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Living in Antwerp

Antwerp is a city in Belgium. Antwerp numbered 562,002 residents at the end of 2025. Antwerp recorded annual PM2.5 of 10 µg/m³ at the end of 2024.

Higher unemployment than 81% of Belgian cities that publish it and dirtier air than any other Belgian city that publishes it.

Which Belgium-wide rules apply when you move to Antwerp?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in BelgiumNational rates and thresholds that apply in Antwerp.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

No city-level rent figure is published for Antwerp. The available city-level cost figures remain below.

What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month
Antwerp recurring monthly costs, € per month€1450Private kindergarten€188Utilities, 85 m² flat€49Transport pass€42Internet, 60 Mbps€34Fitness club€20Mobile plan, 10 GB€ / month

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Fitness club membership, monthly34.06 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo12Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Col Groceries Index Basket Eur Month91.38 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo12Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited42.3 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo12Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly1,450 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo12Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant21 eur3 Aug 2026Numbeo12Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB20.08 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo12Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass49 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo12Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home187.6 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo12Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Antwerp?

The unemployment rate is 9.9 % (2011). Source: bestat.statbel.fgov.be1

Unemployment across cities in BelgiumUnemployment in Antwerp is 9.9%. Of 506 cities with data, 160 have unemployment of 2 to under 4%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in Belgium per band1 city: 0% to under 2%10–2160 cities: 2% to under 4%1602–4123 cities: 4% to under 6%1234–670 cities: 6% to under 8%706–857 cities: 8% to under 10%578–10Antwerp 9.9%26 cities: 10% to under 12%2610–1220 cities: 12% to under 14%2012–1416 cities: 14% to under 16%1614–1613 cities: 16% to under 18%1316–1810 cities: 18% to under 20%1018–206 cities: 20% to under 22%620–223 cities: 22% to under 24%322–241 city: 24% to under 26%124–26

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Unemployment rate9.9 %country median 5.3%31 Dec 2011bestat.statbel.fgov.be1Official

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Antwerp. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Actiris — Public employment service

Actiris Brussels public employment service

Job Search
Search jobs

Le Forem — Public employment service

Le Forem Walloon public employment and training service

Job SearchRegistration
Register Search jobs
Open the Belgium service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Antwerp. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Mobility and administration

Antwerp's nearest airport was ANR, 5 km away and offered 1 direct destinations.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Airport Direct Destinations Count1 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights7Official
Nearest Major Airport Distance Km5 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports8Official
Nearest Major Airport IataANR3 Aug 2026OurAirports8Official

Climate and air quality

Monthly mean temperatures were 3.9°C in January and 18.9°C in July. Monthly precipitation was 68.3 mm in January and 78.5 mm in July.

Is the air quality good in Antwerp?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 10 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: European Environment Agency (EEA)2

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Antwerp average monthly daytime high and night-time low temperature, °C0°10°20°30°JFMAMJJASOND24°1°Daytime highNight-time low
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Antwerp average monthly precipitation, mm0255075100686054425873798470667689JFMAMJJASONDmm
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Antwerp annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit52510.0PM2.5µg/m³

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in BelgiumOf 439 cities with data, 142 have annual PM2.5 of 8 to under 9 µg/m³.
annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in Belgium per band1 city: 2 µg/m³ to under 3 µg/m³12–317 cities: 3 µg/m³ to under 4 µg/m³173–473 cities: 4 µg/m³ to under 5 µg/m³734–557 cities: 5 µg/m³ to under 6 µg/m³575–654 cities: 6 µg/m³ to under 7 µg/m³546–783 cities: 7 µg/m³ to under 8 µg/m³837–8142 cities: 8 µg/m³ to under 9 µg/m³1428–912 cities: 9 µg/m³ to under 10 µg/m³129–10

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean10 µg/m³31 Dec 2024European Environment Agency (EEA)2Official · nearest-station reading
Average daytime high by monthJan 6.6 · Feb 7.6 · Mar 11.1 · Apr 15.2 · May 18.8 · Jun 21.6 · Jul 23.6 · Aug 23.5 · Sep 20 · Oct 15.3 · Nov 10.3 · Dec 7 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO3Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by monthJan 1.1 · Feb 1 · Mar 2.7 · Apr 5.1 · May 9.1 · Jun 12.2 · Jul 14.2 · Aug 13.7 · Sep 10.7 · Oct 7.4 · Nov 4.1 · Dec 1.8 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO4Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by monthJan 3.9 · Feb 4.3 · Mar 6.9 · Apr 10.2 · May 14 · Jun 16.9 · Jul 18.9 · Aug 18.6 · Sep 15.3 · Oct 11.3 · Nov 7.2 · Dec 4.4 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO5Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by monthJan 68.3 · Feb 59.9 · Mar 54 · Apr 41.5 · May 58.4 · Jun 73.1 · Jul 78.5 · Aug 83.8 · Sep 70 · Oct 66.3 · Nov 75.7 · Dec 89 mm31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO6Official · nearest-station reading

Cities of a similar size in Belgium

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All Belgium cities
Gent272,657 residentsCharleroi206,900 residentsAnderlecht129,600 residentsSchaerbeek129,278 residentsBrugge120,283 residentsLeuven104,906 residents

Population and city profile

How many people live in Antwerp?

The published population was 562,002 people in 2025. Source: Statbel (Belgian statistical office)10

MetricValuePeriodSource
Population562,002 people31 Dec 2025Statbel (Belgian statistical office)10Official

Is Antwerp a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker50%strong on work, weak on safety · range 39–61%
Skilled employee50%strong on work, weak on safety · range 40–60%
Student60%strong on cost, weak on safety · range 48–72%
Family49%strong on family, weak on safety · range 37–61%
Retirement58%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 44–72%
Population562,002 people31 Dec 2025Official source · Statbel (Belgian statistical office)
Unemployment rate9.9 %31 Dec 2011Official source · bestat.statbel.fgov.be
PM2.5 — annual mean10 µg/m³31 Dec 2024Official source · European Environment Agency (EEA)
Fitness club membership, monthly34.06 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Independent source · Numbeo
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited42.3 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Independent source · Numbeo
Private kindergarten, monthly1,450 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Independent source · Numbeo
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-08-26

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Antwerp when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Which comparable places record less crime than Antwerp?

20 places have a lower recorded total crime rate than Antwerp in this strictly source-matched cohort.

Antwerp: 10,991.8 offences/100k (2025).

Sint-Genesius-Rode — 4,208.6 offences/100k2025Kapellen — 4,346.6 offences/100k2025Hove — 4,625.9 offences/100k2025Zoutleeuw — 4,734.2 offences/100k2025Hamme — 4,971.6 offences/100k2025Herk-de-Stad — 5,028.2 offences/100k2025Temse — 5,554.7 offences/100k2025Oudenaarde — 6,960.2 offences/100k2025

Only the same source family, offence definition, period, grain and denominator method are compared. This is recorded crime, not a claim about personal safety. Official source11

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Antwerp?

The published population was 562,002 people in 2025. Source: Statbel (Belgian statistical office).

Is the air quality good in Antwerp?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 10 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: European Environment Agency (EEA).

What is the unemployment rate in Antwerp?

The unemployment rate is 9.9 % (2011). Source: bestat.statbel.fgov.be.

How much is public transport in Antwerp?

A monthly transport pass is 49 EUR/month. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Numbeo.

Is Antwerp a good place to live?

Antwerp may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Which comparable places record less crime than Antwerp?

20 places have a lower recorded total crime rate than Antwerp in this strictly source-matched cohort. The comparison uses Police fédérale SPC municipal PDF 2025 + Statbel TF_SOC_POP_STRUCT_2025, period 2025, and does not compare across incompatible police definitions.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 12). Antwerp, Belgium: cost of living, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/antwerp/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_antwerp-belgium-cost-of-living-jobs_28ccfb466be9,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Antwerp, Belgium: cost of living, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/antwerp/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Antwerp, Belgium: cost of living, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/antwerp/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; retrieved 2026-09-12; built 2026-09-12.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. bestat.statbel.fgov.be bestat.statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-26
  2. European Environment Agency (EEA) air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-06
  3. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
  4. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
  5. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
  6. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
  7. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  8. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  9. police.be recorded crime data police.be · checked 2026-08-28
  10. Statbel (Belgian statistical office) statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-04
Show 2 more sources
  1. statbel.fgov.be recorded crime data statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-28
  2. Numbeo numbeo.com · checked 2026-08-03

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.