Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Leuven and Herentals

For one person, living is cheaper in Leuven: $2,222 a month against $2,288 in Herentals, rent and utilities included – about $790 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Leuven
Learn more

Leuven Living Index
105

Cost of Living Index in Herentals
Learn more

Herentals Living Index

Jump to prices

Leuven

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,222

/mo nomad

Herentals

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,288

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Leuven and in Herentals

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

A single person spends $2,222 per month in Leuven vs $2,288 in Herentals, rent included.

Leuven $2,222
Herentals $2,288

A couple spends around $3,303 per month in Leuven vs $3,178 in Herentals, rent included.

Leuven $3,303
Herentals $3,178

A family of three spends $4,383 per month in Leuven vs $4,067 in Herentals, rent included.

Leuven $4,383
Herentals $4,067

Leuven is about 3% cheaper than Herentals, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Leuven and Herentals sit above the global median – Leuven by 63%, Herentals by 68%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.36 €20.04

$17.89 €16.03

24.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.6 €69.6

$90.2 €80.8

-13.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.26 €11.89

$12.36 €11.07

7.28%

Cappuccino

$4.33 €3.88

$3.70 €3.32

17.03%

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

$3.02 €2.70

$3.52 €3.16

-14.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 €2.59

$2.54 €2.28

13.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.10

$5.61 €5.03

1.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 €4.10

$4.48 €4.02

2.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.24

$1.24 €1.11

12.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 €2.39

$2.70 €2.42

-1.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 €1.81

$3.67 €3.29

-44.96%

Eggs

$3.92 €3.51

$3.61 €3.24

8.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.38 €10.20

$17.89 €16.03

-36.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.38 €11.09

$11.75 €10.53

5.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.98 €17.01

$15.01 €13.45

26.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 €2.41

$3.09 €2.77

-12.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.94

$2.29 €2.05

-5.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 €2.00

$2.89 €2.59

-22.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$2.99 €2.68

-22.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 €2.03

$2.40 €2.16

-5.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 €1.51

$2.01 €1.80

-16.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.38

$1.69 €1.52

-8.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 €0.86

$1.05 €0.94

-8.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.34 €11.95

$9.22 €8.26

44.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.19 €6.45

$8.03 €7.19

-10.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.79

$2.46 €2.21

-18.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.60

$3.22 €2.88

-44.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.43 €3.08

$3.06 €2.74

12.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.52 €42.58

$59.9 €53.7

-20.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.15 €9.09

$5.07 €4.54

100.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 €2.24

$2.56 €2.29

-2.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.93 €22.34

$17.06 €15.29

46.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.84

$1.82 €1.63

12.64%

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

$35.0K €31.4K

$35.5K €31.9K

-1.54%

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

$36.3K €32.5K

$37.1K €33.2K

-1.99%

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

$212 €190

$335 €300

-36.77%

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

$17.90 €16.04

$25.21 €22.59

-29.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 €47.61

$60.3 €54.0

-11.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.05 €35.89

$38.13 €34.17

5.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.62 €17.59

$21.20 €19.00

-7.45%

Cinema Ticket

$14.57 €13.06

$14.48 €12.97

0.62%

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

$699 €626

$850 €762

-17.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.7K

$16.2K €14.6K

1.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.6 €87.5

$86.1 €77.2

13.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.13 €23.42

$50.4 €45.15

-48.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 €79.5

$103 €92.4

-13.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 €127

$131 €117

8.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 €993

$845 €757

31.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$975 €874

$911 €817

6.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,996 €1,788

$1,312 €1,175

52.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 €1,417

$1,081 €969

46.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,066 €4,539

$3,972 €3,560

27.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,640 €3,262

$2,505 €2,245

45.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,727 €3,340

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Herentals: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Leuven

$975 43.9%

Herentals

$911 39.8% 6.5% $64

Eating Out

Leuven

$332 14.9%

Herentals

$286 12.5% 13.8% $46

Groceries & Markets

Leuven

$320 14.4%

Herentals

$347 15.2% 8.5% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Leuven

$283 12.7%

Herentals

$420 18.4% 48.7% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Leuven

$160 7.2%

Herentals

$167 7.3% 4.5% $7.1

Getting Around

Leuven

$84 3.8%

Herentals

$90 3.9% 7.3% $6.2

Sport & Entertainment

Leuven

$69 3.1%

Herentals

$67 2.9% 3% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,108 in Leuven versus $845 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 $78 in Leuven versus $90 in Herentals. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $347 – making Leuven the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Leuven

🇧🇪 Herentals

🕒 Local time

10:39 10:39 AM

Same time as Leuven

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

102,275

25,912

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Leuven Herentals 34 km

From you

Leuven
Herentals

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 Herentals: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Herentals is pricier by about 3%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,333 per month in Leuven and $3,433 in Herentals. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Herentals, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $845 there versus $1,108 in Leuven.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78 in Leuven and $90 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 $2,222 in Leuven and $2,288 in Herentals. That makes Leuven about 3% cheaper.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,222 in Leuven and $2,288 in Herentals. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Leuven has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,222 in Leuven to $2,288 in Herentals. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.