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Living in Antwerp

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

Last checked 2026-10-1030 sources

Population562,002people31 Dec 2025Official source · Statbel (Belgian statistical office)
Median gross salary (region)3,711EUR/month31 Dec 2022Official source · Salaires mensuels bruts moyens des salariés employés à temps plein 2000-2022
Average rent933EUR/month31 Dec 2025Municipality figureOfficial source · Gemiddelde huurprijs huizen — Antwerpen, 2025
Unemployment rate9.9%country median 5.3% — 85% aboveOfficial source · bestat.statbel.fgov.be
Recorded crime10,992incidents per 100,000country median 5,167 — 113% aboveOfficial source · Gemeente-Stadsmonitor register data — Samenleven (worksheet SA_01)
PM2.5, annual mean10µg/m³31 Dec 2024Nearest stationOfficial source · European Environment Agency (EEA)

Higher unemployment than 80% of Belgian cities that publish it, more recorded crime than 98% 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

€ / month

Private kindergarten€1450
Utilities, 85 m² flat€188
Transport pass€49
Internet, 60 Mbps€40
Fitness club€34
Mobile plan, 10 GB€8

Supplemental estimate lane, not official statistics: Utilities, 85 m² flat, Private kindergarten, Transport pass, Fitness club. The others are published prices.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Fitness club membership, monthly34.06 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo24Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Grocery basket, monthly91.38 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo24Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited39.99 EUR/month31 Oct 2026Internet Light Fiber7Official · national market
Private kindergarten, monthly1,450 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo24Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant21 eur3 Aug 2026Numbeo24Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB8 EUR/month31 Oct 2026Scarlet Red 10 GB17Official · national market
Monthly transport pass49 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo24Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home187.6 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo24Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Average monthly rent (whole dwelling)933 EUR/month31 Dec 2025Gemiddelde huurprijs huizen — Antwerpen, 20255Official · parent municipality

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 worker56%strong on work, weak on safety · range 46–66%
Skilled employee56%strong on work, weak on education · range 46–66%
Student39%strong on cost, weak on education · range 28–50%
Family39%strong on housing, weak on education · range 29–49%
Retirement51%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 39–63%

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Antwerp?

The unemployment rate is 9.9 % (2011). Source: bestat.statbel.fgov.be2

Unemployment across cities in BelgiumUnemployment in Antwerp is 9.9%. Of 509 cities with data, 160 have unemployment of 2 to under 4%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Average gross earnings4,028 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Salaires mensuels bruts moyens des salariés employés à temps plein 2000-202215Official · regional context
Public employment offices4 count15 Sept 2026VDAB — Antwerp office locations20Official
Median gross salary (regional)3,711 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Salaires mensuels bruts moyens des salariés employés à temps plein 2000-202216Official · regional context
Unemployment rate9.9 %country median 5.3%31 Dec 2011bestat.statbel.fgov.be2Official

What does a salary buy in Antwerp?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

regional median gross pay: €3,711 (Salaires mensuels bruts moyens des salariés employés à temps plein 2000-2022, 2022-12-31).
Left over each month€1,270of €2,487 take-home
  • Rent
  • Utilities
  • Transport
  • Internet
  • Mobile
  • Left over
Line-by-line breakdown and sources
Each month€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions.€2,487
Rentaverage rent of a whole dwelling · official · Gemiddelde huurprijs huizen · 2025-12-31− €933
Public transport pass€49 · market price · Numbeo · 2026-08-03− €49
Utilities, 85 m²€188 · market price · Numbeo · 2026-08-03− €188
Internet€40 · official · Internet Light Fiber · 2026-10-31− €40
Mobile plan€8 · official · Scarlet Red 10 GB · 2026-10-31− €8
Left over€1,270
Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Antwerp Salary needed to live in Antwerp

Public employment offices in Antwerp

VDAB lists 4 public employment offices in Antwerp (checked 2026-09-16). Use the official office finder for addresses and appointments; registration and job search are also available online through the national service below.

Office count verified

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

The office count comes from the service's own directory. Individual addresses and opening hours are not listed here yet. Sources checked through 16 Sept 2026.

Safety

How safe is Antwerp?

Police recorded about 10,992 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Gemeente-Stadsmonitor register data — Samenleven (worksheet SA_01)4

Recorded crime across major citiesAntwerp highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Antwerp highlighted

recorded incidents per 100k residents

Brussels24,104
Liège17,918
Ixelles14,236
Charleroi14,026
Leuven12,730
Ghent12,110
Anderlecht11,116
Schaerbeek10,141
Molenbeek-Saint-Jean10,075
Hasselt9,031
Namur8,912
Brugge8,780
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents10,992 incidents per 100,000country median 5,16731 Dec 2025Gemeente-Stadsmonitor register data — Samenleven (worksheet SA_01)4Official

Mobility and administration

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
Direct destinations from the nearest major airport1 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights12Official
Distance to the nearest major airport5 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports13Official
Nearest major airport (IATA code)ANR3 Aug 2026OurAirports13Official

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)3

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
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

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

PM2.5 across cities in BelgiumOf 442 cities with data, 142 have annual PM2.5 of 8 to under 9 µg/m³.

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean10 µg/m³31 Dec 2024European Environment Agency (EEA)3Official · 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 / WMO8Official · 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 / WMO9Official · 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 / WMO10Official · 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 / WMO11Official · nearest-station reading

Similar climate. In Belgium: Ghent ±0.2 °C. Elsewhere: Werl (Germany) ±0.6 °C, Reims (France) ±0.7 °C, Baesweiler (Germany) ±0.5 °C, Geilenkirchen (Germany) ±0.5 °C, Juelich (Germany) ±0.5 °C. Twenty closest, compared month by month

Monthly highs and lows against the 1991–2020 station normals of the nearest station; ± is the average monthly difference.

Population and city profile

How many people live in Antwerp?

The published population was 562,002 people in 2025. Source: Statbel (Belgian statistical office)18

MetricValuePeriodSource
Population562,002 people31 Dec 2025Statbel (Belgian statistical office)18Official

Alternatives for people set on Antwerp

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Sint-Niklaas as an Antwerp alternative in the same region

21 km away, better on 3 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0.

  • Unemployment: 6.0% Sint-Niklaas vs 9.9% Antwerp−40%
  • Residents: 82,661 Sint-Niklaas vs 562,002 Antwerp−85%
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 9,185 Sint-Niklaas vs 10,992 Antwerp−16%
  • Annual PM2.5: 9.0 µg/m³ Sint-Niklaas vs 10.0 µg/m³ Antwerp−10%
  • Median gross pay, region: €3,711 Sint-Niklaas vs €3,711 Antwerpsame level
Full comparisonMore about Sint-Niklaas

Aalst as an Antwerp alternative in the same country

Better on 3 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0.

  • Unemployment: 5.7% Aalst vs 9.9% Antwerp−42%
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 7,510 Aalst vs 10,992 Antwerp−32%
  • Residents: 92,131 Aalst vs 562,002 Antwerp−84%
  • Annual PM2.5: 7.0 µg/m³ Aalst vs 10.0 µg/m³ Antwerp−30%
  • Median gross pay, region: €3,711 Aalst vs €3,711 Antwerpsame level
Full comparisonMore about Aalst

Valencia as an Antwerp alternative in another country

A move, not a commute, at 1358 km, better on 2 of 2 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0. Median gross pay, region and recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.

  • Median gross pay, region: €1,888 (2024) Valencia vs €3,711 (2022) Antwerpno percentage
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 7,592 (2024) Valencia vs 10,992 (2025) Antwerpno percentage
  • Basic utilities, 85 m²: €140 Valencia vs €188 Antwerp−26%
  • A meal out: €15 Valencia vs €21 Antwerp−29%
Full comparisonMore about Valencia

Cities near Antwerp

Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.

Mortsel 6.8 km away
Rent
880 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31
Schoten 7.7 km away
Rent
910 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31
Edegem 8.0 km away
Rent
950 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31
Wijnegem 8.1 km away
Rent
975 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31
Wommelgem 8.7 km away
Rent
950 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31
Hove 8.9 km away
Rent
990 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31
Boechout 9.2 km away
Rent
900 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31

Alternative cities in Belgium

Other cities in Belgium to compare with Antwerp, nearest in population first.

All Belgium cities
Ghent272,657 residentsCharleroi206,900 residentsBrussels198,674 residentsLiège198,102 residentsAnderlecht129,600 residentsSchaerbeek129,278 residents

How does Antwerp compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Antwerp's.

Open the full comparison

Antwerp in rankings

#1 of 30 in Largest cities in Belgium

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.

School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 5 to 18. Newly arrived pupils get support in the school language: OKAN/OKATN (onthaalonderwijs, reception education for foreign-mother-tongue newcomers). How to enrol a child (belgium.be).

A country-wide rule for Belgium; Antwerp's school authority applies it locally.

Sources: eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · 2025–2026.

Is Antwerp part of Brussels?

Antwerp is near Brussels, but the collected evidence does not establish that it is administratively part of the hub or an official satellite. It is about 38.7 km away by straight-line distance. Brussels city profile

Relationship type: Nearby Independent Place. Source6

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 source19

Put Antwerp's key facts on your site — a card with this page's figures and a link back, free under CC BY 4.0.

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).

How safe is Antwerp?

Police recorded about 10,992 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Gemeente-Stadsmonitor register data — Samenleven (worksheet SA_01).

What is the unemployment rate in Antwerp?

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

What is the typical salary around Antwerp?

The median gross salary is 3,711 EUR/month. Source: Salaires mensuels bruts moyens des salariés employés à temps plein 2000-2022.

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.

Is Antwerp part of Brussels?

Antwerp is near Brussels, but the collected evidence does not establish that it is administratively part of the hub or an official satellite. It is about 38.7 km away by straight-line distance.

Which cities are near Antwerp?

Burcht, Mortsel, Schoten, Edegem, Wijnegem are near Antwerp. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

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, October 16). Antwerp, Belgium: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version deaf7bb0d39c5d148c2c80d52e5a1f3f]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/antwerp/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_antwerp-belgium-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_e2d94ab74184,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Antwerp, Belgium: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {deaf7bb0d39c5d148c2c80d52e5a1f3f},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/antwerp/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Antwerp, Belgium: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/antwerp/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version deaf7bb0d39c5d148c2c80d52e5a1f3f; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

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. Baux immobiliers – version annuelle / Real Estate Rents Annual; MunicipalityWideRealEstateRentsAnnual; RentP50 opendata.fin.belgium.be · checked 2026-09-23
  2. bestat.statbel.fgov.be bestat.statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-26
  3. European Environment Agency (EEA) air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-06
  4. Gemeente-Stadsmonitor register data — Samenleven (worksheet SA_01) Gemeente-Stadsmonitor register data · data.gemeente-stadsmonitor.vlaanderen.be · checked 2026-09-25
  5. Gemiddelde huurprijs huizen — Antwerpen, 2025 Gemiddelde huurprijs huizen · gemeente-stadsmonitor.vlaanderen.be · checked 2026-09-28
  6. gisco-services.ec.europa.eu place coordinates gisco-services.ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-28
  7. Internet Light Fiber proximus.be · checked 2026-10-08
  8. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
  9. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
  10. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
Show 20 more sources
  1. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
  2. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  3. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  4. police.be recorded crime data police.be · checked 2026-08-28
  5. Salaires mensuels bruts moyens des salariés employés à temps plein 2000-2022 bestat.statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-09-23
  6. Salaires mensuels bruts moyens des salariés employés à temps plein 2000-2022 bestat.statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-09-23
  7. Scarlet Red 10 GB scarlet.be · checked 2026-10-08
  8. Statbel (Belgian statistical office) statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-04
  9. statbel.fgov.be recorded crime data statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-28
  10. VDAB — Antwerp office locations VDAB · vdab.be · checked 2026-09-15
  11. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  12. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  13. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  14. Numbeo numbeo.com · checked 2026-08-03
  15. Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q527808 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
  16. Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q655203 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
  17. Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q688781 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
  18. Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q723822 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
  19. Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q724238 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
  20. Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q839037 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05

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.