Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Leuven and Turnhout

For one person, living is cheaper in Turnhout: $2,127 a month against $2,237 in Leuven, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 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
102

Cost of Living Index in Turnhout
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Turnhout Living Index

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Leuven

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,237

/mo nomad

Turnhout

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,127

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Leuven and in Turnhout

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,237 in Leuven versus $2,127 in Turnhout.

Leuven $2,237
Turnhout $2,127

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,310 in Leuven versus $3,093 in Turnhout.

Leuven $3,310
Turnhout $3,093

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,382 in Leuven versus $4,060 in Turnhout.

Leuven $4,382
Turnhout $4,060

Living in Leuven is roughly 5% more expensive than in Turnhout, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Leuven 65% above, Turnhout 57% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.45 €19.99

$22.03 €19.61

1.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.9 €68.4

$63.1 €56.2

21.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.34 €11.88

$15.53 €13.83

-14.10%

Cappuccino

$4.20 €3.74

$4.28 €3.81

-1.87%

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

$2.81 €2.51

$3.12 €2.78

-9.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.60

$2.83 €2.52

3.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.46 €4.86

$5.32 €4.74

2.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €4.07

$4.79 €4.27

-4.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.20

$1.03 €0.92

31.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 €2.43

$1.69 €1.51

61.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 €1.83

$2.17 €1.93

-5.53%

Eggs

$3.80 €3.38

$4.14 €3.69

-8.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 €10.09

$9.93 €8.84

14.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.16 €10.83

$9.03 €8.04

34.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.14 €17.04

$19.75 €17.58

-3.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 €2.49

$2.84 €2.53

-1.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.99

$2.63 €2.35

-15.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 €1.90

$2.55 €2.27

-16.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.32 €2.07

$2.90 €2.58

-20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.31 €2.05

-5.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.89 €1.69

-7.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.36

$1.14 €1.01

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.83

$1.09 €0.97

-13.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.58 €12.10

$13.10 €11.67

3.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.39 €6.58

$4.97 €4.43

48.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.85

$1.64 €1.46

26.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.67

$2.38 €2.12

-21.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.27 €2.91

$2.78 €2.48

17.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.71 €41.59

$49.76 €44.30

-6.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.13 €9.91

$10.81 €9.62

2.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.10 €2.76

$2.93 €2.61

5.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.55 €44.12

$50.8 €45.19

-2.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 €1.81

$1.93 €1.71

5.18%

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

$35.0K €31.2K

0.14%

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

$36.9K €32.9K

$35.9K €32.0K

2.88%

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

$214 €191

$226 €202

-5.32%

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

$18.38 €16.36

$22.07 €19.65

-16.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.1 €46.38

$48.29 €43.00

7.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.54 €36.10

$124 €110

-67.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.79 €17.62

$22.51 €20.05

-12.08%

Cinema Ticket

$14.54 €12.94

$13.60 €12.11

6.91%

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

$707 €629

$549 €489

28.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K €16.1K

$23.3K €20.7K

-22.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.2 €87.4

$108 €96.3

-9.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.68 €22.86

$47.44 €42.24

-45.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 €78.9

$116 €103

-23.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 €128

-0.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 €979

$889 €791

23.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 €878

$779 €694

26.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,991 €1,773

$1,246 €1,110

59.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 €1,405

$1,134 €1,010

39.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,096 €4,537

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,650 €3,250

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,768 €3,355

$2,603 €2,318

44.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.36

4.76%

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

Last update for Leuven: November 1, 2026

Last update for Turnhout: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Leuven

$986 44.1%

Turnhout

$779 36.6% 20.9% $206

Eating Out

Leuven

$329 14.7%

Turnhout

$334 15.7% 1.4% $4.6

Groceries & Markets

Leuven

$320 14.3%

Turnhout

$293 13.8% 8.6% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Leuven

$285 12.7%

Turnhout

$297 14% 4.2% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Leuven

$160 7.2%

Turnhout

$187 8.8% 16.7% $27

Getting Around

Leuven

$86 3.9%

Turnhout

$86 4.1% 0.1% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

Leuven

$70 3.1%

Turnhout

$151 7.1% 117% $81

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,099 in Leuven and $889 in Turnhout. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leuven pays 45% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $77 in Leuven vs $63 in Turnhout for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $293 per month, with Turnhout cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Leuven

🇧🇪 Turnhout

🕒 Local time

06:32 6:32 AM

Same time as Leuven

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

102,275

44,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Turnhout: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Turnhout wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Leuven. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Turnhout the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 45% higher in Leuven, 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: $1,099 in Leuven versus $889 in Turnhout. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Leuven. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Turnhout – a meal for two runs $63 versus $77 in Leuven. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Turnhout gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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

It comes down to priorities – Turnhout wins on affordability, Leuven on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.