Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Liege and Leuven

For one person, living is cheaper in Liege: $2,062 a month against $2,222 in Leuven, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Liege
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Liege Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Leuven
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Leuven Living Index

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Liege

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,062

/mo nomad

Leuven

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,222

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Liege and in Leuven

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Liege and in Leuven actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,062 in Liege versus $2,222 in Leuven.

Liege $2,062
Leuven $2,222

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,040 in Liege versus $3,303 in Leuven.

Liege $3,040
Leuven $3,303

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,018 in Liege versus $4,383 in Leuven.

Liege $4,018
Leuven $4,383

Living in Liege costs roughly 7% less than in Leuven, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Liege 52% above, Leuven 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.20 €16.35

$22.36 €20.09

-18.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.1 €81.8

$77.6 €69.7

17.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 €11.18

$13.26 €11.91

-6.18%

Cappuccino

$3.58 €3.22

$4.33 €3.89

-17.32%

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

$3.52 €3.16

$3.02 €2.71

16.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.29

$2.89 €2.60

-12.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 €5.09

$5.69 €5.11

-0.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 €4.13

$4.57 €4.11

0.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.07

$1.39 €1.24

-14.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 €2.42

$2.67 €2.40

1.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 €3.31

$2.02 €1.81

82.67%

Eggs

$3.78 €3.40

$3.92 €3.52

-3.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.13 €16.29

$11.38 €10.22

59.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 €10.38

$12.38 €11.12

-6.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.86 €13.35

$18.98 €17.05

-21.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 €2.78

$2.69 €2.42

14.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.14

$2.17 €1.95

10.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 €2.60

$2.23 €2.01

30.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 €2.70

$2.31 €2.07

29.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 €2.13

$2.26 €2.03

4.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 €1.85

$1.68 €1.51

22.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 €1.51

$1.54 €1.39

9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 €0.98

$0.96 €0.86

13.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.39 €8.43

$13.34 €11.98

-29.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €7.11

$7.19 €6.46

10.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 €2.20

$2.00 €1.79

22.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 €2.92

$1.78 €1.60

82.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 €2.76

$3.43 €3.08

-10.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.54 €43.60

$47.52 €42.69

2.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 €4.48

$10.15 €9.12

-50.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.56 €2.30

$2.50 €2.24

2.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.97 €15.25

$24.93 €22.40

-31.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.70

$2.05 €1.85

-7.80%

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

$35.2K €31.7K

$35.0K €31.4K

0.71%

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

$36.7K €33.0K

$36.3K €32.6K

1.18%

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

$327 €294

$212 €190

54.73%

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

$25.39 €22.81

$17.90 €16.08

41.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.8 €54.6

$53.1 €47.72

14.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.16 €34.28

$40.05 €35.98

-4.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.16 €19.91

$19.62 €17.63

12.95%

Cinema Ticket

$14.45 €12.98

$14.57 €13.09

-0.82%

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

$828 €744

$699 €628

18.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.2 €75.7

$97.6 €87.7

-13.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 €45.27

$26.13 €23.47

92.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €93.0

$88.7 €79.7

16.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €116

$142 €128

-8.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 €759

$1,108 €996

-23.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$702 €631

$975 €876

-27.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,399 €1,256

$1,996 €1,793

-29.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,054 €947

$1,581 €1,420

-33.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,797 €2,513

$5,066 €4,551

-44.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,985 €1,783

$3,640 €3,270

-45.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,730 €2,452

$3,727 €3,348

-26.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.65

3.52

3.69%

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

Last update for Liege: October 24, 2026

Last update for Leuven: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Liege

$702 34.1%

Leuven

$975 43.9% 38.9% $273

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Liege

$414 20.1%

Leuven

$283 12.7% 31.7% $131

Groceries & Markets

Liege

$348 16.9%

Leuven

$320 14.4% 7.9% $28

Eating Out

Liege

$288 14%

Leuven

$332 14.9% 15.3% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Liege

$165 8%

Leuven

$160 7.2% 3.6% $5.9

Getting Around

Liege

$79 3.8%

Leuven

$84 3.8% 6.7% $5.3

Sport & Entertainment

Liege

$67 3.3%

Leuven

$69 3.1% 3.2% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $845 in Liege and $1,108 in Leuven. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leuven pays 37% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $91 in Liege vs $78 in Leuven for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $348 vs $320 per month, with Leuven cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Liege

🇧🇪 Leuven

🕒 Local time

21:42 9:42 PM

Same time as Liege

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

197,013

102,275

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Liege Leuven 67 km

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Liege
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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

Liege vs Leuven: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Liege wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Leuven. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Liege the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 27% lower in Liege. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $845 in Liege versus $1,108 in Leuven. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Leuven pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $2,062 per month in Liege versus $2,222 in Leuven – Liege is about 7% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Liege 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, Liege and Leuven are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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