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: $2,238 in Leuven versus $1,905 in Aarschot.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,372 in Leuven versus $2,893 in Aarschot.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,506 in Leuven versus $3,881 in Aarschot.

Living in Leuven is roughly 17% more expensive than Aarschot, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Leuven 67% above, Aarschot 42% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.32 €14.90

$17.71 €15.23

-2.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.4 €78.6

$92.2 €79.3

-0.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.51 €9.90

$11.60 €9.97

-0.78%

Cappuccino

$4.15 €3.57

$4.07 €3.50

1.97%

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

$3.46 €2.98

$3.47 €2.98

-0.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 €2.87

$3.07 €2.64

8.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.82 €4.14

$4.99 €4.29

-3.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 €3.21

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 €1.18

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.79 €2.40

-24.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.98 €2.56

$2.61 €2.25

14.18%

Eggs

$3.41 €2.93

$4.13 €3.55

-17.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 €10.39

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.19 €11.34

$11.73 €10.09

12.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.43 €15.00

$17.18 €14.78

1.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.24

$2.96 €2.54

-11.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.01

$2.36 €2.03

-0.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.79

$2.25 €1.93

-7.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$2.67 €2.30

-0.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.84

$2.22 €1.91

-4.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.69 €1.46

1.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.43 €1.23

6.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.09

$0.84 €0.72

51.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.94 €11.13

$12.82 €11.03

0.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.53 €6.48

$6.90 €5.94

9.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 €2.01

$1.85 €1.59

26.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.80

$1.99 €1.71

5.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.86 €2.46

$2.91 €2.51

-1.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.98 €32.67

$57.1 €49.15

-33.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.50 €5.59

$5.91 €5.09

9.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.58 €2.22

$2.54 €2.19

1.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.42 €29.60

$34.51 €29.69

-0.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.63

$1.92 €1.65

-1.56%

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

$30.1K €25.9K

$30.7K €26.4K

-1.84%

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

$28.4K €24.4K

$28.9K €24.9K

-1.94%

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

$180 €155

$182 €157

-1.09%

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

$21.31 €18.33

$21.76 €18.72

-2.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.33 €41.57

$48.81 €41.99

-0.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.91 €40.35

$38.92 €33.48

20.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.85 €14.50

$17.18 €14.78

-1.92%

Cinema Ticket

$14.56 €12.53

$14.67 €12.62

-0.75%

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

$674 €580

$660 €568

2.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K €11.6K

$13.8K €11.8K

-1.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.7

$104 €89.5

-2.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.34 €27.82

$32.98 €28.37

-1.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.9 €79.9

$93.9 €80.8

-1.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €114

$131 €112

1.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 €875

$910 €783

11.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 €943

$757 €652

44.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,168 €1,865

$1,367 €1,176

58.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,739 €1,496

$1,086 €934

60.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,737 €4,935

$4,244 €3,651

35.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,826 €3,291

$2,675 €2,301

43.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,576 €3,076

$3,262 €2,806

9.61%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Aarschot: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,018 in Leuven and $910 in Aarschot. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leuven pays 10% 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: $91.0 in Leuven vs $92.0 in Aarschot. Groceries flip the comparison at $326 vs $319, with Aarschot cheaper for home cooking.

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, Sport & Entertainment. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Leuven pays 10% more on average, 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: $1,018 in Leuven versus $910 in Aarschot. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% 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 $92.0 versus $91.0 in Leuven. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,905 in Aarschot versus $2,238 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 17% less than in Leuven. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.