Cost of Living Comparison Between Leuven and Ninove Cost of Living Comparison Between Leuven and Ninove

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,225 in Leuven versus $2,047 in Ninove.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,341 in Leuven versus $3,187 in Ninove.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Leuven versus $4,327 in Ninove.

Living in Leuven is roughly 9% more expensive than Ninove, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Leuven 67% above, Ninove 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.46 €15.03

$23.47 €20.21

-25.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.3 €80.3

$120 €103

-22.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 €9.93

$12.84 €11.05

-10.20%

Cappuccino

$4.21 €3.63

$4.22 €3.63

-0.24%

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

$3.41 €2.94

$3.34 €2.87

2.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 €3.02

$3.06 €2.63

14.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.84 €4.17

$5.34 €4.60

-9.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 €3.16

$4.50 €3.87

-18.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.36 €1.17

2.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 €1.88

$2.09 €1.80

4.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.98 €2.57

$2.63 €2.27

13.31%

Eggs

$3.41 €2.93

$3.96 €3.41

-13.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.95 €10.29

$17.56 €15.12

-31.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.08 €11.27

$11.69 €10.06

11.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.18 €14.79

$21.10 €18.17

-18.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 €2.38

$2.95 €2.54

-6.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.02

$2.45 €2.11

-4.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.28 €1.96

-11.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.28

$3.46 €2.98

-23.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$2.28 €1.96

-4.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$2.44 €2.10

-29.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.40 €1.20

8.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.09

$0.82 €0.70

53.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.48 €10.75

$12.62 €10.86

-1.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.44 €6.41

$9.46 €8.15

-21.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 €1.98

$1.51 €1.30

52.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.93 €1.66

11.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.83 €2.44

$2.97 €2.56

-4.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.30 €32.12

$56.8 €48.93

-34.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.42 €5.53

$5.67 €4.89

13.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.65 €2.28

$2.45 €2.11

8.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.60 €29.80

$47.02 €40.49

-26.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.89 €1.63

-1.59%

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

$29.9K €25.8K

$35.2K €30.3K

-15.01%

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

$28.7K €24.8K

$33.4K €28.7K

-13.89%

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

$181 €156

$202 €174

-10.29%

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

$21.40 €18.43

$25.11 €21.63

-14.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.98 €42.17

$50.6 €43.57

-3.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.70 €40.21

$39.01 €33.59

19.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 €14.48

$16.87 €14.53

-0.36%

Cinema Ticket

$14.54 €12.52

$13.94 €12.00

4.30%

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

$652 €562

$642 €553

1.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K €11.7K

$13.7K €11.8K

-0.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.6

$81.7 €70.3

27.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.94 €27.50

$49.09 €42.27

-34.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 €79.8

$114 €98.4

-18.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €112

$234 €202

-44.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 €856

$916 €789

8.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,082 €932

$756 €651

43.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,133 €1,837

$1,376 €1,185

55.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,728 €1,488

$1,086 €935

59.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,765 €4,964

$3,915 €3,371

47.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,776 €3,251

$3,260 €2,807

15.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,524 €3,035

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 13, 2026

Last update for Ninove: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $994 in Leuven and $916 in Ninove. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $93.0 in Leuven vs $120 in Ninove for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $349 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 Ninove: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

You'd need roughly $3,337 in Leuven and $3,070 in Ninove 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: $994 in Leuven versus $916 in Ninove. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Leuven pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Ninove – a meal for two runs $120 versus $93.0 in Leuven. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,047 in Ninove versus $2,225 in Leuven, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ninove but tight or insufficient in Leuven. The gap between the two cities makes Ninove 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 Ninove 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 Ninove 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.