Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Leuven and Dendermonde

For one person, living is cheaper in Dendermonde: $2,065 a month against $2,222 in Leuven, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 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
99

Cost of Living Index in Dendermonde
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Dendermonde Living Index

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Leuven

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,222

/mo nomad

Dendermonde

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,065

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Leuven and in Dendermonde

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,222 in Leuven versus $2,065 in Dendermonde.

Leuven $2,222
Dendermonde $2,065

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,303 in Leuven versus $2,905 in Dendermonde.

Leuven $3,303
Dendermonde $2,905

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,383 in Leuven versus $3,746 in Dendermonde.

Leuven $4,383
Dendermonde $3,746

Living in Leuven is roughly 8% more expensive than in Dendermonde, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Leuven 63% above, Dendermonde 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.36 €20.09

$22.06 €19.82

1.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.6 €69.7

$73.0 €65.5

6.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.26 €11.91

$13.56 €12.18

-2.21%

Cappuccino

$4.33 €3.89

$3.48 €3.13

24.43%

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

$3.02 €2.71

$2.75 €2.47

9.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 €2.60

$2.21 €1.98

30.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.11

$5.50 €4.94

3.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 €4.11

$3.96 €3.55

15.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.24

$1.35 €1.21

2.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 €2.40

$2.70 €2.43

-1.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 €1.81

$2.05 €1.84

-1.46%

Eggs

$3.92 €3.52

$3.79 €3.41

3.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.38 €10.22

$11.62 €10.44

-2.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.38 €11.12

$12.01 €10.79

3.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.98 €17.05

$19.22 €17.27

-1.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 €2.42

$2.83 €2.54

-4.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.95

$2.20 €1.98

-1.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 €2.01

$2.16 €1.94

3.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$2.29 €2.06

0.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 €2.03

$2.25 €2.02

0.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 €1.51

$1.74 €1.57

-3.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.39

$1.49 €1.34

3.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 €0.86

$0.93 €0.84

3.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.34 €11.98

$13.15 €11.81

1.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.19 €6.46

$7.06 €6.34

1.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.79

$1.98 €1.78

1.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.60

$1.79 €1.61

-0.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.43 €3.08

$3.07 €2.76

11.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.52 €42.69

$62.2 €55.9

-23.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.15 €9.12

$10.04 €9.02

1.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 €2.24

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.93 €22.40

$24.67 €22.16

1.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.85

$2.08 €1.87

-1.44%

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

$35.0K €31.4K

$35.8K €32.2K

-2.33%

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

$36.3K €32.6K

$36.7K €33.0K

-1.15%

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

$212 €190

$207 €186

2.14%

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

$17.90 €16.08

$18.43 €16.55

-2.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 €47.72

$52.9 €47.51

0.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.05 €35.98

$41.80 €37.55

-4.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.62 €17.63

$17.70 €15.90

10.85%

Cinema Ticket

$14.57 €13.09

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

$699 €628

$706 €634

-1.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.7K

0.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.6 €87.7

$99.3 €89.2

-1.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.13 €23.47

$26.42 €23.73

-1.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 €79.7

$90.1 €81.0

-1.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 €128

$143 €128

-0.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 €996

$837 €752

32.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$975 €876

$824 €740

18.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,996 €1,793

$1,590 €1,428

25.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 €1,420

$976 €876

62.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,066 €4,551

$4,741 €4,258

6.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,640 €3,270

$3,248 €2,917

12.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,727 €3,348

$3,387 €3,043

10.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

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

Last update for Leuven: October 25, 2026

Last update for Dendermonde: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Leuven

$975 43.9%

Dendermonde

$824 39.9% 15.5% $151

Eating Out

Leuven

$332 14.9%

Dendermonde

$314 15.2% 5.3% $18

Groceries & Markets

Leuven

$320 14.4%

Dendermonde

$319 15.4% 0.4% $1.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Leuven

$283 12.7%

Dendermonde

$279 13.5% 1.5% $4.1

Clothing & Footwear

Leuven

$160 7.2%

Dendermonde

$161 7.8% 1.1% $1.8

Getting Around

Leuven

$84 3.8%

Dendermonde

$97 4.7% 15.7% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Leuven

$69 3.1%

Dendermonde

$71 3.4% 2.5% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,108 in Leuven and $837 in Dendermonde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leuven pays 10% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $78 in Leuven vs $73 in Dendermonde for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $319 per month, with Dendermonde cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Leuven

🇧🇪 Dendermonde

🕒 Local time

23:05 11:05 PM

Same time as Leuven

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

102,275

44,768

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Leuven Dendermonde 45 km

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Leuven
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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 Dendermonde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,222 in Leuven and $2,065 in Dendermonde, so Dendermonde is about 7% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 10% 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: $1,108 in Leuven versus $837 in Dendermonde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Leuven runs roughly 24% less than in Dendermonde. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $2,222 per month in Leuven versus $2,065 in Dendermonde – Dendermonde is about 7% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Dendermonde gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Dendermonde are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Dendermonde wins on affordability, Leuven on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.