Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Leuven and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Leuven: $2,258 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Leuven
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Leuven Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Leuven

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,258

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Leuven and in Austin, TX

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,258 in Leuven versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Leuven $2,258
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,326 in Leuven versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Leuven $3,326
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,394 in Leuven versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Leuven $4,394
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Leuven costs roughly 16% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Leuven 68% above, Austin, TX 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.14 €19.76

$20.22 $20.22

9.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.7 €69.4

$85.0 $85.0

-8.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.44 €10.21

$12.35 $12.35

-7.37%

Cappuccino

$4.50 €4.02

$5.47 $5.47

-17.73%

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

$3.01 €2.69

$3.82 $3.82

-21.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.59

$2.50 $2.50

16.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.31 €4.74

$8.06 $8.06

-34.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €4.04

$8.99 $8.99

-49.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.25

$1.13 $1.13

23.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 €2.44

$3.78 $3.78

-27.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.78

$3.25 $3.25

-38.77%

Eggs

$3.74 €3.34

$4.14 $4.14

-9.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.49 €10.25

$13.08 $13.08

-12.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.09 €10.79

$14.31 $14.31

-15.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.06 €17.01

$15.96 $15.96

19.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 €2.54

$4.38 $4.38

-35.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.99

$1.45 $1.45

53.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 €2.01

$4.54 $4.54

-50.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 €1.99

$4.19 $4.19

-46.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 €1.99

$2.63 $2.63

-15.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 €1.49

$2.36 $2.36

-29.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.76 $1.76

-16.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 €0.86

$2.16 $2.16

-55.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.54 €12.08

$9.81 $9.81

38.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.17 €6.40

$14.72 $14.72

-51.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.87

$2.78 $2.78

-24.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.59

$3.48 $3.48

-48.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.34 €2.98

$1.49 $1.49

124.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.42 €34.29

$40.51 $40.51

-5.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.96 €8.89

$2.67 $2.67

273.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 €2.24

$1.58 $1.58

58.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 €22.22

$35.29 $35.29

-29.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.77

$0.99 $0.99

101.01%

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

$35.8K €32.0K

$35.8K $35.8K

0.10%

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

$33.6K €29.9K

$27.2K $27.2K

23.49%

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

$212 €189

$219 $219

-3.33%

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

$18.13 €16.18

$58.0 $58.0

-68.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.2 €47.45

$68.4 $68.4

-22.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.24 €37.69

$57.9 $57.9

-27.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.53 €17.43

$14.82 $14.82

31.78%

Cinema Ticket

$14.85 €13.25

$14.13 $14.13

5.10%

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

$711 €635

$1,509 $1,509

-52.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.6K

$21.5K $21.5K

-23.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.8 €88.2

$51.7 $51.7

91.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.29 €23.46

$44.05 $44.05

-40.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.4 €78.9

$85.1 $85.1

3.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 €129

$105 $105

37.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,079 €963

$1,932 $1,932

-44.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$995 €888

$1,272 $1,272

-21.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 €1,809

$3,670 $3,670

-44.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,601 €1,429

$2,525 $2,525

-36.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,421 €4,837

$7,617 $7,617

-28.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,574 €3,189

$3,199 $3,199

11.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,770 €3,365

$5,105 $5,105

-26.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

6.79

-48.16%

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

Last update for Leuven: October 5, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Leuven

$995 44.6%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 27.9% $277

Eating Out

Leuven

$325 14.6%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 7.2% $23

Groceries & Markets

Leuven

$320 14.3%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 25.9% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Leuven

$283 12.7%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 22% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Leuven

$161 7.2%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 20.2% $33

Getting Around

Leuven

$74 3.3%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 23.2% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Leuven

$72 3.2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 19.8% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,079 in Leuven and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 35% 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: $78.0 in Leuven vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $403 per month, with Leuven cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Leuven

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

09:53 9:53 AM

02:53 2:53 AM

7 h behind Leuven

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

102,275

974,447

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Leuven Austin, TX 8,240 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Leuven
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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 Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Leuven wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Leuven the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 35% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,079 in Leuven versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,258 per month in Leuven versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Leuven runs roughly 5% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,258 in Leuven versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Leuven but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Leuven 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 Austin, TX 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 Leuven gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.