Cost of Living Comparison Between Leuven and Savona Cost of Living Comparison Between Leuven and Savona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,238 in Leuven versus $1,925 in Savona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,372 in Leuven versus $2,812 in Savona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,506 in Leuven versus $3,699 in Savona.

Living in Leuven is roughly 16% more expensive than Savona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Leuven 67% above, Savona 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.32 €14.90

$23.07 €19.85

-24.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.4 €78.6

$92.1 €79.3

-0.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.51 €9.90

$11.80 €10.15

-2.46%

Cappuccino

$4.15 €3.57

$1.70 €1.47

144.12%

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

$3.46 €2.98

$2.87 €2.46

20.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 €2.87

$1.19 €1.03

180.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.82 €4.14

$5.85 €5.03

-17.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 €3.21

$5.54 €4.77

-32.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.90 €1.64

-27.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.49 €2.14

-15.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.98 €2.56

$2.25 €1.94

32.44%

Eggs

$3.41 €2.93

$3.06 €2.63

11.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 €10.39

$15.72 €13.53

-23.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.19 €11.34

$13.04 €11.22

1.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.43 €15.00

$28.86 €24.83

-39.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.24

$2.71 €2.33

-3.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.01

$1.68 €1.44

39.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.79

$3.24 €2.79

-35.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$5.69 €4.89

-53.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.84

$1.78 €1.53

19.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.77 €1.52

-2.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.30 €1.12

16.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.09

$0.56 €0.48

126.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.94 €11.13

$6.81 €5.86

90.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.53 €6.48

$4.59 €3.95

64.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 €2.01

$2.17 €1.87

7.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.80

$2.67 €2.29

-21.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.86 €2.46

$2.05 €1.76

39.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.98 €32.67

$34.68 €29.83

9.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.50 €5.59

$5.65 €4.86

15.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.58 €2.22

$0.51 €0.44

405.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.42 €29.60

$28.85 €24.82

19.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.63

$2.11 €1.81

-10.43%

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

$30.1K €25.9K

$28.1K €24.2K

7.23%

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

$28.4K €24.4K

$32.6K €28.0K

-12.91%

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

$180 €155

$198 €170

-8.78%

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

$21.31 €18.33

$11.79 €10.15

80.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.33 €41.57

$25.85 €22.23

86.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.91 €40.35

$57.5 €49.46

-18.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.85 €14.50

$22.79 €19.61

-26.06%

Cinema Ticket

$14.56 €12.53

$9.68 €8.32

50.41%

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

$674 €580

$227 €196

196.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K €11.6K

$2,923 €2,514

361.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.7

$91.2 €78.5

11.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.34 €27.82

$36.96 €31.79

-12.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.9 €79.9

$92.0 €79.1

1.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €114

$100 €86.2

31.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 €875

$626 €539

62.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 €943

$784 €674

39.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,168 €1,865

$1,136 €977

90.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,739 €1,496

$883 €760

96.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,737 €4,935

$2,835 €2,439

102.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,826 €3,291

$2,031 €1,747

88.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,576 €3,076

$1,818 €1,564

96.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.83

4.68

-18.16%

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

Last update for Leuven: June 2, 2026

Last update for Savona: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,018 in Leuven and $626 in Savona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leuven pays 97% 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: $91.0 in Leuven vs $92.0 in Savona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $326 vs $375 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 Savona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Savona wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Leuven. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Savona the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Leuven pays 97% 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: $1,018 in Leuven versus $626 in Savona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Leuven pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Savona – a meal for two runs $92.0 versus $91.0 in Leuven. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,925 in Savona versus $2,238 in Leuven, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Savona but tight or insufficient in Leuven. The gap between the two cities makes Savona 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 Savona 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 Savona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Leuven. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.