Cost of Living Comparison Between Tournai and Leuven Cost of Living Comparison Between Tournai and Leuven

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,933 in Tournai versus $2,270 in Leuven.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,921 in Tournai versus $3,399 in Leuven.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,910 in Tournai versus $4,527 in Leuven.

Living in Tournai costs roughly 15% less than in Leuven, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tournai 44% above, Leuven 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$17.57 €15.13

-2.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.0 €81.0

$93.5 €80.6

0.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.44 €9.85

$11.54 €9.94

-0.87%

Cappuccino

$4.36 €3.76

$4.29 €3.69

1.63%

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

$3.49 €3.00

$3.56 €3.06

-1.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 €2.95

$3.34 €2.88

2.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.79 €4.12

$4.83 €4.17

-0.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 €3.11

$3.68 €3.17

-1.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.39 €1.20

-0.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 €1.79

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 €2.50

$3.03 €2.61

-4.29%

Eggs

$3.45 €2.98

$3.53 €3.04

-2.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.80 €10.17

$12.14 €10.46

-2.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.98 €11.18

$13.25 €11.42

-2.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.11 €14.74

$17.43 €15.02

-1.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$2.71 €2.34

-2.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.27 €1.96

3.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.03 €1.75

3.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 €2.31

$2.57 €2.21

4.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.23 €1.92

-4.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 €1.43

$1.64 €1.41

1.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.54 €1.32

2.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.09

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.73 €7.53

$12.64 €10.89

-30.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.43 €8.12

$7.37 €6.35

27.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.07

$2.30 €1.99

4.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.80

$2.10 €1.81

-0.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.53

$2.97 €2.56

-1.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.9 €48.16

$38.18 €32.90

46.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 €5.41

$6.52 €5.62

-3.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.53 €2.18

$2.63 €2.27

-3.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.38 €29.63

$35.35 €30.45

-2.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.83 €1.57

0.55%

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

$30.8K €26.5K

$30.1K €25.9K

2.23%

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

$28.0K €24.1K

$28.3K €24.4K

-1.25%

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

$182 €157

$181 €156

0.34%

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

$21.24 €18.30

$21.28 €18.33

-0.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.01 €42.23

$48.99 €42.21

0.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.96 €32.70

$47.30 €40.75

-19.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.66 €14.35

$16.76 €14.44

-0.60%

Cinema Ticket

$14.71 €12.67

$14.35 €12.36

2.51%

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

$661 €570

0.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K €11.7K

$13.5K €11.6K

0.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €88.7

$103 €88.8

-0.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.30 €27.83

$32.91 €28.36

-1.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.9 €80.1

$92.2 €79.4

0.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €113

0.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$886 €764

$1,033 €890

-14.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$745 €642

$1,082 €932

-31.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 €1,154

$2,182 €1,880

-38.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,082 €933

$1,749 €1,507

-38.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,729 €3,213

$5,589 €4,815

-33.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,237 €2,789

$3,788 €3,264

-14.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,556 €3,064

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.83

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

Last update for Tournai: June 7, 2026

Last update for Leuven: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $886 in Tournai and $1,033 in Leuven. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $94.0 in Tournai vs $94.0 in Leuven. Groceries flip the comparison at $327 vs $326, with Leuven cheaper for home cooking.

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

Tournai vs Leuven: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tournai wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Leuven. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tournai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,899 in Tournai and $3,405 in Leuven 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: $886 in Tournai versus $1,033 in Leuven. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Leuven pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Tournai – a meal for two runs $94.0 versus $94.0 in Leuven. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,933 in Tournai versus $2,270 in Leuven, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Tournai but tight or insufficient in Leuven. The gap between the two cities makes Tournai 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, Tournai and Leuven 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 Tournai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Leuven. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.