Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Leuven and Mons

For one person, living is cheaper in Mons: $1,885 a month against $2,222 in Leuven, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 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
91

Cost of Living Index in Mons
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Mons Living Index

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Leuven

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,222

/mo nomad

Mons

🇧🇪 Belgium

$1,885

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Leuven and in Mons

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,222 in Leuven versus $1,885 in Mons.

Leuven $2,222
Mons $1,885

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,303 in Leuven versus $2,806 in Mons.

Leuven $3,303
Mons $2,806

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,383 in Leuven versus $3,727 in Mons.

Leuven $4,383
Mons $3,727

Living in Leuven is roughly 18% more expensive than in Mons, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Leuven 63% above, Mons 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.36 €20.09

$16.72 €15.02

33.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.6 €69.7

$81.4 €73.1

-4.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.26 €11.91

$10.17 €9.14

30.38%

Cappuccino

$4.33 €3.89

$2.41 €2.16

79.67%

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

$3.02 €2.71

$2.76 €2.48

9.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 €2.60

$1.70 €1.52

70.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.11

$3.80 €3.41

49.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 €4.11

$4.22 €3.79

8.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.24

$1.16 €1.04

19.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 €2.40

$2.27 €2.04

17.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 €1.81

$2.20 €1.97

-8.18%

Eggs

$3.92 €3.52

$4.04 €3.63

-2.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.38 €10.22

$18.56 €16.67

-38.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.38 €11.12

$12.30 €11.05

0.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.98 €17.05

$19.58 €17.59

-3.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 €2.42

$2.78 €2.50

-3.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.95

$2.46 €2.21

-11.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 €2.01

$2.54 €2.29

-12.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$2.95 €2.65

-21.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 €2.03

$2.18 €1.96

3.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 €1.51

$1.20 €1.08

40.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.39

$1.37 €1.23

12.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 €0.86

$1.06 €0.95

-9.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.34 €11.98

$9.96 €8.94

33.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.19 €6.46

$5.50 €4.94

30.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.79

$1.89 €1.70

5.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.60

$1.92 €1.72

-7.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.43 €3.08

$3.03 €2.72

13.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.52 €42.69

$55.1 €49.45

-13.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.15 €9.12

$11.24 €10.10

-9.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 €2.24

$2.99 €2.69

-16.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.93 €22.40

$51.7 €46.47

-51.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.85

$1.82 €1.64

12.64%

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

$35.0K €31.4K

$35.7K €32.1K

-1.95%

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

$36.3K €32.6K

$36.6K €32.8K

-0.69%

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

$212 €190

$224 €202

-5.65%

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

$17.90 €16.08

$21.11 €18.96

-15.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 €47.72

$47.18 €42.38

12.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.05 €35.98

$26.73 €24.01

49.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.62 €17.63

$16.86 €15.14

16.37%

Cinema Ticket

$14.57 €13.09

$12.24 €10.99

19.04%

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

$699 €628

$556 €500

25.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.7K

$21.3K €19.2K

-23.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.6 €87.7

$107 €96.3

-8.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.13 €23.47

$46.16 €41.47

-43.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 €79.7

$109 €98.0

-18.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 €128

$145 €130

-1.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 €996

$683 €614

62.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$975 €876

$686 €616

42.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,996 €1,793

$1,059 €951

88.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 €1,420

$998 €896

58.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,066 €4,551

$4,164 €3,740

21.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,640 €3,270

$2,879 €2,586

26.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,727 €3,348

$2,819 €2,532

32.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.2

10.00%

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

Last update for Leuven: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mons: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Leuven

$975 43.9%

Mons

$686 36.4% 29.6% $289

Eating Out

Leuven

$332 14.9%

Mons

$238 12.7% 28.1% $93

Groceries & Markets

Leuven

$320 14.4%

Mons

$340 18% 6.3% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Leuven

$283 12.7%

Mons

$293 15.5% 3.5% $9.9

Clothing & Footwear

Leuven

$160 7.2%

Mons

$183 9.7% 14.8% $24

Getting Around

Leuven

$84 3.8%

Mons

$93 5% 11.3% $9.5

Sport & Entertainment

Leuven

$69 3.1%

Mons

$51 2.7% 26% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,108 in Leuven and $683 in Mons. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leuven pays 32% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $78 in Leuven vs $81 in Mons for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $340 per month, with Leuven cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Leuven

🇧🇪 Mons

🕒 Local time

23:16 11:16 PM

Same time as Leuven

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

102,275

92,721

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Leuven Mons 71 km

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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 Mons: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mons wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Leuven. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Mons the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 32% higher in Leuven, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,108 in Leuven versus $683 in Mons. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Leuven pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Leuven – a meal for two runs $78 versus $81 in Mons. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Mons gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Mons are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Mons wins on affordability, Leuven on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.