Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Leuven and Brasschaat

For one person, living is cheaper in Brasschaat: $2,145 a month against $2,222 in Leuven, rent and utilities included – about $920 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Leuven outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

107

Cost of Living Index in Leuven
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Leuven Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Brasschaat
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Brasschaat Living Index

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Leuven

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,222

/mo nomad

Brasschaat

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,145

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Leuven and in Brasschaat

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

A single person spends $2,222 per month in Leuven vs $2,145 in Brasschaat, rent included.

Leuven $2,222
Brasschaat $2,145

A couple spends around $3,303 per month in Leuven vs $3,173 in Brasschaat, rent included.

Leuven $3,303
Brasschaat $3,173

A family of three spends $4,383 per month in Leuven vs $4,201 in Brasschaat, rent included.

Leuven $4,383
Brasschaat $4,201

Leuven costs about 4% more than Brasschaat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Leuven and Brasschaat sit above the global median – Leuven by 63%, Brasschaat by 58%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.36 €20.03

$22.01 €19.72

1.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.6 €69.5

$95.6 €85.6

-18.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.26 €11.88

$15.47 €13.85

-14.29%

Cappuccino

$4.33 €3.88

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

$3.02 €2.70

$3.50 €3.14

-13.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 €2.59

$3.38 €3.03

-14.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.10

$5.33 €4.77

6.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 €4.09

$6.21 €5.56

-26.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.24

$1.33 €1.19

4.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 €2.39

$2.77 €2.48

-3.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 €1.81

$2.17 €1.94

-6.91%

Eggs

$3.92 €3.51

$3.88 €3.48

1.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.38 €10.19

$16.34 €14.63

-30.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.38 €11.09

$12.18 €10.91

1.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.98 €17.00

$19.51 €17.48

-2.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 €2.41

$2.80 €2.51

-3.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.94

$2.38 €2.13

-8.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 €2.00

$2.69 €2.41

-17.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$3.41 €3.06

-32.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 €2.03

$2.53 €2.27

-10.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.87 €1.67

-10.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.38

$1.53 €1.37

0.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 €0.86

$1.13 €1.02

-15.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.34 €11.94

$12.86 €11.52

3.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.19 €6.44

$8.65 €7.74

-16.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.79

$1.98 €1.77

1.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.60

$2.01 €1.80

-11.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.43 €3.07

$3.16 €2.83

8.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.52 €42.56

$55.5 €49.70

-14.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.15 €9.09

$5.43 €4.86

86.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 €2.24

$2.62 €2.35

-4.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.93 €22.33

$44.88 €40.19

-44.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.84

$2.10 €1.88

-2.38%

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

$35.0K €31.3K

$35.6K €31.9K

-1.73%

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

$36.3K €32.5K

$36.7K €32.9K

-1.11%

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

$212 €190

$223 €200

-5.08%

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

$17.90 €16.03

$20.85 €18.67

-14.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 €47.58

$48.35 €43.30

9.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.05 €35.87

$36.06 €32.29

11.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.62 €17.58

$21.45 €19.21

-8.53%

Cinema Ticket

$14.57 €13.05

$15.74 €14.09

-7.43%

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

$699 €626

$563 €504

24.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.7K

$21.7K €19.4K

-24.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.6 €87.4

$108 €96.8

-9.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.13 €23.40

$47.76 €42.78

-45.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 €79.4

$105 €94.3

-15.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 €127

$147 €132

-3.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 €993

$929 €832

19.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$975 €873

$822 €736

18.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,996 €1,787

$1,396 €1,250

42.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 €1,416

$1,153 €1,032

37.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,066 €4,537

$3,646 €3,265

38.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,640 €3,260

$2,702 €2,420

34.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,727 €3,338

$2,930 €2,624

27.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.2

10.00%

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

Last update for Leuven: October 25, 2026

Last update for Brasschaat: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Leuven

$975 43.9%

Brasschaat

$822 38.3% 15.7% $153

Eating Out

Leuven

$332 14.9%

Brasschaat

$341 15.9% 2.8% $9.3

Groceries & Markets

Leuven

$320 14.4%

Brasschaat

$352 16.4% 10% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Leuven

$283 12.7%

Brasschaat

$292 13.6% 3.4% $9.5

Clothing & Footwear

Leuven

$160 7.2%

Brasschaat

$184 8.6% 15.2% $24

Getting Around

Leuven

$84 3.8%

Brasschaat

$87 4% 3.3% $2.8

Sport & Entertainment

Leuven

$69 3.1%

Brasschaat

$68 3.2% 2.4% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,108 in Leuven versus $929 in Brasschaat. 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 27% higher in Leuven. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78 in Leuven versus $96 in Brasschaat. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $352 – making Leuven the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Leuven

🇧🇪 Brasschaat

🕒 Local time

21:59 9:59 PM

Same time as Leuven

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

102,275

37,190

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Leuven Brasschaat 48 km

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 Brasschaat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Leuven costs about 4% more than Brasschaat, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. 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 $3,217 in Brasschaat. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Brasschaat, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $929 there versus $1,108 in Leuven.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,222 in Leuven and $2,145 in Brasschaat. That makes Brasschaat about 3% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 14% less in Leuven. 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 $2,145 in Brasschaat. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

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