Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Turnhout and Gent

For one person, living costs are similar in Turnhout and in Gent: $2,127 and $2,224 a month, rent and utilities included.

Turnhout
🇧🇪 Belgium
$2,127
/mo nomad
Gent
🇧🇪 Belgium
$2,224
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,127 per month in Turnhout vs $2,224 in Gent, rent included.

  • Turnhout $2,127
  • Gent $2,224

A couple spends around $3,076 per month in Turnhout vs $3,455 in Gent, rent included.

  • Turnhout $3,076
  • Gent $3,455

A family of three spends $4,024 per month in Turnhout vs $4,686 in Gent, rent included.

  • Turnhout $4,024
  • Gent $4,686

Turnhout is about 4% cheaper than Gent, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Turnhout and Gent sit above the global median – Turnhout by 58%, Gent by 65%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Turnhout
Gent
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.68 €20.17
$21.97 €19.54
3.23%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$64.0 €57.0
$114 €101
-43.59%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.58 €13.86
$15.65 €13.92
-0.45%
Cappuccino
$4.25 €3.78
$4.31 €3.83
-1.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.09 €2.75
$3.35 €2.98
-7.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.73 €2.43
$2.94 €2.62
-7.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.19 €4.62
$5.64 €5.01
-7.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.67 €4.16
$5.66 €5.03
-17.49%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Turnhout
Gent
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.08 €0.96
$1.21 €1.07
-10.74%
White Bread (500g)
$1.63 €1.45
$2.83 €2.52
-42.40%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.13 €1.90
$2.13 €1.89
-
Eggs
$3.98 €3.54
$3.98 €3.54
-
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.93 €8.83
$18.55 €16.50
-46.47%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 €8.11
$12.36 €11.00
-26.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.36 €17.22
$19.82 €17.63
-2.32%
Apples (1kg)
$2.77 €2.47
$2.79 €2.48
-0.72%
Banana (1kg)
$2.41 €2.14
$2.41 €2.14
-
Oranges (1kg)
$2.51 €2.23
$2.54 €2.26
-1.18%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.85 €2.53
$2.94 €2.61
-3.06%
Potato (1kg)
$2.12 €1.89
$2.13 €1.89
-0.47%
Onion (1kg)
$1.93 €1.71
$1.95 €1.73
-1.03%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.09 €0.97
$1.37 €1.21
-20.44%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 €0.95
$1.07 €0.96
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.99 €11.55
$13.04 €11.60
-0.38%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.06 €4.50
$9.06 €8.06
-44.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.64 €1.46
$1.98 €1.76
-17.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 €2.11
$2.47 €2.19
-4.05%
🚌 Getting Around
Turnhout
Gent
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.77 €2.46
$3.28 €2.92
-15.55%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$49.54 €44.07
$59.3 €52.8
-16.46%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$11.30 €10.05
$11.25 €10.01
0.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.93 €2.61
$2.84 €2.53
3.17%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$52.3 €46.56
$50.5 €44.95
3.58%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.93 €1.71
$2.01 €1.79
-3.98%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.8K €30.9K
$34.8K €31.0K
-0.16%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.7K €29.9K
$33.8K €30.0K
-0.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Turnhout
Gent
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$225 €200
$219 €195
2.78%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.17 €18.83
$20.47 €18.21
3.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$47.30 €42.07
$47.05 €41.85
0.53%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Turnhout
Gent
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$125 €111
$35.69 €31.74
249.17%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.43 €19.95
$13.07 €11.63
71.61%
Cinema Ticket
$13.60 €12.10
$15.73 €14.00
-13.54%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Turnhout
Gent
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$547 €487
$567 €504
-3.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.1K €18.7K
$20.9K €18.6K
0.74%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Turnhout
Gent
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$106 €94.0
$109 €96.9
-2.94%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.94 €41.75
$46.20 €41.10
1.60%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 €95.9
$107 €95.6
0.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$148 €132
$150 €134
-1.18%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Turnhout
Gent
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$910 €809
$1,190 €1,059
-23.57%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$785 €699
$891 €792
-11.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,236 €1,100
$1,800 €1,601
-31.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,105 €983
$1,529 €1,360
-27.72%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$5,213 €4,637
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,087 €2,746
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Turnhout
Gent
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,592 €2,305
$3,680 €3,274
-29.58%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.2
3.2
-

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

Last update for Turnhout: October 11, 2026

Last update for Gent: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Turnhout
$786
Gent
$891 13.4% $105
Eating Out
Turnhout
$338
Gent
$339 0.4% $1.2
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Turnhout
$294
Gent
$287 2.4% $7
Groceries & Markets
Turnhout
$288
Gent
$357 23.8% $69
Clothing & Footwear
Turnhout
$184
Gent
$186 1% $1.8
Sport & Entertainment
Turnhout
$152
Gent
$67 55.8% $85
Getting Around
Turnhout
$87
Gent
$98 13.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $910 in Turnhout 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 42% 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 $64.0 in Turnhout versus $114 in Gent. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $357 – making Turnhout the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇪 Turnhout
🇧🇪 Gent
🕒 Local time
00:35 12:35 AM
00:35 12:35 AM
Same time as Turnhout
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
44,000
237,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Turnhout Gent 89 km
From you
  • Turnhout
  • 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
Turnhout vs Gent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gent cheaper than Turnhout?
Yes – Gent is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,191 per month in Turnhout and $3,336 in Gent. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Turnhout, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Turnhout and in Gent?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,127 in Turnhout and $2,224 in Gent. That's a gap of about 5%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 20% less in Turnhout. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $3,000 a realistic budget for living in Turnhout or in Gent?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Turnhout, where all-in costs run around $2,127, than in Gent at $2,224. In Turnhout it covers expenses comfortably, while in Gent it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Turnhout or Gent more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Turnhout – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Turnhout or Gent?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Turnhout. 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.

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