Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Roeselare and Leuven

For one person, living is cheaper in Roeselare: $1,788 a month against $2,237 in Leuven, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Roeselare, Belgium
Leuven, Belgium
Roeselare
🇧🇪 Belgium
$1,788
/mo nomad
Leuven
🇧🇪 Belgium
$2,237
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Roeselare and in Leuven

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Roeselare and in Leuven actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,788 in Roeselare versus $2,237 in Leuven.

  • Roeselare $1,788
  • Leuven $2,237

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,670 in Roeselare versus $3,310 in Leuven.

  • Roeselare $2,670
  • Leuven $3,310

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,553 in Roeselare versus $4,382 in Leuven.

  • Roeselare $3,553
  • Leuven $4,382

Living in Roeselare costs roughly 20% less than in Leuven, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Roeselare 32% above, Leuven 65% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Roeselare
Leuven
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.35 €16.42
$22.45 €20.09
-18.26%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.6 €71.3
$76.9 €68.8
3.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.29 €10.11
$13.34 €11.94
-15.37%
Cappuccino
$4.29 €3.84
$4.20 €3.76
2.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.16 €1.93
$2.81 €2.52
-23.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 €1.64
$2.92 €2.62
-37.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.41 €4.84
$5.46 €4.88
-0.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.03 €3.61
$4.58 €4.09
-12.01%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Roeselare
Leuven
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.36 €1.21
$1.35 €1.21
0.74%
White Bread (500g)
$2.64 €2.36
$2.73 €2.45
-3.30%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.04 €1.83
$2.05 €1.84
-0.49%
Eggs
$3.87 €3.46
$3.80 €3.40
1.84%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.39 €10.19
$11.33 €10.14
0.53%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.27 €10.98
$12.16 €10.88
0.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.13 €17.12
$19.14 €17.13
-0.05%
Apples (1kg)
$2.71 €2.43
$2.80 €2.50
-3.21%
Banana (1kg)
$2.23 €1.99
$2.23 €2.00
-
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 €1.96
$2.13 €1.91
2.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.22 €1.99
$2.32 €2.08
-4.31%
Potato (1kg)
$2.20 €1.97
$2.19 €1.96
0.46%
Onion (1kg)
$1.74 €1.56
$1.74 €1.56
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.54 €1.38
$1.52 €1.36
1.32%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.95 €0.85
$0.94 €0.84
1.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.24 €11.85
$13.58 €12.16
-2.50%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.29 €6.52
$7.39 €6.61
-1.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.07 €1.86
$2.08 €1.86
-0.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78 €1.59
$1.88 €1.68
-5.32%
🚌 Getting Around
Roeselare
Leuven
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.81 €2.52
$3.27 €2.93
-14.07%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$46.71 €41.79
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$11.26 €10.08
$11.13 €9.96
1.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.99 €2.68
$3.10 €2.78
-3.55%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$50.6 €45.25
$49.55 €44.33
2.06%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.02 €1.81
$2.03 €1.81
-0.49%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.2K €32.4K
$35.0K €31.4K
3.20%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.1K €33.2K
$36.9K €33.0K
0.50%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Roeselare
Leuven
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$171 €153
$214 €192
-20.16%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.12 €16.22
$18.38 €16.44
-1.41%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$49.55 €44.33
$52.1 €46.61
-4.88%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Roeselare
Leuven
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.6 €52.4
$40.54 €36.27
44.45%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.27 €18.14
$19.79 €17.70
2.43%
Cinema Ticket
$12.68 €11.34
$14.54 €13.01
-12.79%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Roeselare
Leuven
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$694 €621
$707 €633
-1.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.8K €15.9K
$18.1K €16.2K
-1.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Roeselare
Leuven
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$96.9 €86.7
$98.2 €87.9
-1.36%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.64 €22.94
$25.68 €22.98
-0.16%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.5 €78.3
$88.6 €79.3
-1.22%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$145 €129
$144 €128
0.79%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Roeselare
Leuven
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$768 €687
$1,099 €984
-30.11%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$665 €595
$986 €882
-32.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,189 €1,064
$1,991 €1,782
-40.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$949 €849
$1,578 €1,412
-39.89%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$5,096 €4,560
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,650 €3,266
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Roeselare
Leuven
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,758 €2,468
$3,768 €3,372
-26.80%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.5
3.52
-28.98%

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

Last update for Roeselare: October 31, 2026

Last update for Leuven: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Roeselare
$665
Leuven
$986 48.2% $321
Groceries & Markets
Roeselare
$319
Leuven
$320 0.3% $0.8
Eating Out
Roeselare
$283
Leuven
$329 16.3% $46
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Roeselare
$239
Leuven
$285 19.3% $46
Clothing & Footwear
Roeselare
$160
Leuven
$160 0.4% $0.6
Sport & Entertainment
Roeselare
$84
Leuven
$70 17.1% $14
Getting Around
Roeselare
$37 *
Leuven
$86 131% $49

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $768 in Roeselare and $1,099 in Leuven. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leuven pays 37% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $80 in Roeselare vs $77 in Leuven. Groceries flip the comparison at $319 vs $320, with Roeselare cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇧🇪 Roeselare
🇧🇪 Leuven
🕒 Local time
19:49 7:49 PM
19:49 7:49 PM
Same time as Roeselare
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
56,016
102,275
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.895 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Roeselare Leuven 110 km
From you
  • Roeselare
  • Leuven

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
Roeselare vs Leuven: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Roeselare or Leuven?
Roeselare wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Leuven. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Roeselare the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Roeselare or in Leuven?
On paper, salaries run 27% lower in Roeselare. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Roeselare compared to Leuven?
Rent for a central apartment: $768 in Roeselare versus $1,099 in Leuven. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Roeselare compared to Leuven?
All in, you’ll spend $1,788 per month in Roeselare versus $2,237 in Leuven – Roeselare is about 20% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How do dining costs compare in Roeselare and in Leuven?
Dining out is cheaper in Leuven – a meal for two runs $77 versus $80 in Roeselare. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Roeselare or in Leuven?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Roeselare gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Roeselare or Leuven?
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.
How safe is Roeselare compared to Leuven?
Safety-wise, Roeselare and Leuven are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Should I move to Roeselare or to Leuven?
It comes down to priorities – Roeselare wins on affordability, Leuven on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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