Cost of Living Comparison Between Leuven and Mortsel Cost of Living Comparison Between Leuven and Mortsel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,273 in Leuven versus $2,084 in Mortsel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,386 in Leuven versus $3,195 in Mortsel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,498 in Leuven versus $4,306 in Mortsel.

Living in Leuven is roughly 9% more expensive than in Mortsel, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Leuven 70% above, Mortsel 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.09 €15.02

$23.58 €20.73

-27.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.0 €80.8

$115 €101

-19.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.67 €10.26

$12.88 €11.32

-9.39%

Cappuccino

$4.12 €3.62

$4.11 €3.61

0.24%

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

$3.45 €3.04

$3.44 €3.03

0.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 €3.05

$3.18 €2.80

9.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.03 €4.43

$5.50 €4.84

-8.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 €3.28

$4.59 €4.04

-18.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.36 €1.19

1.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 €1.92

$2.70 €2.37

-18.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.02 €2.65

$2.39 €2.10

26.36%

Eggs

$3.61 €3.17

$4.17 €3.67

-13.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.70 €10.29

$17.26 €15.17

-32.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.17 €11.58

$11.80 €10.37

11.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.53 €15.41

$21.73 €19.10

-19.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.33

$2.93 €2.57

-9.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 €2.01

$2.34 €2.06

-2.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.77

$2.33 €2.05

-13.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 €2.29

$3.18 €2.80

-18.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 €1.95

$1.90 €1.67

16.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 €1.51

$2.13 €1.87

-19.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 €1.38

$1.32 €1.16

18.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.11

$0.86 €0.76

47.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.81 €11.26

$12.76 €11.22

0.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.19 €6.32

$9.00 €7.91

-20.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.07

$2.02 €1.78

16.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.86

$2.33 €2.05

-9.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 €2.60

$2.62 €2.30

12.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.38 €32.86

$55.7 €48.95

-32.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.51 €5.72

$5.86 €5.15

11.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.64 €2.32

$2.53 €2.22

4.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.24 €30.98

$46.35 €40.75

-23.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.68

$1.90 €1.67

0.53%

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

$30.5K €26.8K

$33.9K €29.8K

-10.12%

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

$27.9K €24.5K

$33.3K €29.3K

-16.28%

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

$179 €157

$228 €200

-21.35%

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

$21.51 €18.91

$23.13 €20.34

-7.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.93 €42.13

$51.2 €44.98

-6.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.19

$38.11 €33.50

25.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.82 €14.79

$16.96 €14.91

-0.83%

Cinema Ticket

$14.38 €12.65

$14.84 €13.04

-3.10%

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

$654 €575

$578 €509

13.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K €12.0K

$13.7K €12.1K

-0.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €89.5

$113 €99.0

-9.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.99 €28.13

$49.90 €43.87

-35.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.1 €80.9

$105 €92.2

-12.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €116

$165 €145

-19.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,031 €906

$917 €806

12.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 €950

$764 €672

41.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,178 €1,914

$1,369 €1,204

59.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,735 €1,525

$1,106 €972

56.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,590 €4,915

$3,604 €3,168

55.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,628 €3,190

$3,024 €2,658

19.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,569 €3,138

$2,406 €2,115

48.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.83

3.5

9.43%

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

Last update for Leuven: July 22, 2026

Last update for Mortsel: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,031 in Leuven and $917 in Mortsel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leuven pays 48% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $92.0 in Leuven vs $115 in Mortsel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $326 vs $355 per month, with Leuven cheaper across the board.

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 Mortsel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mortsel wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Leuven. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mortsel the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 48% 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: $1,031 in Leuven versus $917 in Mortsel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Leuven pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Mortsel – a meal for two runs $115 versus $92.0 in Leuven. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,084 in Mortsel versus $2,273 in Leuven, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Mortsel but tight or insufficient in Leuven. The gap between the two cities makes Mortsel 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 Mortsel 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 Mortsel gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Leuven. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.