Cost of Living Comparison Between Leuven and Roeselare Cost of Living Comparison Between Leuven and Roeselare

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,226 in Leuven versus $1,908 in Roeselare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,347 in Leuven versus $2,871 in Roeselare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,468 in Leuven versus $3,833 in Roeselare.

Living in Leuven is roughly 17% more expensive than Roeselare, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Leuven 66% above, Roeselare 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.28 €14.79

$18.95 €16.22

-8.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.4 €80.8

$81.4 €69.7

16.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 €10.00

$11.66 €9.98

0.17%

Cappuccino

$4.30 €3.68

$4.03 €3.45

6.70%

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

$3.59 €3.07

$2.17 €1.86

65.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 €2.98

$1.43 €1.23

143.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.89 €4.19

$5.42 €4.64

-9.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 €3.11

$3.99 €3.41

-9.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 €1.17

$0.76 €0.65

80.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 €1.86

$2.78 €2.38

-21.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 €2.51

$2.74 €2.34

7.30%

Eggs

$3.54 €3.03

$1.57 €1.34

125.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.96 €10.23

$17.72 €15.17

-32.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.02 €11.14

$8.40 €7.19

55.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.52 €15.00

$22.28 €19.07

-21.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$2.57 €2.20

7.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 €1.97

$1.36 €1.17

69.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.66 €1.42

22.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.25

$2.48 €2.12

6.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.83

$1.47 €1.26

44.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 €1.45

$2.33 €2.00

-27.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.42 €1.21

10.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.03

$0.46 €0.40

163.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.86 €11.01

$12.97 €11.10

-0.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.73 €6.62

$7.61 €6.51

1.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.01

$1.74 €1.49

35.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.86

$2.03 €1.73

7.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.83 €2.42

$2.94 €2.52

-3.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.24 €31.88

$56.2 €48.07

-33.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.44 €5.52

$5.71 €4.89

12.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.58 €2.21

$2.02 €1.73

27.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 €29.40

$46.03 €39.40

-25.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.64

$1.90 €1.63

1.05%

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

$30.1K €25.7K

$35.3K €30.2K

-14.91%

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

$27.9K €23.9K

$33.1K €28.3K

-15.71%

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

$182 €156

$172 €147

6.14%

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

$21.74 €18.61

$24.78 €21.21

-12.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.78 €40.90

$51.8 €44.36

-7.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.28 €39.61

$63.7 €54.6

-27.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.03 €14.58

$25.91 €22.18

-34.27%

Cinema Ticket

$14.49 €12.41

$13.46 €11.52

7.65%

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

$660 €565

$638 €547

3.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K €11.6K

$13.7K €11.7K

-0.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €87.8

$109 €93.6

-6.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.03 €28.27

$49.94 €42.74

-33.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 €80.3

$117 €100

-19.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €115

$236 €202

-43.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 €864

$816 €699

23.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 €929

$690 €591

57.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 €1,845

$1,223 €1,047

76.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 €1,488

$998 €854

74.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,641 €4,829

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,766 €3,223

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,465 €2,966

$2,971 €2,543

16.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.83

2.5

53.20%

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

Last update for Leuven: April 28, 2026

Last update for Roeselare: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,009 in Leuven and $816 in Roeselare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leuven pays 17% 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: $94.0 in Leuven vs $81.0 in Roeselare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $326 vs $303 per month, with Roeselare 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 Roeselare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Roeselare wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Leuven. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Roeselare the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Leuven pays 17% more on average, 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: $1,009 in Leuven versus $816 in Roeselare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Leuven. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Roeselare – a meal for two runs $81.0 versus $94.0 in Leuven. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,908 in Roeselare versus $2,226 in Leuven, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Roeselare but tight or insufficient in Leuven. The gap between the two cities makes Roeselare 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 Roeselare 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 Roeselare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Leuven. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.