Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Leuven and Antwerp

For one person, living costs are similar in Leuven and in Antwerp: $2,222 and $2,202 a month, rent and utilities included.

107

Cost of Living Index in Leuven
Learn more

Leuven Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Antwerp
Learn more

Antwerp Living Index

Jump to prices

Leuven

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,222

/mo nomad

Antwerp

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Leuven and in Antwerp

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,222 in Leuven versus $2,202 in Antwerp.

Leuven $2,222
Antwerp $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,303 in Leuven versus $3,326 in Antwerp.

Leuven $3,303
Antwerp $3,326

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,383 in Leuven versus $4,449 in Antwerp.

Leuven $4,383
Antwerp $4,449

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 63% above, Antwerp 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.36 €20.03

$23.81 €21.32

-6.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.6 €69.5

$95.7 €85.7

-18.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.26 €11.88

$13.19 €11.81

0.53%

Cappuccino

$4.33 €3.88

$4.27 €3.83

1.41%

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

$3.02 €2.70

$3.56 €3.18

-15.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 €2.59

$3.48 €3.11

-16.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.10

$5.57 €4.98

2.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 €4.09

$6.26 €5.61

-27.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.24

$1.39 €1.25

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 €2.39

$2.77 €2.48

-3.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 €1.81

$2.21 €1.98

-8.60%

Eggs

$3.92 €3.51

$3.97 €3.56

-1.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.38 €10.19

$16.34 €14.64

-30.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.38 €11.09

$11.81 €10.58

4.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.98 €17.00

$22.46 €20.11

-15.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 €2.41

$2.97 €2.66

-9.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.94

$2.40 €2.15

-9.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 €2.00

$2.59 €2.32

-13.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$3.42 €3.06

-32.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 €2.03

$2.64 €2.37

-14.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.77 €1.59

-5.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.38

$1.55 €1.39

-0.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 €0.86

$1.15 €1.03

-16.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.34 €11.94

$13.03 €11.67

2.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.19 €6.44

$8.88 €7.96

-19.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.79

$1.82 €1.63

9.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.60

$2.07 €1.85

-14.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.43 €3.07

$3.36 €3.01

2.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.52 €42.56

$55.4 €49.58

-14.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.15 €9.09

$5.73 €5.13

77.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 €2.24

$2.72 €2.44

-8.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.93 €22.33

$43.85 €39.28

-43.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.84

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

$35.0K €31.3K

$35.5K €31.7K

-1.28%

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

$36.3K €32.5K

$37.3K €33.4K

-2.63%

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

$212 €190

$208 €186

1.99%

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

$17.90 €16.03

$22.06 €19.76

-18.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 €47.58

$47.17 €42.25

12.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.05 €35.87

$37.59 €33.67

6.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.62 €17.58

$26.44 €23.68

-25.79%

Cinema Ticket

$14.57 €13.05

$15.40 €13.79

-5.39%

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

$699 €626

$1,616 €1,447

-56.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.7K

$33.3K €29.8K

-50.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.6 €87.4

$114 €102

-14.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.13 €23.40

$52.9 €47.35

-50.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 €79.4

$105 €93.9

-15.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 €127

$177 €158

-19.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 €993

$1,061 €950

4.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$975 €873

$856 €767

13.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,996 €1,787

$1,604 €1,437

24.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 €1,416

$1,317 €1,179

20.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,066 €4,537

$4,329 €3,877

17.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,640 €3,260

$2,965 €2,656

22.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,727 €3,338

$3,012 €2,697

23.75%

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Antwerp: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Leuven

$975 43.9%

Antwerp

$856 38.9% 12.2% $119

Eating Out

Leuven

$332 14.9%

Antwerp

$350 15.9% 5.4% $18

Groceries & Markets

Leuven

$320 14.4%

Antwerp

$361 16.4% 12.8% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Leuven

$283 12.7%

Antwerp

$277 12.6% 2.1% $5.9

Clothing & Footwear

Leuven

$160 7.2%

Antwerp

$202 9.2% 26.5% $42

Getting Around

Leuven

$84 3.8%

Antwerp

$88 4% 5.1% $4.3

Sport & Entertainment

Leuven

$69 3.1%

Antwerp

$68 3.1% 1.2% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,108 in Leuven and $1,061 in Antwerp. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leuven pays 24% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $78 in Leuven vs $96 in Antwerp 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

🇧🇪 Antwerp

🕒 Local time

08:17 8:17 AM

Same time as Leuven

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

102,275

525,935

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Leuven Antwerp 43 km

From you

Leuven
Antwerp

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 24% 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: $1,108 in Leuven versus $1,061 in Antwerp. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Leuven runs roughly 14% less than in Antwerp. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Shoppers in Leuven pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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

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

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.