Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mechelen and Gent

For one person, living is cheaper in Mechelen: $2,074 a month against $2,229 in Gent, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Mechelen
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Mechelen Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Gent
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Gent Living Index

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Mechelen

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,074

/mo nomad

Gent

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,229

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mechelen and in Gent

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

A single person spends $2,074 per month in Mechelen vs $2,229 in Gent, rent included.

Mechelen $2,074
Gent $2,229

A couple spends around $3,188 per month in Mechelen vs $3,454 in Gent, rent included.

Mechelen $3,188
Gent $3,454

A family of three spends $4,302 per month in Mechelen vs $4,679 in Gent, rent included.

Mechelen $4,302
Gent $4,679

Mechelen is about 7% cheaper than Gent, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mechelen and Gent sit above the global median – Mechelen by 52%, Gent by 64%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.32 €20.00

$22.69 €20.33

-1.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 €95.9

$113 €101

-5.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.53 €12.13

$15.92 €14.27

-15.01%

Cappuccino

$4.34 €3.89

$4.22 €3.78

2.84%

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

$3.39 €3.04

$3.37 €3.02

0.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 €2.61

$2.85 €2.55

2.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.55 €4.97

$5.73 €5.13

-3.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.60 €5.02

$5.74 €5.14

-2.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.08

$1.21 €1.09

-0.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 €2.47

$2.76 €2.48

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 €1.91

$2.15 €1.92

-0.93%

Eggs

$3.83 €3.44

$4.03 €3.61

-4.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.26 €14.57

$18.70 €16.76

-13.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.87 €10.64

$12.60 €11.29

-5.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.65 €17.60

$19.54 €17.51

0.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.44

$2.68 €2.40

1.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.11

$2.36 €2.11

-0.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.34

$2.59 €2.32

0.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.89 €2.59

$2.94 €2.63

-1.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.90

$2.11 €1.89

0.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.66

$1.93 €1.73

-4.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 €1.17

$1.35 €1.21

-3.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 €0.95

$1.08 €0.97

-1.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.01 €11.66

$13.20 €11.83

-1.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.02 €8.09

$9.02 €8.08

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 €1.64

$1.99 €1.79

-8.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 €1.98

$2.36 €2.12

-6.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.32 €2.98

$3.37 €3.02

-1.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.8 €49.14

$59.5 €53.3

-7.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.53 €4.95

$11.07 €9.92

-50.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.71 €2.43

$2.89 €2.59

-6.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.54 €40.81

$51.4 €46.03

-11.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.88

$2.05 €1.84

2.44%

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

$35.2K €31.5K

$35.5K €31.8K

-0.75%

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

$36.2K €32.4K

$36.6K €32.8K

-1.24%

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

$210 €188

$221 €198

-5.00%

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

$22.19 €19.88

$20.94 €18.76

5.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.71 €41.86

$45.87 €41.10

1.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.40 €26.34

$32.76 €29.36

-10.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.54 €12.14

$13.19 €11.82

2.65%

Cinema Ticket

$15.83 €14.19

$15.84 €14.19

-0.06%

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

$565 €506

$564 €505

0.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.1K €18.9K

$20.9K €18.8K

0.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 €96.8

$106 €94.7

2.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.50 €44.35

$46.81 €41.95

5.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €95.2

$108 €97.0

-1.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 €132

$149 €133

-0.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$929 €832

$1,191 €1,067

-21.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$783 €702

$893 €800

-12.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,446 €1,296

$1,809 €1,621

-20.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,123

$1,517 €1,360

-17.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,968 €4,452

$4,994 €4,475

-0.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,626 €3,249

$3,015 €2,702

20.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,178 €1,952

$3,688 €3,305

-40.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.53

3.2

10.31%

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

Last update for Mechelen: October 26, 2026

Last update for Gent: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mechelen

$783 37.8%

Gent

$893 40.1% 14% $110

Groceries & Markets

Mechelen

$343 16.5%

Gent

$356 16% 3.9% $13

Eating Out

Mechelen

$335 16.2%

Gent

$345 15.5% 2.8% $9.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mechelen

$279 13.4%

Gent

$288 12.9% 3.2% $8.9

Clothing & Footwear

Mechelen

$185 8.9%

Gent

$184 8.3% 0.4% $0.8

Getting Around

Mechelen

$87 4.2%

Gent

$98 4.4% 12.9% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Mechelen

$61 2.9%

Gent

$64 2.9% 5.5% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $929 in Mechelen versus $1,191 in Gent. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 69% higher in Gent. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $107 in Mechelen versus $113 in Gent. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 vs $356 – making Mechelen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Mechelen

🇧🇪 Gent

🕒 Local time

06:20 6:20 AM

Same time as Mechelen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

80,000

237,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mechelen Gent 53 km

From you

Mechelen
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Gent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Gent is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,110 per month in Mechelen and $3,344 in Gent. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mechelen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $929 there versus $1,191 in Gent.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,074 in Mechelen and $2,229 in Gent. That makes Mechelen about 7% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 8% less in Mechelen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,074 in Mechelen and $2,229 in Gent, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Gent has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,074 in Mechelen to $2,229 in Gent. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Mechelen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Gent makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.