Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Leuven and Hasselt

For one person, living is cheaper in Hasselt: $2,021 a month against $2,222 in Leuven, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 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
98

Cost of Living Index in Hasselt
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Hasselt Living Index

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Leuven

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,222

/mo nomad

Hasselt

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,021

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Leuven and in Hasselt

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

A single person spends $2,222 per month in Leuven vs $2,021 in Hasselt, rent included.

Leuven $2,222
Hasselt $2,021

A couple spends around $3,303 per month in Leuven vs $3,042 in Hasselt, rent included.

Leuven $3,303
Hasselt $3,042

A family of three spends $4,383 per month in Leuven vs $4,063 in Hasselt, rent included.

Leuven $4,383
Hasselt $4,063

Leuven costs about 10% more than Hasselt, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Leuven and Hasselt sit above the global median – Leuven by 63%, Hasselt by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.36 €20.09

$22.32 €20.05

0.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.6 €69.7

$97.7 €87.8

-20.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.26 €11.91

$13.60 €12.22

-2.50%

Cappuccino

$4.33 €3.89

$3.80 €3.41

13.95%

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

$3.02 €2.71

$3.51 €3.16

-13.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 €2.60

$3.25 €2.92

-11.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.11

$5.43 €4.87

4.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 €4.11

$5.16 €4.63

-11.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.24

$1.34 €1.21

3.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 €2.40

$2.42 €2.17

10.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 €1.81

$2.28 €2.04

-11.40%

Eggs

$3.92 €3.52

$3.23 €2.91

21.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.38 €10.22

$8.01 €7.19

42.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.38 €11.12

$11.71 €10.52

5.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.98 €17.05

$22.25 €19.98

-14.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 €2.42

$2.03 €1.82

32.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.95

$1.66 €1.49

30.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 €2.01

$2.61 €2.35

-14.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$2.69 €2.42

-14.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 €2.03

$1.85 €1.66

22.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 €1.51

$1.37 €1.23

22.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.39

$1.00 €0.90

54.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 €0.86

$1.08 €0.97

-11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.34 €11.98

$12.64 €11.36

5.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.19 €6.46

$8.84 €7.94

-18.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.79

$1.62 €1.45

23.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.60

$2.05 €1.84

-13.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.43 €3.08

$3.15 €2.83

8.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.52 €42.69

$32.27 €28.99

47.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.15 €9.12

$5.71 €5.13

77.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 €2.24

$2.62 €2.35

-4.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.93 €22.40

$36.45 €32.74

-31.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.85

$1.98 €1.77

3.54%

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

$35.0K €31.4K

$34.9K €31.4K

0.16%

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

$36.3K €32.6K

$33.8K €30.4K

7.45%

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

$212 €190

$212 €191

-0.22%

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

$17.90 €16.08

$19.34 €17.37

-7.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 €47.72

$47.00 €42.22

13.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.05 €35.98

$27.97 €25.12

43.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.62 €17.63

$9.18 €8.25

113.73%

Cinema Ticket

$14.57 €13.09

$15.00 €13.47

-2.87%

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

$699 €628

$1,664 €1,494

-57.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.7K

$33.0K €29.7K

-50.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.6 €87.7

$115 €104

-15.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.13 €23.47

$53.3 €47.87

-50.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 €79.7

$106 €95.3

-16.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 €128

$134 €120

6.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 €996

$906 €814

22.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$975 €876

$800 €719

21.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,996 €1,793

$1,457 €1,308

37.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 €1,420

$1,218 €1,095

29.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,066 €4,551

$4,588 €4,122

10.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,640 €3,270

$2,398 €2,154

51.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,727 €3,348

$3,045 €2,735

22.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.53

-0.28%

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

Last update for Leuven: October 25, 2026

Last update for Hasselt: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Leuven

$975 43.9%

Hasselt

$800 39.6% 18% $175

Eating Out

Leuven

$332 14.9%

Hasselt

$329 16.3% 0.7% $2.4

Groceries & Markets

Leuven

$320 14.4%

Hasselt

$308 15.2% 3.7% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Leuven

$283 12.7%

Hasselt

$278 13.8% 1.5% $4.2

Clothing & Footwear

Leuven

$160 7.2%

Hasselt

$184 9.1% 15.2% $24

Getting Around

Leuven

$84 3.8%

Hasselt

$64 3.2% 24.1% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Leuven

$69 3.1%

Hasselt

$58 2.9% 16.2% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,108 in Leuven versus $906 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 22% higher in Leuven. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78 in Leuven versus $98 in Hasselt. Groceries tell a different story – $320 in Leuven vs $308 in Hasselt – so Hasselt wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Leuven

🇧🇪 Hasselt

🕒 Local time

19:41 7:41 PM

Same time as Leuven

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

102,275

74,694

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Leuven Hasselt 45 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 Hasselt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,222 in Leuven, $2,021 in Hasselt – roughly 10% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,333 per month in Leuven and $3,032 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $906 there versus $1,108 in Leuven.

Kindergarten costs $699 per month in Leuven and $1,664 in Hasselt. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Leuven, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,222 in Leuven and $2,021 in Hasselt, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Leuven has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,021 in Hasselt to $2,222 in Leuven. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.