Cost of Living Comparison Between Leuven and Hasselt Cost of Living Comparison Between Leuven and Hasselt

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,270 per month in Leuven vs $2,098 in Hasselt, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,399 per month in Leuven vs $3,078 in Hasselt, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,527 per month in Leuven vs $4,058 in Hasselt, rent included.

Leuven costs about 8% more than Hasselt, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Leuven and Hasselt sit above the global median – Leuven by 69%, Hasselt by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.57 €15.22

$22.77 €19.74

-22.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.5 €81.1

$92.7 €80.3

0.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.54 €10.00

$12.54 €10.87

-7.97%

Cappuccino

$4.29 €3.72

$3.97 €3.44

8.06%

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

$3.56 €3.08

$3.32 €2.88

7.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 €2.90

$3.18 €2.76

5.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 €4.19

$5.10 €4.42

-5.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 €3.19

$4.76 €4.13

-22.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.31 €1.14

6.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 €1.80

$2.86 €2.48

-27.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 €2.63

$2.63 €2.28

15.21%

Eggs

$3.53 €3.06

$3.62 €3.14

-2.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 €10.52

$17.77 €15.40

-31.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.25 €11.48

$10.08 €8.74

31.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.43 €15.11

$21.68 €18.79

-19.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 €2.35

$2.24 €1.94

20.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 €1.97

$2.24 €1.94

1.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 €1.76

$2.29 €1.98

-11.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.23

$2.35 €2.04

9.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.37 €2.05

-5.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.67 €1.45

-1.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.33

$0.89 €0.77

73.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.09

$0.88 €0.76

43.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.64 €10.95

$12.82 €11.11

-1.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.37 €6.38

$9.19 €7.96

-19.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 €2.00

$1.77 €1.54

29.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.82

$1.95 €1.69

7.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.97 €2.57

$2.84 €2.46

4.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.18 €33.09

$34.04 €29.50

12.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.52 €5.65

$5.71 €4.95

14.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.63 €2.28

$2.46 €2.13

6.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.35 €30.63

$36.90 €31.98

-4.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 €1.58

$1.92 €1.67

-4.69%

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

$30.1K €26.1K

$35.7K €30.9K

-15.67%

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

$28.3K €24.5K

$32.5K €28.2K

-12.90%

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

$181 €157

$207 €179

-12.51%

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

$21.28 €18.44

$20.85 €18.07

2.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.99 €42.46

$51.5 €44.63

-4.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.30 €40.99

$28.22 €24.46

67.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.76 €14.53

$9.50 €8.23

76.42%

Cinema Ticket

$14.35 €12.43

$14.93 €12.94

-3.88%

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

$661 €573

$652 €565

1.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K €11.7K

$13.7K €11.8K

-1.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.4

$110 €95.0

-5.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.91 €28.52

$48.33 €41.88

-31.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.9

$115 €99.9

-20.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €114

$136 €118

-3.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 €895

$985 €854

4.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,082 €938

$840 €728

28.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,182 €1,891

$1,462 €1,267

49.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,749 €1,516

$1,231 €1,067

42.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,589 €4,844

$4,693 €4,067

19.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,788 €3,283

$2,474 €2,144

53.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,556 €3,082

$3,179 €2,755

11.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.83

3.27

17.13%

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

Last update for Leuven: June 8, 2026

Last update for Hasselt: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,033 in Leuven versus $985 in Hasselt. 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 12% higher in Leuven, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $94.0 in Leuven versus $93.0 in Hasselt. Groceries tell a different story – $326 in Leuven vs $337 in Hasselt – so Leuven wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Hasselt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,270 in Leuven, $2,098 in Hasselt – roughly 8% apart. Leuven costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,405 per month in Leuven and $3,147 in Hasselt. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hasselt, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $661 per month in Leuven and $652 in Hasselt. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Leuven – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Hasselt, where all-in costs run around $2,098, than in Leuven at $2,270. In Hasselt it covers expenses comfortably, while in Leuven it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Hasselt. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Leuven makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.