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: $2,273 in Leuven versus $2,192 in Antwerp.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,389 in Leuven versus $3,362 in Antwerp.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,505 in Leuven versus $4,531 in Antwerp.

Living in Leuven is roughly 4% more expensive than in Antwerp, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Leuven 71% above, Antwerp 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.53 €15.18

$23.35 €20.22

-24.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.2 €80.7

$122 €105

-23.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.42 €9.89

$12.55 €10.86

-9.00%

Cappuccino

$4.19 €3.63

$4.27 €3.70

-1.87%

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

$3.54 €3.07

$3.45 €2.99

2.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.87

$3.05 €2.64

8.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.04 €4.36

$5.70 €4.94

-11.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 €3.23

$4.64 €4.02

-19.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.31 €1.13

3.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 €1.80

$2.87 €2.48

-27.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 €2.49

$2.64 €2.29

9.09%

Eggs

$3.47 €3.01

$4.15 €3.59

-16.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.70 €10.13

$17.55 €15.20

-33.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.27 €11.49

$11.59 €10.04

14.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.67 €15.30

$21.96 €19.02

-19.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 €2.31

$2.93 €2.54

-8.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 €2.01

$2.43 €2.10

-4.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$2.33 €2.02

-9.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.20

$3.35 €2.90

-24.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 €1.94

$2.85 €2.47

-21.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 €1.41

$2.32 €2.01

-29.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.41 €1.22

7.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.04

$0.88 €0.76

37.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.57 €10.88

$12.74 €11.03

-1.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.51 €6.50

$8.88 €7.69

-15.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.04

$1.69 €1.47

39.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.82

$2.02 €1.75

3.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.84 €2.46

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.37 €33.23

$45.70 €39.58

-16.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.48 €5.61

$5.90 €5.11

9.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.57 €2.22

$2.45 €2.12

4.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.31 €30.58

$45.38 €39.30

-22.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.64

$1.86 €1.61

1.61%

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

$29.9K €25.9K

$35.7K €31.0K

-16.48%

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

$28.6K €24.7K

$32.5K €28.2K

-12.15%

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

$185 €160

$205 €177

-9.62%

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

$21.94 €19.00

$25.76 €22.31

-14.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.97 €42.41

$51.1 €44.24

-4.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.35 €41.01

$44.15 €38.23

7.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.83 €14.58

$25.17 €21.79

-33.13%

Cinema Ticket

$14.23 €12.32

$15.01 €13.00

-5.20%

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

$670 €580

$637 €551

5.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K €11.9K

$13.3K €11.5K

3.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €90.2

$111 €96.6

-6.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.09 €27.79

$49.69 €43.03

-35.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 €80.9

$115 €99.5

-18.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €114

$233 €202

-43.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 €866

$1,023 €886

-2.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 €919

$856 €741

24.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,191 €1,897

$1,578 €1,367

38.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,717 €1,487

$1,283 €1,111

33.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,538 €4,796

$4,494 €3,892

23.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,751 €3,248

$3,143 €2,722

19.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,525 €3,053

$3,017 €2,612

16.85%

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 26, 2026

Last update for Antwerp: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Leuven and $1,023 in Antwerp. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leuven pays 17% 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: $93.0 in Leuven vs $122 in Antwerp for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $360 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

Leuven and Antwerp differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($2,273 vs $2,192 including rent). Antwerp is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 17% 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: $1,000 in Leuven versus $1,023 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 19% less than in Leuven. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $670 in Leuven versus $637 in Antwerp. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,192 in Antwerp versus $2,273 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.

Expats usually find Antwerp gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Leuven. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.