Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Leuven and Geel

For one person, living is cheaper in Geel: $2,037 a month against $2,222 in Leuven, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 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
98

Cost of Living Index in Geel
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Geel Living Index

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Leuven

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,222

/mo nomad

Geel

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Leuven and in Geel

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,222 in Leuven versus $2,037 in Geel.

Leuven $2,222
Geel $2,037

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,303 in Leuven versus $2,915 in Geel.

Leuven $3,303
Geel $2,915

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,383 in Leuven versus $3,793 in Geel.

Leuven $4,383
Geel $3,793

Living in Leuven is roughly 9% more expensive than in Geel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Leuven 63% above, Geel 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.36 €20.09

$18.27 €16.41

22.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.6 €69.7

$76.9 €69.1

0.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.26 €11.91

$10.54 €9.47

25.81%

Cappuccino

$4.33 €3.89

$3.94 €3.54

9.90%

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

$3.02 €2.71

$2.70 €2.43

11.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 €2.60

$3.19 €2.87

-9.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.11

$4.52 €4.06

25.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 €4.11

$3.42 €3.07

33.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.24

$1.28 €1.15

8.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 €2.40

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 €1.81

$2.71 €2.43

-25.46%

Eggs

$3.92 €3.52

$5.29 €4.76

-25.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.38 €10.22

$17.60 €15.81

-35.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.38 €11.12

$13.21 €11.86

-6.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.98 €17.05

$21.92 €19.69

-13.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 €2.42

$3.14 €2.82

-14.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.95

$2.47 €2.22

-12.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 €2.01

$2.82 €2.54

-20.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$4.15 €3.73

-44.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 €2.03

$2.46 €2.21

-8.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 €1.51

$2.14 €1.92

-21.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.39

$1.87 €1.68

-17.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 €0.86

$0.69 €0.62

39.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.34 €11.98

$13.61 €12.22

-1.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.19 €6.46

$8.90 €8.00

-19.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.79

$2.62 €2.35

-23.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.60

$3.01 €2.70

-40.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.43 €3.08

$3.26 €2.92

5.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.52 €42.69

$68.9 €61.9

-31.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.15 €9.12

$2.94 €2.64

245.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 €2.24

$2.22 €2.00

12.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.93 €22.40

$40.50 €36.38

-38.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.85

$1.84 €1.66

11.41%

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

$35.0K €31.4K

$24.2K €21.8K

44.47%

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

$36.3K €32.6K

$35.7K €32.1K

1.66%

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

$212 €190

$168 €151

25.92%

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

$17.90 €16.08

$21.24 €19.08

-15.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 €47.72

$50.8 €45.63

4.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.05 €35.98

$38.64 €34.71

3.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.62 €17.63

Cinema Ticket

$14.57 €13.09

$15.62 €14.03

-6.72%

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

$699 €628

$1,617 €1,453

-56.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.7K

$36.0K €32.4K

-54.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.6 €87.7

$102 €91.2

-3.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.13 €23.47

$45.70 €41.05

-42.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 €79.7

$113 €101

-21.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 €128

$144 €129

-1.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 €996

$1,015 €912

9.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$975 €876

$789 €708

23.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,996 €1,793

$1,066 €958

87.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 €1,420

$940 €844

68.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,066 €4,551

$3,968 €3,565

27.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,640 €3,270

$3,415 €3,068

6.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,727 €3,348

$2,369 €2,128

57.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

17.33%

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

Last update for Leuven: October 25, 2026

Last update for Geel: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Leuven

$975 43.9%

Geel

$789 38.7% 19.1% $186

Eating Out

Leuven

$332 14.9%

Geel

$278 13.7% 16.2% $54

Groceries & Markets

Leuven

$320 14.4%

Geel

$383 18.8% 19.7% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Leuven

$283 12.7%

Geel

$240 11.8% 15.1% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Leuven

$160 7.2%

Geel

$182 8.9% 13.9% $22

Getting Around

Leuven

$84 3.8%

Geel

$96 4.7% 14.5% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Leuven

$69 3.1%

Geel

$70 3.4% 1% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,108 in Leuven and $1,015 in Geel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leuven pays 57% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $78 in Leuven vs $77 in Geel. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $383, with Leuven cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Leuven

🇧🇪 Geel

🕒 Local time

21:28 9:28 PM

Same time as Leuven

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

102,275

40,781

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Leuven Geel 37 km

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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 Geel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,222 in Leuven and $2,037 in Geel, so Geel is about 8% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 57% 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 $1,015 in Geel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Leuven pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $2,222 per month in Leuven versus $2,037 in Geel – Geel is about 8% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Geel 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 Geel are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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