Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Somerset West and Mouscron

For one person, living is cheaper in Somerset West: $1,160 a month against $2,182 in Mouscron, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Somerset West
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Somerset West Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Mouscron
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Mouscron Living Index

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Somerset West

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,160

/mo nomad

Mouscron

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,182

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Somerset West and in Mouscron

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

A single person spends $1,160 per month in Somerset West vs $2,182 in Mouscron, rent included.

Somerset West $1,160
Mouscron $2,182

A couple spends around $1,888 per month in Somerset West vs $3,123 in Mouscron, rent included.

Somerset West $1,888
Mouscron $3,123

A family of three spends $2,615 per month in Somerset West vs $4,063 in Mouscron, rent included.

Somerset West $2,615
Mouscron $4,063

Somerset West is about 47% cheaper than Mouscron, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Somerset West sits 15% below the global median, while Mouscron is 60% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.23 R 204

$22.39 €20.12

-45.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.52 R 757

$79.1 €71.1

-42.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.44 R 90.5

$13.23 €11.89

-58.88%

Cappuccino

$2.06 R 34.28

$4.37 €3.92

-52.86%

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

$1.06 R 17.71

$2.97 €2.67

-64.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 R 13.99

$2.95 €2.65

-71.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 R 42.85

$5.72 €5.14

-54.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 R 54.4

$4.36 €3.92

-25.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 R 17.10

$1.39 €1.25

-25.90%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 R 16.37

$2.65 €2.38

-63.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 R 34.65

$2.07 €1.86

0.48%

Eggs

$2.28 R 37.94

$3.87 €3.48

-41.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 R 139

$11.70 €10.51

-28.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.18 R 86.1

$12.13 €10.90

-57.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.22 R 153

$18.80 €16.90

-50.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 R 30.18

$2.68 €2.40

-32.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 R 31.43

$2.13 €1.92

-11.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.95

$2.23 €2.01

-21.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 R 28.16

$2.24 €2.01

-24.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 R 25.19

$2.26 €2.03

-33.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 R 25.44

$1.66 €1.49

-7.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 R 21.38

$1.48 €1.33

-12.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 R 17.77

$0.96 €0.86

11.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 R 56.4

$13.56 €12.18

-75.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.89 R 98.0

$7.42 €6.67

-20.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 R 22.70

$2.09 €1.88

-34.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 R 29.12

$1.84 €1.66

-4.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 R 18.44

$2.91 €2.61

-61.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.4 R 1,005

$52.0 €46.73

16.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.79

$10.02 €9.01

-94.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 R 25.68

$2.39 €2.14

-35.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.94 R 82.2

$25.19 €22.64

-80.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 R 23.64

$1.98 €1.78

-28.28%

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

$29.3K R 486.8K

$35.5K €31.9K

-17.59%

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

$29.4K R 488.4K

$37.0K €33.3K

-20.69%

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

$82.1 R 1,366

$211 €190

-61.16%

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

$29.05 R 483

$18.20 €16.35

59.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.47 R 673

$52.4 €47.04

-22.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.16 R 735

$36.72 €33.00

20.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.43 R 174

$17.40 €15.63

-40.06%

Cinema Ticket

$7.28 R 121

$14.36 €12.91

-49.30%

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

$251 R 4,168

$710 €638

-64.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,596 R 59.8K

$16.4K €14.8K

-78.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.99 R 516

$96.6 €86.8

-67.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.32 R 521

$26.10 €23.45

20.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.3 R 1,187

$89.9 €80.8

-20.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.3 R 937

$145 €130

-61.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$643 R 10.7K

$930 €836

-30.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$426 R 7,084

$937 €842

-54.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 R 22.3K

$1,336 €1,201

0.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$937 R 15.6K

$1,261 €1,133

-25.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,221 R 20.3K

$4,446 €3,995

-72.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$892 R 14.8K

$2,870 €2,579

-68.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,418 R 23.6K

$4,148 €3,727

-65.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

3.52

187.50%

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

Last update for Somerset West: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mouscron: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Somerset West

$426 36.7%

Mouscron

$937 42.9% 120% $511

Groceries & Markets

Somerset West

$200 17.2%

Mouscron

$319 14.6% 59.9% $120

Eating Out

Somerset West

$166 14.3%

Mouscron

$332 15.2% 100% $166

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Somerset West

$152 13.1%

Mouscron

$282 12.9% 85.9% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Somerset West

$86 7.4%

Mouscron

$161 7.4% 88.1% $75

Getting Around

Somerset West

$73 6.3%

Mouscron

$86 3.9% 17% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Somerset West

$59 5.1%

Mouscron

$65 3% 11.5% $6.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $643 in Somerset West versus $930 in Mouscron. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Mouscron are about 2.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46 in Somerset West versus $79 in Mouscron. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $200 vs $319 – making Somerset West the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Somerset West

🇧🇪 Mouscron

🕒 Local time

16:06 4:06 PM

15:06 3:06 PM

1 h behind Somerset West

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

55,166

56,626

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.01 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 16.64 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.01 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

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

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Somerset West Mouscron 9,560 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Somerset West
Mouscron

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

Somerset West vs Mouscron: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mouscron is pricier by about 88%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,740 per month in Somerset West and $3,273 in Mouscron. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Somerset West, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $643 there versus $930 in Mouscron.

Groceries cost about 60% more in Mouscron, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46 in Somerset West and $79 in Mouscron. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Somerset West, where all-in costs run around $1,160, than in Mouscron at $2,182. In Somerset West it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mouscron it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Somerset West – 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 Somerset West. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mouscron makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.