Cost of Living Comparison Between Ostend and Antwerp Cost of Living Comparison Between Ostend and Antwerp

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,857 in Ostend versus $2,211 in Antwerp.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,803 in Ostend versus $3,445 in Antwerp.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,749 in Ostend versus $4,678 in Antwerp.

Living in Ostend costs roughly 16% less than in Antwerp, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ostend 36% above, Antwerp 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.14 €19.30

$22.78 €19.86

-2.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.3 €71.8

$110 €96.3

-25.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.60 €10.11

$13.99 €12.20

-17.08%

Cappuccino

$4.30 €3.75

$4.57 €3.98

-5.91%

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

$3.22 €2.81

$3.72 €3.24

-13.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 €2.27

$3.55 €3.09

-26.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 €4.09

$5.74 €5.00

-18.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.07

$6.45 €5.62

-27.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.05

$1.42 €1.23

-14.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 €2.35

$2.82 €2.45

-4.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 €1.96

$2.22 €1.94

1.35%

Eggs

$4.05 €3.53

$3.93 €3.43

3.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 €10.53

$18.11 €15.79

-33.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.02 €10.48

$12.31 €10.73

-2.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.64 €11.89

$24.40 €21.27

-44.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 €2.53

$3.13 €2.73

-7.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 €1.88

$2.48 €2.16

-12.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.68 €2.34

-14.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 €2.06

$3.53 €3.08

-32.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$2.52 €2.20

-26.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.57

$2.01 €1.75

-10.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.12

$1.58 €1.38

-18.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.06 €0.92

-14.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.55 €9.19

$13.22 €11.52

-20.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.79 €5.92

$9.30 €8.11

-26.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.79 €1.56

20.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 €1.67

$2.05 €1.79

-6.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.45 €3.00

$3.39 €2.95

1.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.95 €35.69

$57.0 €49.71

-28.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.39 €2.95

$5.90 €5.15

-42.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 €1.96

$2.81 €2.45

-19.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.56 €22.28

$46.46 €40.50

-44.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.68

$2.03 €1.77

-4.93%

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

$35.7K €31.1K

$36.1K €31.5K

-1.21%

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

$32.2K €28.1K

$35.7K €31.1K

-9.79%

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

$181 €158

$207 €181

-12.77%

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

$18.64 €16.25

$22.24 €19.39

-16.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 €48.36

$48.78 €42.52

13.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.78 €32.93

$39.06 €34.05

-3.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.39 €9.93

$28.00 €24.41

-59.32%

Cinema Ticket

$15.12 €13.18

$15.71 €13.69

-3.76%

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

$404 €352

$1,691 €1,474

-76.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K €14.6K

$34.0K €29.6K

-50.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.6

$116 €101

-11.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.78 €23.34

$54.5 €47.53

-50.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €80.4

$107 €93.2

-13.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$172 €150

-27.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 €729

$1,071 €933

-21.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 €619

$862 €751

-17.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 €1,119

$1,715 €1,495

-25.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,013 €883

$1,373 €1,197

-26.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,889 €3,390

$4,523 €3,943

-14.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,023 €1,763

$3,122 €2,721

-35.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,154 €2,749

$3,050 €2,658

3.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.33

3.46

-3.76%

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

Last update for Ostend: September 13, 2026

Last update for Antwerp: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $836 in Ostend and $1,071 in Antwerp. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ostend pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $82.0 in Ostend vs $110 in Antwerp for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $377 per month, with Ostend cheaper across the board.

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

Ostend and Antwerp differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($1,857 vs $2,211 including rent). Ostend is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 3% higher in Ostend, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $836 in Ostend versus $1,071 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 39% less than in Antwerp. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $404 in Ostend versus $1,691 in Antwerp. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,857 in Ostend versus $2,211 in Antwerp, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Ostend but tight or insufficient in Antwerp. The gap between the two cities makes Ostend 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, Ostend 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 Ostend gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Antwerp. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.