Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mortsel and Gent

For one person, living is cheaper in Mortsel: $2,145 a month against $2,229 in Gent, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mortsel, Belgium
Gent, Belgium
Mortsel
🇧🇪 Belgium
$2,145
/mo nomad
Gent
🇧🇪 Belgium
$2,229
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mortsel 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 Mortsel and in Gent actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,145 per month in Mortsel vs $2,229 in Gent, rent included.

  • Mortsel $2,145
  • Gent $2,229

A couple spends around $3,187 per month in Mortsel vs $3,454 in Gent, rent included.

  • Mortsel $3,187
  • Gent $3,454

A family of three spends $4,229 per month in Mortsel vs $4,679 in Gent, rent included.

  • Mortsel $4,229
  • Gent $4,679

Mortsel is about 4% cheaper than Gent, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Mortsel and Gent sit above the global median – Mortsel by 58%, Gent by 64%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mortsel
Gent
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.62 €20.32
$22.69 €20.38
-0.31%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$96.3 €86.5
$113 €102
-14.98%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.55 €12.17
$15.92 €14.30
-14.89%
Cappuccino
$4.25 €3.81
$4.22 €3.79
0.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.47 €3.11
$3.37 €3.03
2.97%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.87 €2.58
$2.85 €2.56
0.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.55 €4.99
$5.73 €5.15
-3.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.71 €5.13
$5.74 €5.15
-0.52%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mortsel
Gent
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.35 €1.22
$1.21 €1.09
11.57%
White Bread (500g)
$2.88 €2.59
$2.76 €2.48
4.35%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.23 €2.01
$2.15 €1.93
3.72%
Eggs
$3.94 €3.54
$4.03 €3.62
-2.23%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.51 €14.83
$18.70 €16.80
-11.71%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.10 €10.87
$12.60 €11.32
-3.97%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.81 €20.49
$19.54 €17.55
16.73%
Apples (1kg)
$2.80 €2.52
$2.68 €2.41
4.48%
Banana (1kg)
$2.37 €2.13
$2.36 €2.12
0.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.60 €2.33
$2.59 €2.33
0.39%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.85 €2.56
$2.94 €2.64
-3.06%
Potato (1kg)
$2.18 €1.96
$2.11 €1.89
3.32%
Onion (1kg)
$1.85 €1.66
$1.93 €1.73
-4.15%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.35 €1.22
$1.35 €1.21
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.10 €0.99
$1.08 €0.97
1.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.33 €11.97
$13.20 €11.86
0.98%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.64 €7.76
$9.02 €8.10
-4.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.99 €1.79
$1.99 €1.79
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.30 €2.06
$2.36 €2.12
-2.54%
🚌 Getting Around
Mortsel
Gent
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.03 €2.72
$3.37 €3.03
-10.09%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.3 €50.5
$59.5 €53.4
-5.40%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.45 €4.89
$11.07 €9.95
-50.77%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.75 €2.47
$2.89 €2.60
-4.84%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$45.23 €40.63
$51.4 €46.14
-11.95%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.10 €1.89
$2.05 €1.84
2.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.5K €31.9K
$35.5K €31.9K
0.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.4K €32.7K
$36.6K €32.9K
-0.68%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mortsel
Gent
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$220 €198
$221 €198
-0.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.70 €18.59
$20.94 €18.81
-1.15%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$47.54 €42.70
$45.87 €41.21
3.64%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mortsel
Gent
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.18 €36.99
$32.76 €29.43
25.70%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.40 €18.32
$13.19 €11.85
54.66%
Cinema Ticket
$15.81 €14.20
$15.84 €14.23
-0.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mortsel
Gent
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$569 €511
$564 €506
0.95%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.6K €19.4K
$20.9K €18.8K
2.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mortsel
Gent
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$114 €102
$106 €94.9
7.51%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.83 €42.96
$46.81 €42.05
2.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 €95.7
$108 €97.2
-1.55%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$149 €134
$149 €134
-0.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mortsel
Gent
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$931 €836
$1,191 €1,069
-21.80%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$813 €730
$893 €802
-8.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,379 €1,239
$1,809 €1,625
-23.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,145 €1,029
$1,517 €1,363
-24.51%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,305 €3,867
$4,994 €4,486
-13.80%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,739 €2,460
$3,015 €2,708
-9.17%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mortsel
Gent
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,361 €2,121
$3,688 €3,313
-35.99%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.5
3.2
9.37%

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

Last update for Mortsel: October 24, 2026

Last update for Gent: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mortsel
$813
Gent
$893 9.9% $80
Groceries & Markets
Mortsel
$359
Gent
$356 0.8% $2.9
Eating Out
Mortsel
$337
Gent
$345 2.3% $7.9
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mortsel
$288
Gent
$288 0.3% $0.9
Clothing & Footwear
Mortsel
$187
Gent
$184 1.7% $3.2
Getting Around
Mortsel
$88
Gent
$98 12.4% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Mortsel
$73
Gent
$64 11.5% $8.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $931 in Mortsel 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 56% higher in Gent. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96 in Mortsel versus $113 in Gent. Groceries tell a different story – $359 in Mortsel vs $356 in Gent – so Gent wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇧🇪 Mortsel
🇧🇪 Gent
🕒 Local time
00:45 12:45 AM
00:45 12:45 AM
Same time as Mortsel
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
24,525
237,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mortsel Gent 53 km
From you
  • Mortsel
  • Gent

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
Mortsel vs Gent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mortsel cheaper than Gent?
Yes – Gent is pricier by about 4%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,218 per month in Mortsel and $3,344 in Gent. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Mortsel, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $931 there versus $1,191 in Gent.
What are total monthly expenses in Mortsel and in Gent?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,145 in Mortsel and $2,229 in Gent. That makes Mortsel about 4% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $569 per month in Mortsel and $564 in Gent. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,500 enough for either Mortsel or Gent?
$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,145 in Mortsel and $2,229 in Gent, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Mortsel or in Gent?
It depends on your priorities. Gent has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,145 in Mortsel to $2,229 in Gent. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is safer, Mortsel or Gent?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Mortsel. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Gent makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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