GlobeQuest

Antwerp vs Ghent

Thinking about Antwerp or Ghent? Here’s the honest, side-by-side comparison for2026 — cost of living, language, climate, careers and getting set up.

🇧🇪

Antwerp

Belgium · Europe

VS
🇧🇪

Ghent

Belgium · Europe

The short answer

Antwerp and Ghent land in a broadly similar monthly budget bracket. Expect a language curve either way — Dutch in Antwerp, Dutch in Ghent. Both have full set-up guides below, so the real choice comes down to climate, career field, and the lifestyle you're after.

Cost of living, side by side

What it costs🇧🇪 Antwerp🇧🇪 Ghent
Rent — 1-bed, central
About the same
EUR 900–1,250 / month
One-bed flat, central (Het Zuid, historic centre, Eilandje)
EUR 850–1,150 / month
One-bed flat, central (Patershol, Prinsenhof, around the Kouter)
Mid-range meal (per person)
—
EUR 16–24
Dagschotel — the lunchtime plate in an ordinary brown bar
Coffee
—
EUR 3.00–3.60
Coffee in a city-centre café
Getting around
basis varies
EUR 300–400 / year, often reimbursed by employers
De Lijn annual network pass
EUR 300–400 / year, often reimbursed by employers
De Lijn annual network pass
Groceries (one person)
About the same
EUR 290–400 / month
Groceries, one person
EUR 290–400 / month
Groceries, one person
Utilities
About the same
EUR 150–240 / month
Utilities and internet, one person
EUR 150–240 / month
Utilities and internet, one person
Other monthly costs (excl. rent)
——
Est. total / month
rent + everyday costs
—
—

Prices are curated local figures shown in their own currency. USD totals and “% cheaper” claims use approximate exchange rates to put both cities on one scale — rough guidance for budgeting, not exact quotes. Ranges are averaged; annual rents are shown per month.

Full Antwerp cost breakdown →Full Ghent cost breakdown →

Language, region & climate

🇧🇪

Antwerp

Dutch
Day-to-day life rewards some Dutch.
Europe
GMT+1 · EUR
Climate
Mild, damp and overcast for much of the year, with warm rather than hot summers and a persistent wind off the Scheldt.
🇧🇪

Ghent

Dutch
Day-to-day life rewards some Dutch.
Europe
GMT+1 · EUR
Climate
Temperate maritime — grey and damp for most of the year, mild winters, and summers that are warm rather than hot.

Which is better for…

Your budget

It's a wash

Antwerp and Ghent cost about the same month to month once rent and everyday spending are combined.

Your career

Depends on your field

Both run on local + English at work, so the edge comes down to your sector. Antwerp: Port, shipping & logistics, Chemicals & petrochemicals, Diamonds & precious stones. Ghent: Ghent University & the university hospital, Biotech & life sciences, Port, steel & heavy industry.

Your lifestyle

Depends what you want

Antwerp feels like “Europe's second port, the diamond trade, and Flemish rules that are not Brussels' rules”, while Ghentis “A medieval core you are not allowed to drive across, tens of thousands of students, and the lowest city tax in Flanders”. Climate is a real differentiator: Antwerp — mild, damp and overcast for much of the year, with warm rather than hot summers and a persistent wind off the scheldt. Ghent — temperate maritime — grey and damp for most of the year, mild winters, and summers that are warm rather than hot.

Which one will let you in?

Pick your passport to see which of these two you can actually enter, and on what.

The essentials at a glance

Detail🇧🇪 Antwerp🇧🇪 Ghent
Population≈545,000 in the municipality — Belgium's largest city — and roughly 1.2 million in the wider metropolitan area≈272,000 in the municipality — Flanders' second city — with tens of thousands of university and college students on top of that during term
LanguagesDutch, in a distinctive Antwerp dialect. English is widely spoken socially and at work; French is understood but is not the administrative language hereDutch, with a strong local accent. English is spoken almost universally in a city this student-heavy; French is understood but is not the administrative language
CurrencyEuro (EUR)Euro (EUR)
Time zoneCET (GMT+1), CEST (GMT+2) from late March to late OctoberCET (GMT+1), CEST (GMT+2) from late March to late October
Power plugType E, 230 V — the socket has a protruding earth pin, so some German and Dutch Schuko plugs fit awkwardlyType E, 230 V — the socket has a protruding earth pin, so some German and Dutch Schuko plugs sit awkwardly
ClimateTemperate maritime — grey and damp most of the year, mild winters, and warm rather than hot summersTemperate maritime — grey and damp for much of the year, mild winters, warm rather than hot summers
RegionFlanders — which means Flemish rules on work permits, civic integration, tenancy law and the low emission zone, all different from BrusselsFlanders — which means Flemish work permits, compulsory civic integration, the Flemish Housing Rental Decree and a Flemish low emission zone, all different from Brussels
Communal tax surcharge7.0% for assessment year 2026, against 4.9% in the City of Brussels6.5% for assessment year 2026 — the lowest of the big Flemish cities, against 7.0% in Antwerp and 6.9% in Bruges

Go deeper on each city

🇧🇪

Moving to Antwerp

6 set-up guides · cost, language, culture & more

Read the full Antwerp guide
🇧🇪

Moving to Ghent

6 set-up guides · cost, language, culture & more

Read the full Ghent guide

Still torn between Antwerp and Ghent?

Take the 30-second quiz or start a free, AI-personalized plan built around your job, budget and move date — and land in the right city with confidence.

Browse more city comparisons