Cost of Living Comparison Between Mechelen and Antwerp Cost of Living Comparison Between Mechelen and Antwerp

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,104 in Mechelen versus $2,253 in Antwerp.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,256 in Mechelen versus $3,436 in Antwerp.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,409 in Mechelen versus $4,618 in Antwerp.

Living in Mechelen costs roughly 7% less than in Antwerp, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mechelen 54% above, Antwerp 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.12 €19.78

$23.34 €19.96

-0.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 €95.2

$104 €88.9

7.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.02

$14.10 €12.06

-0.35%

Cappuccino

$4.50 €3.85

$4.29 €3.67

4.90%

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

$3.49 €2.98

$3.70 €3.16

-5.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 €2.50

$3.41 €2.92

-14.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 €4.90

$5.56 €4.76

3.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.84 €5.00

$6.55 €5.61

-10.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.38 €1.18

-10.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 €2.34

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 €1.99

$2.22 €1.90

4.50%

Eggs

$4.07 €3.48

$4.15 €3.55

-1.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.72 €15.16

$17.69 €15.13

0.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 €10.78

$12.23 €10.47

3.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.13 €17.22

$24.41 €20.88

-17.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 €2.48

$3.00 €2.56

-3.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 €2.08

$2.51 €2.15

-3.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 €2.24

$2.70 €2.31

-2.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.89 €2.48

$3.47 €2.97

-16.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 €1.93

$2.56 €2.19

-11.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.58 €1.35

-13.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 €0.91

$1.09 €0.93

-2.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.49 €11.54

$13.41 €11.47

0.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.25 €7.92

$9.39 €8.03

-1.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 €1.57

$1.84 €1.58

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.04

$2.13 €1.82

11.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.45 €2.95

$3.46 €2.96

-0.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.4 €49.13

$56.7 €48.50

1.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.89 €5.04

$5.72 €4.90

2.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.74 €2.35

$2.79 €2.39

-1.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.77 €40.01

$46.08 €39.42

1.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 €1.80

$2.11 €1.81

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

$37.0K €31.6K

$36.7K €31.4K

0.82%

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

$34.8K €29.8K

$35.1K €30.0K

-0.60%

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

$211 €180

$206 €176

2.07%

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

$22.00 €18.82

$22.04 €18.86

-0.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.41 €42.27

$50.4 €43.14

-2.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.01 €26.52

$39.16 €33.50

-20.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.91 €11.90

$27.71 €23.71

-49.80%

Cinema Ticket

$15.66 €13.40

$15.60 €13.34

0.38%

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

$574 €491

$1,670 €1,429

-65.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K €19.1K

$34.9K €29.8K

-35.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 €94.2

$113 €97.1

-2.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 €43.96

$51.7 €44.23

-0.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 €96.8

$105 €89.8

7.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 €128

$172 €147

-12.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 €818

$1,068 €913

-10.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$826 €707

$867 €742

-4.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,461 €1,249

$1,698 €1,453

-14.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 €1,069

$1,364 €1,166

-8.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,254 €4,495

$4,649 €3,977

13.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,722 €3,184

$3,188 €2,727

16.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,252 €1,927

$3,029 €2,591

-25.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

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

Last update for Mechelen: August 17, 2026

Last update for Antwerp: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $957 in Mechelen and $1,068 in Antwerp. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antwerp pays 34% 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: $111 in Mechelen vs $104 in Antwerp. Groceries flip the comparison at $357 vs $376, with Mechelen 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

Mechelen vs Antwerp: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mechelen and Antwerp differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($2,104 vs $2,253 including rent). Mechelen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 34% lower in Antwerp. 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: $957 in Mechelen versus $1,068 in Antwerp. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mechelen runs roughly 1% less than in Antwerp. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $574 in Mechelen versus $1,670 in Antwerp. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,104 in Mechelen versus $2,253 in Antwerp, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Mechelen but tight or insufficient in Antwerp. The gap between the two cities makes Mechelen 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, Mechelen and Antwerp 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 Mechelen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Antwerp. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.