Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Leuven and Izegem

For one person, living is cheaper in Izegem: $2,055 a month against $2,196 in Leuven, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 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
99

Cost of Living Index in Izegem
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Izegem Living Index

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Leuven

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,196

/mo nomad

Izegem

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,055

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Leuven and in Izegem

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,196 in Leuven versus $2,055 in Izegem.

Leuven $2,196
Izegem $2,055

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,292 in Leuven versus $2,987 in Izegem.

Leuven $3,292
Izegem $2,987

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Leuven versus $3,920 in Izegem.

Leuven $4,387
Izegem $3,920

Living in Leuven is roughly 7% more expensive than in Izegem, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Leuven 62% above, Izegem 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.47 €19.99

$22.26 €19.80

0.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.9 €69.3

$78.1 €69.5

-0.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.11 €9.88

$10.98 €9.77

1.18%

Cappuccino

$4.39 €3.90

$3.82 €3.40

14.92%

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

$3.03 €2.69

$3.00 €2.67

1.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 €2.63

$2.93 €2.60

1.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.19 €4.62

$5.18 €4.60

0.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 €3.97

$4.33 €3.86

3.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.24

$1.32 €1.18

5.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 €2.45

$2.78 €2.47

-0.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.77

$1.98 €1.76

0.51%

Eggs

$3.76 €3.34

$3.71 €3.30

1.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.43 €10.16

$11.38 €10.12

0.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.30 €10.94

$12.07 €10.73

1.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.28 €17.15

$19.11 €16.99

0.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 €2.48

$2.69 €2.39

3.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 €1.89

$2.14 €1.90

-0.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 €1.97

$2.11 €1.87

4.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 €2.05

$2.29 €2.03

0.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.17 €1.93

0.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 €1.48

$1.73 €1.54

-3.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.51 €1.34

-2.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.81

$0.88 €0.78

3.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.28 €11.81

$13.61 €12.10

-2.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.35 €6.53

$7.38 €6.56

-0.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.79

$2.07 €1.84

-2.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 €1.61

$1.86 €1.65

-2.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.34 €2.97

$3.03 €2.70

10.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.54 €34.28

$54.0 €48.00

-28.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.96 €8.86

$10.23 €9.10

-2.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.43 €2.16

$2.47 €2.20

-1.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.95 €22.20

$24.75 €22.01

0.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.85

$1.86 €1.65

11.83%

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

$35.9K €32.0K

$35.8K €31.9K

0.36%

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

$36.6K €32.5K

$33.9K €30.2K

7.82%

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

$215 €191

$210 €187

2.10%

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

$18.68 €16.61

$18.47 €16.43

1.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.8 €47.89

$53.0 €47.11

1.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.21 €36.65

$36.23 €32.23

13.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.72 €17.54

$19.75 €17.56

-0.15%

Cinema Ticket

$14.42 €12.82

$14.48 €12.88

-0.41%

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

$707 €629

$693 €617

2.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €14.3K

$16.0K €14.2K

0.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.8 €87.9

$96.7 €86.0

2.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.64 €23.69

$25.62 €22.79

3.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.2 €77.6

$88.4 €78.6

-1.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €127

$145 €129

-1.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,093 €972

$923 €821

18.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$960 €854

$827 €735

16.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 €1,771

$1,404 €1,249

41.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,607 €1,429

$1,152 €1,025

39.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,378 €4,784

$4,099 €3,646

31.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,682 €3,275

$2,924 €2,601

25.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,699 €3,290

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

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

Last update for Leuven: October 19, 2026

Last update for Izegem: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Leuven

$960 43.7%

Izegem

$827 40.2% 13.9% $133

Eating Out

Leuven

$325 14.8%

Izegem

$315 15.3% 2.9% $9.5

Groceries & Markets

Leuven

$320 14.6%

Izegem

$317 15.4% 1% $3.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Leuven

$287 13.1%

Izegem

$282 13.7% 1.9% $5.5

Clothing & Footwear

Leuven

$160 7.3%

Izegem

$160 7.8% 0.1% $0.2

Getting Around

Leuven

$74 3.4%

Izegem

$89 4.3% 19.8% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Leuven

$70 3.2%

Izegem

$65 3.2% 6.9% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,093 in Leuven and $923 in Izegem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $78.0 in Leuven vs $78.0 in Izegem. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $317, with Izegem cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Leuven

🇧🇪 Izegem

🕒 Local time

19:13 7:13 PM

Same time as Leuven

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

102,275

26,382

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Leuven Izegem 100 km

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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 Izegem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Leuven and Izegem differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($2,196 vs $2,055 including rent). Izegem is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,294 in Leuven and $3,082 in Izegem to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,093 in Leuven versus $923 in Izegem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,196 per month in Leuven versus $2,055 in Izegem – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Izegem runs roughly 40% less than in Leuven. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,055 in Izegem versus $2,196 in Leuven, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Izegem but tight or insufficient in Leuven. The gap between the two cities makes Izegem the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Izegem are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Izegem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Leuven. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.