Cost of Living Comparison Between Leuven and Herentals Cost of Living Comparison Between Leuven and Herentals

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,314 per month in Leuven vs $2,343 in Herentals, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,390 per month in Leuven vs $3,386 in Herentals, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,465 per month in Leuven vs $4,429 in Herentals, rent included.

Leuven is about 1% cheaper than Herentals, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Leuven and Herentals sit above the global median – Leuven by 68%, Herentals by 70%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.42 €19.33

$18.85 €16.25

18.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.5 €70.3

$93.5 €80.6

-12.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.81 €10.18

$12.50 €10.78

-5.52%

Cappuccino

$4.68 €4.03

$3.73 €3.22

25.47%

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

$3.13 €2.70

$3.72 €3.21

-15.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 €2.59

$2.74 €2.36

9.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.58 €4.81

$5.92 €5.10

-5.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.04

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.28 €1.10

3.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.95 €2.54

$2.81 €2.42

4.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 €1.96

$3.90 €3.36

-41.54%

Eggs

$3.97 €3.42

$3.90 €3.36

1.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.07 €10.41

$24.94 €21.50

-51.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.86 €11.09

$12.09 €10.43

6.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.96 €17.21

$15.64 €13.49

27.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 €2.48

$3.25 €2.81

-11.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 €1.94

$2.48 €2.13

-9.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$3.99 €3.44

-42.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.05

$3.13 €2.70

-23.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.06

$2.69 €2.32

-11.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 €1.57

$2.15 €1.85

-15.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 €1.37

$1.80 €1.55

-11.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.80

$1.15 €0.99

-19.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.99 €12.07

$10.34 €8.92

35.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.62 €6.57

$7.10 €6.12

7.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.87

$2.63 €2.27

-17.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 €1.67

$3.20 €2.76

-39.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.48 €3.00

$3.28 €2.82

6.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.24 €34.70

$56.3 €48.53

-28.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.30 €8.89

$5.36 €4.62

92.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.61 €2.25

$2.67 €2.30

-2.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.39 €22.75

$17.11 €14.76

54.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.81 €1.56

14.36%

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

$37.3K €32.2K

$36.2K €31.2K

2.95%

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

$34.3K €29.6K

$34.6K €29.8K

-0.72%

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

$218 €188

$351 €302

-37.84%

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

$19.35 €16.68

$26.22 €22.61

-26.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.9 €47.31

$61.2 €52.8

-10.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.21 €38.13

$37.81 €32.61

16.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.61 €17.77

$20.93 €18.05

-1.53%

Cinema Ticket

$15.38 €13.26

$14.86 €12.82

3.50%

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

$726 €626

$871 €751

-16.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.3K

$22.4K €19.3K

-26.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €88.8

$83.6 €72.1

23.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 €23.08

$51.4 €44.34

-47.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 €80.5

$105 €91.0

-11.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 €129

$170 €146

-11.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 €954

$952 €821

16.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,029 €887

$855 €737

20.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,108 €1,818

$1,456 €1,256

44.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,639 €1,413

$1,178 €1,015

39.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,753 €4,961

$4,241 €3,657

35.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,779 €3,259

$3,033 €2,615

24.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,805 €3,281

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.65

-3.56%

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

Last update for Leuven: September 8, 2026

Last update for Herentals: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,106 in Leuven versus $952 in Herentals. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82.0 in Leuven versus $94.0 in Herentals. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $335 vs $384 – making Leuven the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Herentals: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Herentals is pricier by about 1%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,471 per month in Leuven and $3,515 in Herentals. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82.0 in Leuven and $94.0 in Herentals. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,314 in Leuven and $2,343 in Herentals. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Leuven, where all-in costs run around $2,314, than in Herentals at $2,343. In Leuven it covers expenses comfortably, while in Herentals it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Leuven – 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 Leuven. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Herentals makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.