Cost of Living Comparison Between Leuven and Mouscron Cost of Living Comparison Between Leuven and Mouscron

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,270 in Leuven versus $2,004 in Mouscron.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,399 in Leuven versus $2,898 in Mouscron.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,527 in Leuven versus $3,792 in Mouscron.

Living in Leuven is roughly 13% more expensive than Mouscron, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Leuven 69% above, Mouscron 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.57 €15.13

$12.89 €11.11

36.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.5 €80.6

$58.3 €50.2

60.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.54 €9.94

$9.79 €8.44

17.88%

Cappuccino

$4.29 €3.69

$2.84 €2.44

51.06%

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

$3.56 €3.06

$2.30 €1.98

54.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 €2.88

$2.24 €1.93

49.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 €4.17

$4.08 €3.51

18.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 €3.17

$3.57 €3.08

3.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.36 €1.17

2.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 €1.79

$2.78 €2.40

-25.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 €2.61

$2.67 €2.30

13.48%

Eggs

$3.53 €3.04

$4.08 €3.52

-13.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 €10.46

$17.57 €15.14

-30.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.25 €11.42

$11.54 €9.95

14.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.43 €15.02

$17.25 €14.86

1.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 €2.34

$2.90 €2.50

-6.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 €1.96

$2.32 €2.00

-2.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.34 €2.02

-13.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.21

$3.43 €2.95

-25.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 €1.92

$2.96 €2.55

-24.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$2.37 €2.04

-30.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.32

$1.48 €1.27

4.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.09

$0.82 €0.71

53.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.64 €10.89

$12.74 €10.98

-0.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.37 €6.35

$7.68 €6.62

-4.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 €1.99

$1.68 €1.45

36.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.81

$1.99 €1.71

5.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.88 €2.48

3.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.18 €32.90

$55.8 €48.08

-31.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.52 €5.62

$5.91 €5.09

10.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.63 €2.27

$2.66 €2.29

-1.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.35 €30.45

$46.17 €39.78

-23.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.83 €1.58

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

$30.1K €25.9K

$35.9K €30.9K

-16.13%

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

$28.3K €24.4K

$33.2K €28.6K

-14.85%

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

$181 €156

$201 €173

-9.91%

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

$21.28 €18.33

$25.37 €21.86

-16.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.99 €42.21

$52.1 €44.85

-5.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.30 €40.75

$37.91 €32.66

24.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.76 €14.44

$17.02 €14.67

-1.53%

Cinema Ticket

$14.35 €12.36

$15.19 €13.09

-5.53%

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

$661 €570

$649 €559

1.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K €11.6K

$13.3K €11.4K

1.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €88.8

$111 €95.6

-7.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.91 €28.36

$48.32 €41.63

-31.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.4

$116 €100

-20.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €113

$229 €197

-42.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 €890

$900 €776

14.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,082 €932

$742 €640

45.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,182 €1,880

$1,336 €1,151

63.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,749 €1,507

$1,103 €950

58.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,589 €4,815

$4,109 €3,540

36.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,788 €3,264

$2,855 €2,460

32.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,556 €3,064

$4,139 €3,566

-14.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.83

3.27

17.13%

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

Last update for Leuven: June 8, 2026

Last update for Mouscron: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,033 in Leuven and $900 in Mouscron. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mouscron pays 16% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $94.0 in Leuven vs $58.0 in Mouscron. Groceries flip the comparison at $326 vs $343, with Leuven cheaper for home cooking.

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 Mouscron: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mouscron wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Leuven. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mouscron the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Mouscron earns 16% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,033 in Leuven versus $900 in Mouscron. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Leuven pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Mouscron – a meal for two runs $58.0 versus $94.0 in Leuven. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,004 in Mouscron versus $2,270 in Leuven, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Mouscron but tight or insufficient in Leuven. The gap between the two cities makes Mouscron 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 Mouscron 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 Mouscron gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Leuven. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.