Ghent at a glance
- Ghent ranks 4th of 6 priced cities in Belgium on cost: $1,842 a month in essentials, 4% above Liege, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $2,589 covers that 1.4×.
- 103 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at arrondissement level.
- PM2.5 averages 11.4 µg/m³ a year, 2× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 6 Belgium cities we track, so every row says whether Ghent is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $1,842 | $1,842 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $884 | $884 | same |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,066 | $1,066 | same |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $187 | $187 | same |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $426 | $426 | same |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $285 | $285 | same |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $60 | $60 | same |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $2,589 | $2,725 | $137 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $1,554 | $1,554 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,984 | $1,984 | same |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Ghent, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $20.28 | $20.28 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $81.13 | $85.22 | $4.09 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $12.83 | $12.83 | same |
| Cappuccino, regular | $3.91 | $3.91 | same |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $5.07 | $5.36 | $0.29 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $5.07 | $5.07 | same |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $3.01 | $3.21 | $0.21 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $2.82 | $2.82 | same |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.29 | $1.29 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $2.66 | $2.71 | $0.05 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $2.65 | $2.65 | same |
| Eggs, 12 | $4.66 | $4.66 | same |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $15.02 | $16.05 | $1.03 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $11.56 | $11.56 | same |
| Apples, 1 kg | $2.85 | $2.95 | $0.10 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $2.33 | $2.37 | $0.04 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $3.83 | $3.83 | same |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $2.49 | $2.50 | $0.00 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $2.15 | $2.15 | same |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $1.12 | $1.12 | same |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $2.71 | $2.79 | $0.08 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $60.11 | $60.11 | same |
| Taxi start | $2.76 | $2.85 | $0.09 |
| Taxi, 1 km | $1.95 | $2.01 | $0.06 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.95 | $1.95 | same |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $233.28 | $233.28 | same |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $51.99 | $51.99 | same |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $20.94 | $21.61 | $0.67 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $33.26 | $35.53 | $2.27 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $14.19 | $14.44 | $0.25 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Ghent has 103 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (arrondissement level). That is the 2nd-highest of 6 Belgium cities we track. Belgium's national figure is 101.7, so Ghent runs 1 above the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Ghent ranks against every city we track
Ghent sits ahead of 82% of the 999 cities we track on local salary. On salary against local costs it is ahead of 74% of 991. Its weakest measure is cost of living, ahead of only 15% of 998.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Ghent sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Ghent on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Ghent beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Ghent in the research deskOr unlock the Belgium deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: Azamat Esmurziyev, Unsplash License.
Data updated