Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ostend and Gent

For one person, living is cheaper in Ostend: $1,810 a month against $2,224 in Gent, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Ostend
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Ostend Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Gent
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Gent Living Index

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Ostend

🇧🇪 Belgium

$1,810

/mo nomad

Gent

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,224

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,810 per month in Ostend vs $2,224 in Gent, rent included.

Ostend $1,810
Gent $2,224

A couple spends around $2,702 per month in Ostend vs $3,455 in Gent, rent included.

Ostend $2,702
Gent $3,455

A family of three spends $3,595 per month in Ostend vs $4,686 in Gent, rent included.

Ostend $3,595
Gent $4,686

Ostend is about 19% cheaper than Gent, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ostend and Gent sit above the global median – Ostend by 34%, Gent by 65%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.10 €19.65

$21.97 €19.54

0.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.1 €70.3

$114 €101

-30.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.18 €9.94

$15.65 €13.92

-28.56%

Cappuccino

$4.09 €3.64

$4.31 €3.83

-5.10%

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

$3.00 €2.67

$3.35 €2.98

-10.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 €2.24

$2.94 €2.62

-14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.40 €3.91

$5.64 €5.01

-21.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 €3.99

$5.66 €5.03

-20.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.08

$1.21 €1.07

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 €2.40

$2.83 €2.52

-4.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 €1.85

$2.13 €1.89

-2.35%

Eggs

$3.73 €3.32

$3.98 €3.54

-6.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.69 €10.40

$18.55 €16.50

-36.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.77 €10.47

$12.36 €11.00

-4.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 €11.97

$19.82 €17.63

-32.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 €2.51

$2.79 €2.48

1.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.90

$2.41 €2.14

-11.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 €1.91

$2.54 €2.26

-15.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.32 €2.06

$2.94 €2.61

-21.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.64

$2.13 €1.89

-13.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 €1.52

$1.95 €1.73

-12.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 €1.08

$1.37 €1.21

-10.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.82

$1.07 €0.96

-14.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.12 €9.01

$13.04 €11.60

-22.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.86 €6.10

$9.06 €8.06

-24.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.87

$1.98 €1.76

6.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 €1.64

$2.47 €2.19

-25.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.39 €3.01

$3.28 €2.92

3.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.31 €34.07

$59.3 €52.8

-35.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 €3.00

$11.25 €10.01

-69.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 €2.04

$2.84 €2.53

-19.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 €22.26

$50.5 €44.95

-50.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.73

$2.01 €1.79

-2.99%

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

$34.6K €30.7K

$34.8K €31.0K

-0.76%

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

$30.6K €27.2K

$33.8K €30.0K

-9.44%

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

$176 €156

$219 €195

-19.86%

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

$18.08 €16.08

$20.47 €18.21

-11.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 €47.23

$47.05 €41.85

12.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.39 €32.36

$35.69 €31.74

1.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.02 €9.80

$13.07 €11.63

-15.68%

Cinema Ticket

$14.36 €12.77

$15.73 €14.00

-8.71%

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

$391 €348

$567 €504

-30.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €14.2K

$20.9K €18.6K

-23.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.4 €88.4

$109 €96.9

-8.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.26 €23.36

$46.20 €41.10

-43.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.8 €78.1

$107 €95.6

-18.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €107

$150 €134

-19.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$792 €704

$1,190 €1,059

-33.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 €598

$891 €792

-24.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,245 €1,108

$1,800 €1,601

-30.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$987 €878

$1,529 €1,360

-35.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,674 €3,268

$5,213 €4,637

-29.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,918 €1,706

$3,087 €2,746

-37.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,097 €2,755

$3,680 €3,274

-15.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.33

3.2

4.06%

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

Last update for Ostend: October 10, 2026

Last update for Gent: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ostend

$673 37.1%

Gent

$891 40.1% 32.5% $218

Eating Out

Ostend

$312 17.3%

Gent

$339 15.2% 8.5% $27

Groceries & Markets

Ostend

$297 16.4%

Gent

$357 16% 20.2% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ostend

$247 13.6%

Gent

$287 12.9% 16.2% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Ostend

$150 8.3%

Gent

$186 8.4% 23.7% $36

Getting Around

Ostend

$67 3.7%

Gent

$98 4.4% 46.8% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Ostend

$65 3.6%

Gent

$67 3% 3.2% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $792 in Ostend versus $1,190 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 19% higher in Gent, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Ostend versus $114 in Gent. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $357 – making Ostend the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Ostend

🇧🇪 Gent

🕒 Local time

07:00 7:00 AM

Same time as Ostend

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

70,600

237,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ostend Gent 59 km

From you

Ostend
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

Ostend vs Gent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Gent is pricier by about 23%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,715 per month in Ostend and $3,336 in Gent. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ostend, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,810 in Ostend and $2,224 in Gent. That's a gap of about 23%.

Public transport costs about 55% less in Ostend. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Ostend, where all-in costs run around $1,810, than in Gent at $2,224. In Ostend it covers expenses comfortably, while in Gent it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ostend – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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