Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Leuven and Ninove

For one person, living is cheaper in Ninove: $2,104 a month against $2,237 in Leuven, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Leuven outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

106

Cost of Living Index in Leuven
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Leuven Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in Ninove
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Ninove Living Index

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Leuven

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,237

/mo nomad

Ninove

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,104

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Leuven and in Ninove

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,237 in Leuven versus $2,104 in Ninove.

Leuven $2,237
Ninove $2,104

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,310 in Leuven versus $3,130 in Ninove.

Leuven $3,310
Ninove $3,130

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,382 in Leuven versus $4,156 in Ninove.

Leuven $4,382
Ninove $4,156

Living in Leuven is roughly 6% more expensive than in Ninove, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Leuven 65% above, Ninove 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.45 €20.05

$23.70 €21.17

-5.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.9 €68.6

$96.3 €86.0

-20.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.34 €11.92

$13.16 €11.76

1.37%

Cappuccino

$4.20 €3.75

$4.34 €3.87

-3.23%

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

$2.81 €2.51

$3.12 €2.79

-9.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.61

$2.83 €2.53

3.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.46 €4.87

$5.57 €4.97

-1.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €4.09

$6.08 €5.43

-24.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.20

$1.33 €1.19

1.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 €2.44

$1.98 €1.77

37.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 €1.83

$2.32 €2.07

-11.64%

Eggs

$3.80 €3.39

$3.92 €3.50

-3.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 €10.12

$16.42 €14.67

-31.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.16 €10.86

$12.04 €10.75

1.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.14 €17.10

$19.89 €17.77

-3.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 €2.50

$2.86 €2.55

-2.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.99

$2.47 €2.21

-9.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 €1.90

$2.61 €2.33

-18.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.32 €2.07

$3.41 €3.05

-31.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 €1.96

$2.28 €2.03

-3.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.86 €1.66

-6.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.36

$1.54 €1.38

-1.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.84

$1.11 €0.99

-15.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.58 €12.13

$12.79 €11.42

6.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.39 €6.60

$8.98 €8.02

-17.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.85

$1.42 €1.26

46.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.68

$1.98 €1.77

-5.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.27 €2.92

$3.02 €2.70

8.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.71 €41.72

$54.5 €48.63

-14.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.13 €9.94

$5.48 €4.90

103.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.10 €2.77

$2.72 €2.43

13.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.55 €44.25

$44.89 €40.10

10.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 €1.81

$1.76 €1.57

15.34%

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

$35.0K €31.3K

$35.8K €32.0K

-2.04%

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

$36.9K €33.0K

$36.6K €32.7K

0.96%

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

$214 €192

$196 €175

9.28%

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

$18.38 €16.42

$22.00 €19.65

-16.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.1 €46.52

$48.37 €43.20

7.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.54 €36.21

$36.93 €32.99

9.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.79 €17.67

$19.61 €17.52

0.92%

Cinema Ticket

$14.54 €12.98

$13.25 €11.83

9.74%

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

$707 €631

$781 €697

-9.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K €16.1K

$32.8K €29.3K

-44.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.2 €87.7

$78.0 €69.7

25.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.68 €22.94

$53.2 €47.51

-51.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 €79.1

$108 €96.1

-17.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 €128

$177 €158

-18.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 €982

$915 €818

20.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 €880

$813 €726

21.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,991 €1,779

$1,399 €1,250

42.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 €1,410

$1,136 €1,015

38.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,096 €4,552

$4,205 €3,756

21.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,650 €3,260

$2,902 €2,592

25.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,768 €3,366

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.53

-0.28%

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

Last update for Leuven: November 1, 2026

Last update for Ninove: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Leuven

$986 44.1%

Ninove

$813 38.7% 17.5% $173

Eating Out

Leuven

$329 14.7%

Ninove

$345 16.4% 4.7% $15

Groceries & Markets

Leuven

$320 14.3%

Ninove

$343 16.3% 7.1% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Leuven

$285 12.7%

Ninove

$267 12.7% 6.4% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Leuven

$160 7.2%

Ninove

$187 8.9% 16.7% $27

Getting Around

Leuven

$86 3.9%

Ninove

$86 4.1% 1% $0.8

Sport & Entertainment

Leuven

$70 3.1%

Ninove

$63 3% 8.9% $6.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,099 in Leuven and $915 in Ninove. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $77 in Leuven vs $96 in Ninove for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $343 per month, with Leuven cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Leuven

🇧🇪 Ninove

🕒 Local time

15:54 3:54 PM

Same time as Leuven

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

102,275

34,795

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Leuven Ninove 49 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 Ninove: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ninove wins on cost – living expenses run 6% 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 $3,355 in Leuven and $3,155 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: $1,099 in Leuven versus $915 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 Leuven – a meal for two runs $77 versus $96 in Ninove. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Ninove is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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