Cost of Living Comparison Between Leuven and Arlon Cost of Living Comparison Between Leuven and Arlon

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,270 per month in Leuven vs $2,066 in Arlon, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,399 per month in Leuven vs $2,959 in Arlon, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,527 per month in Leuven vs $3,851 in Arlon, rent included.

Leuven costs about 10% more than Arlon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Leuven and Arlon sit above the global median – Leuven by 69%, Arlon by 54%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.57 €15.13

$17.12 €14.75

2.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.5 €80.6

$91.3 €78.7

2.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.54 €9.94

$9.17 €7.90

25.85%

Cappuccino

$4.29 €3.69

$2.82 €2.43

52.13%

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

$3.56 €3.06

$3.09 €2.66

15.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 €2.88

$2.37 €2.05

40.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 €4.17

$3.99 €3.44

21.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 €3.17

$3.84 €3.31

-4.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.29 €1.11

7.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 €1.79

$2.25 €1.94

-7.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 €2.61

$2.25 €1.94

34.67%

Eggs

$3.53 €3.04

$3.71 €3.19

-4.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 €10.46

$14.75 €12.70

-17.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.25 €11.42

$11.47 €9.88

15.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.43 €15.02

$21.18 €18.25

-17.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 €2.34

$3.25 €2.80

-16.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 €1.96

$1.13 €0.97

100.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.33 €2.01

-12.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.21

$3.21 €2.77

-19.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 €1.92

$1.77 €1.52

25.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$2.24 €1.93

-26.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.32

$1.72 €1.48

-10.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.09

$0.95 €0.82

32.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.64 €10.89

$9.67 €8.33

30.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.37 €6.35

$6.90 €5.95

6.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 €1.99

$2.10 €1.81

9.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.81

$1.13 €0.97

85.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.31 €1.99

28.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.18 €32.90

$57.8 €49.81

-33.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.52 €5.62

$4.07 €3.51

60.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.63 €2.27

$3.18 €2.74

-17.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.35 €30.45

$41.02 €35.34

-13.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.93 €1.66

-5.18%

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

$30.1K €25.9K

$34.8K €30.0K

-13.46%

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

$28.3K €24.4K

$28.5K €24.6K

-0.77%

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

$181 €156

$279 €240

-35.00%

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

$21.28 €18.33

$26.23 €22.60

-18.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.99 €42.21

$53.0 €45.68

-7.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.30 €40.75

$38.20 €32.91

23.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.76 €14.44

$17.08 €14.71

-1.87%

Cinema Ticket

$14.35 €12.36

$9.49 €8.17

51.21%

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

$661 €570

$607 €523

8.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K €11.6K

$13.7K €11.8K

-1.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €88.8

$85.7 €73.8

20.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.91 €28.36

$47.12 €40.60

-30.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.4

$51.2 €44.07

80.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €113

$114 €98.3

15.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 €890

$872 €752

18.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,082 €932

$903 €778

19.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,182 €1,880

$1,593 €1,372

36.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,749 €1,507

$1,078 €929

62.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,589 €4,815

$4,390 €3,783

27.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,788 €3,264

$4,059 €3,497

-6.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,556 €3,064

$2,462 €2,121

44.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.83

3.65

4.93%

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

Last update for Leuven: June 8, 2026

Last update for Arlon: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,033 in Leuven versus $872 in Arlon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 44% higher in Leuven, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $94.0 in Leuven versus $91.0 in Arlon. Groceries tell a different story – $326 in Leuven vs $327 in Arlon – so Leuven wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Arlon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Leuven costs about 10% more than Arlon, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,405 per month in Leuven and $3,099 in Arlon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Arlon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,270 in Leuven and $2,066 in Arlon. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 51% less in Arlon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Arlon, where all-in costs run around $2,066, than in Leuven at $2,270. In Arlon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Leuven it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Arlon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Arlon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Leuven makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.