Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ostend and Antwerp

For one person, living is cheaper in Ostend: $1,832 a month against $2,211 in Antwerp, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Ostend
Learn more

Ostend Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Antwerp
Learn more

Antwerp Living Index

Jump to prices

Ostend

🇧🇪 Belgium

$1,832

/mo nomad

Antwerp

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,211

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,832 in Ostend versus $2,211 in Antwerp.

Ostend $1,832
Antwerp $2,211

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,715 in Ostend versus $3,337 in Antwerp.

Ostend $2,715
Antwerp $3,337

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,599 in Ostend versus $4,463 in Antwerp.

Ostend $3,599
Antwerp $4,463

Living in Ostend costs roughly 17% less than in Antwerp, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ostend 35% above, Antwerp 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.30 €19.84

$24.63 €21.92

-9.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 €70.7

$96.2 €85.6

-17.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.46 €11.98

$13.33 €11.86

0.98%

Cappuccino

$4.17 €3.71

$4.25 €3.78

-1.88%

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

$2.84 €2.53

$3.64 €3.24

-21.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 €2.31

$3.44 €3.06

-24.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €4.02

$5.61 €4.99

-19.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 €3.90

$6.04 €5.38

-27.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.08

$1.39 €1.23

-12.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 €2.28

$2.82 €2.51

-8.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 €1.85

$2.19 €1.95

-5.02%

Eggs

$3.81 €3.39

$3.84 €3.42

-0.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.64 €10.36

$16.55 €14.73

-29.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 €10.29

$11.76 €10.47

-1.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 €11.93

$22.27 €19.82

-39.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 €2.49

$2.93 €2.61

-4.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 €1.84

$2.43 €2.16

-14.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$2.57 €2.28

-14.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 €2.04

$3.47 €3.09

-34.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.63

$2.62 €2.34

-29.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.85 €1.65

-5.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 €1.07

$1.56 €1.39

-22.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.84

$1.16 €1.03

-18.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.01 €8.90

$12.96 €11.53

-22.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.66 €5.93

$9.02 €8.02

-26.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 €1.76

$1.83 €1.63

8.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 €1.61

$1.97 €1.75

-8.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.39 €3.02

$3.38 €3.01

0.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.86 €35.47

$55.1 €49.04

-27.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 €3.02

$5.47 €4.86

-37.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.31 €2.05

$2.61 €2.33

-11.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.26 €29.59

$44.47 €39.57

-25.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.72

$2.09 €1.86

-7.66%

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

$35.2K €31.3K

0.06%

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

$31.1K €27.7K

$36.7K €32.6K

-15.28%

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

$176 €157

$210 €187

-16.10%

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

$18.29 €16.27

$22.31 €19.85

-18.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 €46.25

$48.06 €42.77

8.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.37 €32.37

$37.96 €33.78

-4.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.28 €10.04

$27.25 €24.25

-58.61%

Cinema Ticket

$14.77 €13.14

$15.73 €14.00

-6.10%

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

$394 €350

$1,625 €1,446

-75.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.6K

$32.8K €29.2K

-46.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.6 €86.0

$114 €102

-15.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.06 €23.19

$53.1 €47.26

-50.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.6 €77.9

$106 €94.2

-17.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €107

$179 €160

-32.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 €727

$1,058 €942

-22.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$688 €612

$853 €759

-19.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,241 €1,104

$1,635 €1,455

-24.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$978 €870

$1,305 €1,161

-25.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,686 €3,280

$4,341 €3,863

-15.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,943 €1,729

$2,925 €2,603

-33.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,077 €2,738

$3,024 €2,691

1.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.33

3.53

-5.67%

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

Last update for Ostend: November 3, 2026

Last update for Antwerp: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ostend

$688 37.5%

Antwerp

$853 38.6% 23.9% $165

Eating Out

Ostend

$322 17.6%

Antwerp

$357 16.1% 10.8% $35

Groceries & Markets

Ostend

$293 16%

Antwerp

$361 16.3% 23.3% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ostend

$246 13.4%

Antwerp

$280 12.7% 13.8% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Ostend

$149 8.1%

Antwerp

$204 9.2% 36.8% $55

Getting Around

Ostend

$68 3.7%

Antwerp

$87 3.9% 27.5% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Ostend

$66 3.6%

Antwerp

$69 3.1% 5.3% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $817 in Ostend and $1,058 in Antwerp. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79 in Ostend vs $96 in Antwerp for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $361 per month, with Ostend cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Ostend

🇧🇪 Antwerp

🕒 Local time

18:00 6:00 PM

Same time as Ostend

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

70,600

525,935

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ostend Antwerp 100 km

From you

Ostend
Antwerp

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

Ostend vs Antwerp: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,832 in Ostend and $2,211 in Antwerp, so Ostend is about 17% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,748 in Ostend and $3,316 in Antwerp to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $817 in Ostend versus $1,058 in Antwerp. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ostend runs roughly 28% less than in Antwerp. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $394 in Ostend versus $1,625 in Antwerp. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Ostend gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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, Ostend and Antwerp are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Ostend gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Antwerp. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.