Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Leuven Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Leuven

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,415 in London versus $2,239 in Leuven.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,436 in London versus $3,361 in Leuven.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,458 in London versus $4,484 in Leuven.

Living in London is roughly 8% more expensive than in Leuven, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: London 76% above, Leuven 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.74 CA$29.96

$20.56 €17.59

5.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.7 CA$89.2

$81.2 €69.5

-20.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.49 CA$17.21

$11.62 €9.94

7.49%

Cappuccino

$3.65 CA$5.03

$4.77 €4.08

-23.48%

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

$2.11 CA$2.91

$3.24 €2.77

-34.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 CA$3.01

$2.95 €2.52

-26.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.29 CA$8.66

$5.14 €4.40

22.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.10 CA$8.41

$4.72 €4.04

29.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 CA$2.43

$1.32 €1.13

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 CA$3.41

$2.94 €2.52

-15.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.81 CA$5.25

$2.24 €1.91

70.09%

Eggs

$3.73 CA$5.13

$4.04 €3.46

-7.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 CA$15.80

$11.88 €10.16

-3.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.99 CA$17.90

$12.87 €11.01

0.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.04 CA$20.72

$19.07 €16.32

-21.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.31 CA$5.93

$2.77 €2.37

55.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 CA$1.70

$2.27 €1.94

-45.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.69 CA$5.08

$2.26 €1.94

63.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.40 CA$6.06

$2.36 €2.02

86.44%

Potato (1kg)

$3.05 CA$4.21

$2.28 €1.95

33.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 CA$3.93

$1.80 €1.54

58.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 CA$3.51

$1.52 €1.30

67.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CA$2.05

$0.99 €0.85

50.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.19 CA$16.80

$13.92 €11.91

-12.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.63 CA$17.40

$7.39 €6.32

70.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 CA$3.40

$2.13 €1.82

15.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 CA$3.94

$1.90 €1.63

50.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 CA$3.19

$3.39 €2.90

-31.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.4 CA$109

$38.65 €33.06

105.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.56 CA$3.52

$10.48 €8.97

-75.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 CA$2.29

$2.50 €2.14

-33.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.04 CA$31.74

$25.97 €22.22

-11.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 CA$1.60

$2.04 €1.75

-43.14%

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

$29.0K CA$40.0K

$36.5K €31.2K

-20.47%

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

$24.1K CA$33.2K

$35.0K €29.9K

-31.16%

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

$138 CA$190

$221 €189

-37.68%

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

$43.50 CA$59.9

$18.68 €15.98

132.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.7 CA$79.5

$54.7 €46.79

5.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.98 CA$53.7

$43.82 €37.48

-11.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.53 CA$40.69

$20.31 €17.37

45.40%

Cinema Ticket

$10.84 CA$14.94

$15.14 €12.95

-28.40%

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

$417 CA$575

$726 €621

-42.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.4K CA$28.1K

$16.5K €14.2K

23.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 CA$74.6

$101 €86.2

-46.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 CA$55.2

$27.56 €23.57

45.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.2 CA$115

$91.7 €78.4

-9.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.3 CA$129

$152 €130

-38.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,273 CA$1,753

$1,101 €942

15.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 CA$1,611

$1,029 €881

13.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,117 CA$2,916

$2,086 €1,784

1.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 CA$2,354

$1,661 €1,420

2.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,499 CA$4,821

$5,619 €4,807

-37.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,686 CA$5,079

$3,732 €3,192

-1.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,935 CA$4,043

$3,570 €3,053

-17.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.73

3.52

34.38%

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

Last update for London: August 18, 2026

Last update for Leuven: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,273 in London and $1,101 in Leuven. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leuven pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in London vs $81.0 in Leuven. Groceries flip the comparison at $369 vs $331, with Leuven cheaper for home cooking.

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

London vs Leuven: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Leuven wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in London. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Leuven the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 22% lower in Leuven. 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: $1,273 in London versus $1,101 in Leuven. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in London. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Leuven – a meal for two runs $81.0 versus $65.0 in London. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,239 in Leuven versus $2,415 in London, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Leuven but tight or insufficient in London. The gap between the two cities makes Leuven the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Leuven delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,239 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Leuven hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, London and Leuven 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 Leuven gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.