Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Leuven and Arlon

For one person, living is cheaper in Arlon: $2,033 a month against $2,222 in Leuven, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Leuven
Learn more

Leuven Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Arlon
Learn more

Arlon Living Index

Jump to prices

Leuven

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,222

/mo nomad

Arlon

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,033

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Leuven and in Arlon

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

A single person spends $2,222 per month in Leuven vs $2,033 in Arlon, rent included.

Leuven $2,222
Arlon $2,033

A couple spends around $3,303 per month in Leuven vs $3,132 in Arlon, rent included.

Leuven $3,303
Arlon $3,132

A family of three spends $4,383 per month in Leuven vs $4,232 in Arlon, rent included.

Leuven $4,383
Arlon $4,232

Leuven costs about 9% more than Arlon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Leuven and Arlon sit above the global median – Leuven by 63%, Arlon by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.36 €20.04

$17.02 €15.25

31.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.6 €69.6

$91.1 €81.6

-14.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.26 €11.89

$11.21 €10.04

18.29%

Cappuccino

$4.33 €3.88

$2.86 €2.56

51.40%

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

$3.02 €2.70

$2.68 €2.40

12.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 €2.59

$2.58 €2.31

12.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.10

$3.41 €3.05

66.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 €4.10

$4.39 €3.93

4.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.24

$1.19 €1.06

16.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 €2.39

$1.54 €1.38

73.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 €1.81

$2.36 €2.12

-14.41%

Eggs

$3.92 €3.51

$3.77 €3.38

3.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.38 €10.20

$14.58 €13.06

-21.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.38 €11.09

$11.54 €10.34

7.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.98 €17.01

$15.33 €13.73

23.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 €2.41

$3.05 €2.74

-11.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.94

$1.09 €0.98

99.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 €2.00

$2.18 €1.95

2.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$3.05 €2.73

-24.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 €2.03

$1.67 €1.50

35.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 €1.51

$2.08 €1.87

-19.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.38

$1.71 €1.53

-9.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 €0.86

$1.11 €0.99

-13.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.34 €11.95

$8.99 €8.06

48.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.19 €6.45

$7.92 €7.10

-9.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.79

$2.01 €1.80

-0.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.60

$1.10 €0.98

61.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.43 €3.08

$2.24 €2.00

53.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.52 €42.58

$41.07 €36.80

15.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.15 €9.09

$3.95 €3.54

156.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 €2.24

$2.61 €2.34

-4.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.93 €22.34

$16.95 €15.19

47.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.84

$1.99 €1.78

3.02%

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

$35.0K €31.4K

$35.5K €31.8K

-1.47%

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

$36.3K €32.5K

$36.6K €32.8K

-0.83%

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

$212 €190

$263 €236

-19.50%

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

$17.90 €16.04

$24.91 €22.32

-28.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 €47.61

$52.8 €47.31

0.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.05 €35.89

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.62 €17.59

$24.29 €21.77

-19.23%

Cinema Ticket

$14.57 €13.06

$9.08 €8.13

60.46%

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

$699 €626

$851 €763

-17.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.6 €87.5

$85.4 €76.6

14.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.13 €23.42

$50.5 €45.27

-48.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 €79.5

$49.54 €44.39

79.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 €127

$111 €99.1

28.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 €993

$897 €804

23.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$975 €874

$921 €825

5.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,996 €1,788

$1,681 €1,506

18.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 €1,417

$1,701 €1,524

-7.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,066 €4,539

$4,215 €3,777

20.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,640 €3,262

$3,897 €3,492

-6.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,727 €3,340

$2,868 €2,570

29.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.65

-3.56%

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

Last update for Leuven: October 25, 2026

Last update for Arlon: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Leuven

$975 43.9%

Arlon

$921 45.3% 5.6% $54

Eating Out

Leuven

$332 14.9%

Arlon

$251 12.4% 24.4% $81

Groceries & Markets

Leuven

$320 14.4%

Arlon

$302 14.9% 5.5% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Leuven

$283 12.7%

Arlon

$341 16.8% 20.5% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Leuven

$160 7.2%

Arlon

$133 6.6% 16.5% $26

Getting Around

Leuven

$84 3.8%

Arlon

$67 3.3% 20.1% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Leuven

$69 3.1%

Arlon

$18 * 0.9% 73.8% $51

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,108 in Leuven versus $897 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 30% higher in Leuven. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78 in Leuven versus $91 in Arlon. Groceries tell a different story – $320 in Leuven vs $302 in Arlon – so Arlon wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Leuven

🇧🇪 Arlon

🕒 Local time

09:49 9:49 AM

Same time as Leuven

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

102,275

28,759

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Leuven Arlon 150 km

From you

Leuven
Arlon

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 Arlon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Leuven costs about 9% more than Arlon, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from 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 $3,333 per month in Leuven and $3,050 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $897 there versus $1,108 in Leuven.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,222 in Leuven and $2,033 in Arlon. That makes Arlon about 9% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 14% less in Arlon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,222 in Leuven and $2,033 in Arlon. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Leuven has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,033 in Arlon to $2,222 in Leuven. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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