Cost of Living Comparison Between Leuven and Aarschot Cost of Living Comparison Between Leuven and Aarschot

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,225 in Leuven versus $1,954 in Aarschot.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,357 in Leuven versus $2,881 in Aarschot.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,489 in Leuven versus $3,808 in Aarschot.

Living in Leuven is roughly 14% more expensive than in Aarschot, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Leuven 67% above, Aarschot 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.25 €15.11

$17.50 €15.32

-1.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.9 €80.5

$90.9 €79.6

1.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.54 €10.10

$11.72 €10.26

-1.54%

Cappuccino

$4.35 €3.81

$4.04 €3.54

7.67%

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

$3.49 €3.05

$3.37 €2.96

3.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 €3.03

$3.11 €2.73

11.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.02 €4.39

$4.90 €4.29

2.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 €3.30

$3.80 €3.32

-0.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.16

$1.37 €1.20

-3.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.89

$2.88 €2.52

-25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 €2.64

$2.62 €2.30

14.89%

Eggs

$3.45 €3.03

$3.98 €3.49

-13.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.04 €10.55

$12.08 €10.58

-0.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.97 €11.36

$11.69 €10.23

10.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.21 €15.07

$17.22 €15.08

-0.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.32

$2.92 €2.55

-9.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 €1.97

$2.35 €2.06

-4.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.28 €2.00

-8.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.31

$2.66 €2.33

-1.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.87

$2.24 €1.96

-4.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 €1.43

$1.71 €1.49

-4.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 €1.38

$1.45 €1.27

8.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 €1.05

$0.82 €0.71

46.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.98 €11.37

$12.51 €10.96

3.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 €6.55

$6.78 €5.94

10.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.03

$1.80 €1.57

28.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.91

$1.99 €1.74

9.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.58

$2.82 €2.47

4.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.97 €33.25

$56.3 €49.29

-32.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 €5.63

$5.74 €5.03

12.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.61 €2.29

$2.67 €2.34

-2.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.55

$34.67 €30.37

0.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.69

$1.89 €1.66

2.12%

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

$29.7K €26.0K

$29.9K €26.2K

-0.87%

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

$27.9K €24.4K

$28.3K €24.8K

-1.39%

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

$179 €156

$182 €160

-2.06%

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

$21.91 €19.19

$21.88 €19.17

0.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.77 €42.71

$48.79 €42.73

-0.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.82 €41.00

$38.64 €33.84

21.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.20 €15.07

$16.65 €14.58

3.30%

Cinema Ticket

$14.68 €12.86

$14.19 €12.43

3.45%

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

$658 €577

$660 €578

-0.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K €11.9K

$13.4K €11.7K

0.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$104 €90.9

-1.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.17 €28.17

$31.91 €27.95

0.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.7 €82.0

$94.4 €82.7

-0.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €114

$132 €116

-1.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 €877

$897 €786

11.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,079 €945

$749 €656

44.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,178 €1,907

$1,346 €1,179

61.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,735 €1,519

$1,098 €962

57.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,572 €4,880

$3,788 €3,317

47.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,631 €3,180

$3,263 €2,857

11.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,561 €3,118

$3,195 €2,798

11.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.83

3.27

17.13%

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

Last update for Leuven: July 13, 2026

Last update for Aarschot: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,002 in Leuven and $897 in Aarschot. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leuven pays 11% 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: $92.0 in Leuven vs $91.0 in Aarschot for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $323 vs $319 per month, with Aarschot cheaper across the board.

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 Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 11% 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: $1,002 in Leuven versus $897 in Aarschot. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% 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 $91.0 versus $92.0 in Leuven. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,954 in Aarschot versus $2,225 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 14% less than in Leuven. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.