Cost of Living Comparison Between Leuven and Diest Cost of Living Comparison Between Leuven and Diest

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,226 in Leuven versus $2,084 in Diest.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,347 in Leuven versus $3,105 in Diest.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,468 in Leuven versus $4,126 in Diest.

Living in Leuven is roughly 7% more expensive than Diest, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Leuven 66% above, Diest 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.28 €14.79

$23.50 €20.12

-26.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.4 €80.8

$92.3 €79.0

2.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 €10.00

$12.12 €10.37

-3.63%

Cappuccino

$4.30 €3.68

$3.63 €3.11

18.46%

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

$3.59 €3.07

$3.42 €2.92

4.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 €2.98

$3.02 €2.58

15.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.89 €4.19

$5.40 €4.63

-9.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 €3.11

$4.75 €4.07

-23.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.30 €1.11

5.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 €1.86

$2.75 €2.36

-21.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 €2.51

$2.52 €2.15

16.67%

Eggs

$3.54 €3.03

$4.05 €3.47

-12.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.96 €10.23

$17.31 €14.81

-30.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.02 €11.14

$11.71 €10.02

11.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.52 €15.00

$21.71 €18.58

-19.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$2.72 €2.33

1.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 €1.97

$2.37 €2.03

-2.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.28 €1.95

-10.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.25

$2.93 €2.51

-10.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.83

$2.21 €1.89

-3.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 €1.45

$2.08 €1.78

-18.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.41 €1.21

11.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.03

$0.90 €0.77

34.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.86 €11.01

$12.60 €10.79

2.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.73 €6.62

$8.12 €6.95

-4.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.01

$1.69 €1.45

39.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.86

$1.94 €1.66

12.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.83 €2.42

$2.86 €2.45

-1.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.24 €31.88

$57.3 €49.05

-35.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.44 €5.52

$5.68 €4.86

13.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.58 €2.21

$2.53 €2.16

1.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 €29.40

$37.73 €32.30

-8.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.64

$1.86 €1.59

3.23%

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

$30.1K €25.7K

$33.2K €28.4K

-9.53%

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

$27.9K €23.9K

$31.5K €27.0K

-11.39%

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

$182 €156

$209 €179

-12.85%

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

$21.74 €18.61

$25.37 €21.72

-14.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.78 €40.90

$52.0 €44.51

-8.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.28 €39.61

$38.66 €33.09

19.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.03 €14.58

$16.91 €14.47

0.71%

Cinema Ticket

$14.49 €12.41

$15.00 €12.84

-3.40%

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

$660 €565

$608 €520

8.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K €11.6K

-0.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €87.8

$107 €91.3

-3.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.03 €28.27

$48.29 €41.34

-31.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 €80.3

$109 €93.2

-13.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €115

$159 €136

-15.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 €864

$902 €773

11.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 €929

$740 €633

46.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 €1,845

$1,332 €1,141

61.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 €1,488

$1,112 €952

56.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,641 €4,829

$3,591 €3,074

57.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,766 €3,223

$2,465 €2,110

52.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,465 €2,966

$2,239 €1,916

54.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.83

3.42

11.99%

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

Last update for Leuven: April 28, 2026

Last update for Diest: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,009 in Leuven and $902 in Diest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leuven pays 55% 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: $94.0 in Leuven vs $92.0 in Diest. Groceries flip the comparison at $326 vs $350, with Leuven cheaper for home cooking.

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 Diest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Diest wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Leuven. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Diest the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Leuven pays 55% more on average, 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: $1,009 in Leuven versus $902 in Diest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Diest runs roughly 54% less than in Leuven. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $660 in Leuven versus $608 in Diest. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,084 in Diest versus $2,226 in Leuven, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Diest but tight or insufficient in Leuven. The gap between the two cities makes Diest 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 Diest 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 Diest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Leuven. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.