 in Leuven, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Leuven
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Leuven Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Aarschot
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Aarschot Living Index

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Leuven

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,196

/mo nomad

Aarschot

🇧🇪 Belgium

$1,990

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Leuven and in Aarschot

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 Aarschot actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,196 in Leuven versus $1,990 in Aarschot.

Leuven $2,196
Aarschot $1,990

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,292 in Leuven versus $2,883 in Aarschot.

Leuven $3,292
Aarschot $2,883

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Leuven versus $3,777 in Aarschot.

Leuven $4,387
Aarschot $3,777

Living in Leuven is roughly 10% more expensive than in Aarschot, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Leuven 62% above, Aarschot 47% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.47 €19.99

$18.17 €16.16

23.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.9 €69.3

$76.7 €68.2

1.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.11 €9.88

$11.00 €9.78

1.00%

Cappuccino

$4.39 €3.90

$3.69 €3.28

18.97%

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

$3.03 €2.69

$2.98 €2.65

1.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 €2.63

$2.61 €2.32

13.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.19 €4.62

$5.33 €4.74

-2.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 €3.97

$4.57 €4.06

-2.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.24

$1.23 €1.09

13.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 €2.45

$2.71 €2.41

1.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.77

$2.01 €1.79

-1.00%

Eggs

$3.76 €3.34

$3.65 €3.24

3.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.43 €10.16

$11.58 €10.30

-1.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.30 €10.94

$11.65 €10.36

5.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.28 €17.15

$14.94 €13.29

29.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 €2.48

$2.69 €2.40

3.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 €1.89

$2.23 €1.98

-4.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 €1.97

$2.18 €1.94

1.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 €2.05

$2.24 €1.99

2.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.26 €2.01

-3.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 €1.48

$1.75 €1.55

-4.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.31

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.81

$0.96 €0.85

-5.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.28 €11.81

$8.89 €7.90

49.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.35 €6.53

$7.42 €6.60

-0.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.79

$2.09 €1.86

-3.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 €1.61

$1.78 €1.58

1.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.34 €2.97

$3.03 €2.69

10.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.54 €34.28

$55.7 €49.51

-30.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.96 €8.86

$5.12 €4.56

94.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.43 €2.16

$2.46 €2.19

-1.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.95 €22.20

$16.99 €15.11

46.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.85

$1.97 €1.75

5.58%

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

$35.9K €32.0K

$36.0K €32.0K

-0.03%

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

$36.6K €32.5K

$33.4K €29.7K

9.55%

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

$215 €191

$210 €187

2.17%

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

$18.68 €16.61

$18.58 €16.53

0.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.8 €47.89

$52.4 €46.56

2.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.21 €36.65

$36.52 €32.49

12.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.72 €17.54

$19.21 €17.09

2.65%

Cinema Ticket

$14.42 €12.82

$14.15 €12.59

1.91%

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

$707 €629

$697 €620

1.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €14.3K

$16.3K €14.5K

-1.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.8 €87.9

$85.4 €76.0

15.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.64 €23.69

$26.41 €23.49

0.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.2 €77.6

$87.5 €77.9

-0.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €127

$130 €116

9.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,093 €972

$928 €826

17.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$960 €854

$826 €735

16.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 €1,771

$1,379 €1,227

44.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,607 €1,429

$1,165 €1,036

37.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,378 €4,784

$4,218 €3,752

27.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,682 €3,275

$2,844 €2,530

29.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,699 €3,290

$3,126 €2,780

18.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

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

Last update for Leuven: October 19, 2026

Last update for Aarschot: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Leuven

$960 43.7%

Aarschot

$826 41.5% 13.9% $134

Eating Out

Leuven

$325 14.8%

Aarschot

$281 14.1% 13.5% $44

Groceries & Markets

Leuven

$320 14.6%

Aarschot

$303 15.2% 5.3% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Leuven

$287 13.1%

Aarschot

$281 14.1% 2.1% $6.2

Clothing & Footwear

Leuven

$160 7.3%

Aarschot

$148 7.5% 7.3% $12

Getting Around

Leuven

$74 3.4%

Aarschot

$85 4.3% 15.1% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Leuven

$70 3.2%

Aarschot

$65 3.3% 7.4% $5.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,093 in Leuven and $928 in Aarschot. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leuven pays 18% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $78.0 in Leuven vs $77.0 in Aarschot for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $303 per month, with Aarschot cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Leuven

🇧🇪 Aarschot

🕒 Local time

00:22 12:22 AM

Same time as Leuven

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

102,275

27,656

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Aarschot: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aarschot is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 18% 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: $1,093 in Leuven versus $928 in Aarschot. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Leuven. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Aarschot – a meal for two runs $77.0 versus $78.0 in Leuven. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,990 in Aarschot versus $2,196 in Leuven, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Aarschot but tight or insufficient in Leuven. The gap between the two cities makes Aarschot the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Aarschot are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Aarschot gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Leuven. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.