Cost of Living Comparison Between Leuven and Antwerp Cost of Living Comparison Between Leuven and Antwerp

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,225 in Leuven versus $2,216 in Antwerp.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,341 in Leuven versus $3,430 in Antwerp.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Leuven versus $4,644 in Antwerp.

Monthly costs are close between Leuven and Antwerp; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Leuven 67% above, Antwerp 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.46 €15.23

$23.00 €20.07

-24.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.3 €81.4

$122 €107

-23.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 €10.06

$12.59 €10.99

-8.42%

Cappuccino

$4.21 €3.68

$4.08 €3.56

3.19%

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

$3.41 €2.98

$3.48 €3.03

-2.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 €3.06

$3.05 €2.66

15.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.84 €4.22

$5.53 €4.82

-12.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 €3.20

$4.64 €4.05

-20.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.21

$1.37 €1.20

1.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 €1.90

$2.86 €2.50

-23.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.98 €2.60

$2.62 €2.28

13.74%

Eggs

$3.41 €2.97

$4.03 €3.51

-15.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.95 €10.43

$18.10 €15.80

-33.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.08 €11.42

$11.78 €10.28

11.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.18 €14.99

$22.20 €19.37

-22.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 €2.41

$3.04 €2.65

-9.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.75

$2.30 €2.01

-12.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.31

$3.27 €2.86

-19.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.89

$2.83 €2.47

-23.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.37 €2.07

-27.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.33

$1.48 €1.29

2.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.10

$0.87 €0.76

44.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.48 €10.89

$12.90 €11.25

-3.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.44 €6.49

$9.02 €7.87

-17.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 €2.01

$1.69 €1.48

36.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.88

$2.02 €1.77

6.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.83 €2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.30 €32.54

$45.72 €39.89

-18.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.42 €5.61

$5.62 €4.90

14.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.65 €2.31

$2.47 €2.15

7.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.60 €30.19

$46.42 €40.50

-25.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.62

$1.92 €1.67

-3.12%

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

$29.9K €26.1K

$35.3K €30.8K

-15.09%

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

$28.7K €25.1K

$33.1K €28.8K

-13.06%

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

$181 €158

$203 €178

-10.81%

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

$21.40 €18.68

$25.37 €22.14

-15.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.98 €42.73

$51.9 €45.29

-5.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.70 €40.74

$44.53 €38.85

4.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 €14.67

$25.49 €22.24

-34.05%

Cinema Ticket

$14.54 €12.68

$15.35 €13.39

-5.28%

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

$652 €569

$648 €566

0.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K €11.9K

$13.5K €11.8K

1.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €90.8

$111 €97.0

-6.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.94 €27.87

$49.56 €43.24

-35.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 €80.8

$115 €101

-19.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €113

$236 €205

-44.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 €867

$1,042 €909

-4.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,082 €944

$869 €758

24.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,133 €1,861

$1,568 €1,368

36.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,728 €1,508

$1,295 €1,130

33.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,765 €5,030

$4,538 €3,960

27.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,776 €3,294

$3,144 €2,743

20.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,524 €3,075

$3,078 €2,685

14.50%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Antwerp: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $994 in Leuven and $1,042 in Antwerp. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leuven pays 14% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $93.0 in Leuven vs $122 in Antwerp for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $364 per month, with Leuven 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 Antwerp: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 14% 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: $994 in Leuven versus $1,042 in Antwerp. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Antwerp runs roughly 23% less than in Leuven. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Shoppers in Leuven pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,216 in Antwerp versus $2,225 in Leuven, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Antwerp but tight or insufficient in Leuven. The gap between the two cities makes Antwerp 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 Antwerp are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

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