Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mechelen and Antwerp

For one person, living costs are similar in Mechelen and in Antwerp: $2,050 and $2,147 a month, rent and utilities included.

100

Cost of Living Index in Mechelen
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Mechelen Living Index
105

Cost of Living Index in Antwerp
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Antwerp Living Index

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Mechelen

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,050

/mo nomad

Antwerp

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,147

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mechelen and in Antwerp

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,050 in Mechelen versus $2,147 in Antwerp.

Mechelen $2,050
Antwerp $2,147

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,141 in Mechelen versus $3,321 in Antwerp.

Mechelen $3,141
Antwerp $3,321

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,232 in Mechelen versus $4,494 in Antwerp.

Mechelen $4,232
Antwerp $4,494

Living in Mechelen costs roughly 5% less than in Antwerp, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mechelen 52% above, Antwerp 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.22 €19.77

$22.67 €20.17

-1.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 €94.2

$104 €92.6

1.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 €11.74

$13.36 €11.88

-1.20%

Cappuccino

$4.16 €3.70

$4.38 €3.90

-5.02%

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

$3.49 €3.11

$3.67 €3.27

-4.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 €2.62

$3.61 €3.21

-18.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.55 €4.94

$5.40 €4.80

2.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.57 €4.95

$6.08 €5.41

-8.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.07

$1.33 €1.18

-9.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 €2.48

$2.77 €2.46

0.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 €1.89

$2.15 €1.91

-0.93%

Eggs

$3.62 €3.22

$3.76 €3.35

-3.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.00 €15.13

$17.22 €15.32

-1.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.76 €10.46

$12.15 €10.81

-3.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.68 €17.51

$23.31 €20.73

-15.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.42

$2.87 €2.56

-4.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.15

$2.32 €2.06

4.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 €2.22

$2.60 €2.31

-3.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 €2.49

$3.39 €3.02

-17.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.86

$2.36 €2.10

-11.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.66

$1.86 €1.65

0.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.21

$1.52 €1.36

-11.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 €0.90

$1.04 €0.93

-1.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.15 €11.70

$13.06 €11.62

0.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.84 €7.86

$9.08 €8.07

-2.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.71 €1.52

0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.93

$2.06 €1.84

5.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.41 €3.03

$3.37 €3.00

1.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.1 €48.97

$53.7 €47.72

2.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.44 €4.84

$5.60 €4.98

-2.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 €2.33

$2.65 €2.36

-1.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.75 €38.92

$44.90 €39.94

-2.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.80

$2.08 €1.85

-2.88%

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

$35.3K €31.4K

$35.0K €31.1K

1.08%

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

$34.0K €30.3K

$34.0K €30.2K

0.08%

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

$204 €181

-0.06%

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

$21.82 €19.40

$21.85 €19.43

-0.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.94 €41.75

$46.38 €41.25

1.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.65 €26.37

$37.05 €32.96

-19.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.64 €12.14

$27.10 €24.11

-49.67%

Cinema Ticket

$14.95 €13.29

$15.34 €13.64

-2.54%

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

$554 €493

$1,612 €1,434

-65.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K €19.0K

$33.8K €30.0K

-36.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €93.9

$113 €100

-6.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.11 €43.68

$52.7 €46.83

-6.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €96.8

$101 €89.5

8.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 €131

$166 €148

-11.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 €825

$1,025 €912

-9.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 €686

$821 €731

-6.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,436 €1,278

$1,604 €1,427

-10.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 €1,073

$1,357 €1,207

-11.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,998 €4,445

$4,403 €3,917

13.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,620 €3,220

$3,082 €2,742

17.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,172 €1,932

$3,073 €2,734

-29.32%

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: October 12, 2026

Last update for Antwerp: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mechelen

$771 37.6%

Antwerp

$821 38.3% 6.5% $50

Groceries & Markets

Mechelen

$342 16.7%

Antwerp

$363 16.9% 6% $21

Eating Out

Mechelen

$332 16.2%

Antwerp

$342 15.9% 3.1% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mechelen

$272 13.3%

Antwerp

$272 12.7% 0.2% $0.4

Clothing & Footwear

Mechelen

$185 9%

Antwerp

$195 9.1% 5.3% $9.8

Getting Around

Mechelen

$87 4.3%

Antwerp

$86 4% 1.4% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Mechelen

$60 2.9%

Antwerp

$68 3.2% 13.8% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $927 in Mechelen and $1,025 in Antwerp. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antwerp pays 41% 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: $106 in Mechelen vs $104 in Antwerp. Groceries flip the comparison at $342 vs $363, with Mechelen cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Mechelen

🇧🇪 Antwerp

🕒 Local time

01:24 1:24 AM

Same time as Mechelen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

80,000

525,935

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Mechelen Antwerp 22 km

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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

Mechelen vs Antwerp: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mechelen and Antwerp differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($2,050 vs $2,147 including rent). Mechelen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 41% 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: $927 in Mechelen versus $1,025 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 3% less than in Antwerp. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $554 in Mechelen versus $1,612 in Antwerp. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,050 in Mechelen versus $2,147 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 5% less than in Antwerp. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.