Living in Leuven
In Leuven, the median rent tenants pay is €625 a month (2025).
The population of Leuven totalled 104,906 at the end of 2025. Annual PM2.5 in the air was 8 µg/m³ at the end of 2024.
Lower unemployment than 66% of Belgian cities that publish it, more recorded crime than 98% of Belgian cities that publish it and dirtier air than 65% of Belgian cities that publish it.
Which Belgium-wide rules apply when you move to Leuven?
National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.
Housing and cost
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited | 59.99 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | Proximus Internet Go14Official · national market |
| Mobile plan, 10 GB | 49.99 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | Proximus Mobile Maxi15Official · national market |
| Monthly transport pass | 62 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | Omnipas - subscriptions - De Lijn10Official |
| Median monthly rent | 625 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2025 | Baux immobiliers – version annuelle / Real Estate Rents Annual; MunicipalityWideRealEstateRentsAnnual; RentP501Official |
Is Leuven 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.
Work and income
What is the unemployment rate in Leuven?
The unemployment rate is about 4.3 % (2011).
- Unemployment rate: 4.25 % · bestat.statbel.fgov.be2
Leuven 4.3%
Unemployment rate (%)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average gross earnings | 4,028 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2022 | Salaires mensuels bruts moyens des salariés employés à temps plein 2000-202216Official · regional context |
| Median gross salary (regional) | 3,711 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2022 | Salaires mensuels bruts moyens des salariés employés à temps plein 2000-202217Official · regional context |
| Unemployment rate | 4.25 %country median 5.3% | 31 Dec 2011 | bestat.statbel.fgov.be2Official |
What does a salary buy in Leuven?
Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.
RentTransportInternetMobileLeft 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 |
| Rentmedian rent of a whole dwelling · official · Baux immobiliers – version annuelle / Real Estate Rents Annual; MunicipalityWideRealEstateRentsAnnual; RentP50 · 2025-12-31 | − €625 |
| Public transport pass€62 · official · Omnipas - subscriptions - De Lijn · 2026-09-30 | − €62 |
| Utilities, 85 m²not published for this city | — |
| Internet€60 · official · Proximus Internet Go · 2026-09-30 | − €60 |
| Mobile plan€50 · official · Proximus Mobile Maxi · 2026-09-30 | − €50 |
| Left overbefore the bill this city does not publish | €1,690 |
Public employment service
No exact public employment office is currently linked to Leuven. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.
Actiris — Public employment service
Le Forem — Public employment service
Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Leuven. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.
Safety
How safe is Leuven?
Police recorded 12,730 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Statistiek Vlaanderen - Geregistreerde criminaliteit (criminaliteitsgraad per gemeente, per 100 inwoners)20
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents | 12,730 incidents per 100,000country median 5,167 | 31 Dec 2025 | Statistiek Vlaanderen - Geregistreerde criminaliteit (criminaliteitsgraad per gemeente, per 100 inwoners)20Official |
Mobility and administration
Leuven's nearest airport was BRU, 15 km away and offered 146 direct destinations.
Climate and air quality
Monthly mean temperatures were 3.8°C in January and 18.7°C in July. Leuven's monthly precipitation totalled 66.6 mm in January and 71.3 mm in July.
Is the air quality good in Leuven?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 8 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.
Night-time low to daytime high
mm
Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³
City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.
Leuven 8.0
Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 8 µg/m³ | 31 Dec 2024 | European Environment Agency (EEA)3Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average daytime high by month | Jan 6.4 · Feb 7.2 · Mar 10.9 · Apr 15.1 · May 18.6 · Jun 21.5 · Jul 23.7 · Aug 23.5 · Sep 19.9 · Oct 15.1 · Nov 10.1 · Dec 6.7 °C | 31 Dec 1991 | NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO6Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average night-time low by month | Jan 1.2 · Feb 1 · Mar 2.7 · Apr 5 · May 8.7 · Jun 11.7 · Jul 13.7 · Aug 13.4 · Sep 10.5 · Oct 7.4 · Nov 4.3 · Dec 1.9 °C | 31 Dec 1991 | NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO7Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average temperature by month | Jan 3.8 · Feb 4.1 · Mar 6.8 · Apr 10 · May 13.6 · Jun 16.6 · Jul 18.7 · Aug 18.4 · Sep 15.2 · Oct 11.3 · Nov 7.2 · Dec 4.3 °C | 31 Dec 1991 | NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO8Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average precipitation by month | Jan 66.6 · Feb 57.3 · Mar 52.2 · Apr 42.5 · May 56.2 · Jun 66.6 · Jul 71.3 · Aug 78 · Sep 59.1 · Oct 62.1 · Nov 69.6 · Dec 81.4 mm | 31 Dec 1991 | NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO9Official · nearest-station reading |
Similar climate. In Belgium: Ghent ±0.2 °C. Elsewhere: Werl (Germany) ±0.5 °C, Dusseldorf (Germany) ±0.3 °C, Reims (France) ±0.7 °C, Erkrath (Germany) ±0.3 °C, Haan (Germany) ±0.3 °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 Leuven?
The published population was 104,906 people in 2025. Source: Statbel (Belgian statistical office)18
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 104,906 people | 31 Dec 2025 | Statbel (Belgian statistical office)18Official |
Alternatives for people set on Leuven
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.
Brugge as a Leuven alternative in the same country
Better on 1 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1.
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 8,780 Brugge vs 12,730 Leuven−31%
- Annual PM2.5: 9.0 µg/m³ Brugge vs 8.0 µg/m³ Leuven+13%
- Residents: 120,283 Brugge vs 104,906 Leuven+15%
- Unemployment: 4.4% Brugge vs 4.3% Leuvensame level
- Median gross pay, region: €3,711 Brugge vs €3,711 Leuvensame level
Cities near Leuven
Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.
- Rent
- 1,050 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31
- Rent
- 1,150 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31
- Rent
- 1,045 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31
- Rent
- 1,170 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31
- Rent
- 1,050 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31
- Rent
- 1,025 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31
- Rent
- 1,098 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31
- Rent
- 995 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31
Alternative cities in Belgium
Other cities in Belgium to compare with Leuven, nearest in population first.
How does Leuven compare?
Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Leuven's.
Leuven in rankings
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Leuven 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 guideSchool 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; Leuven's school authority applies it locally.
Sources: eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · 2025–2026.
Is Leuven part of Brussels?
Leuven 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 22.8 km away by straight-line distance. Brussels city profile
Relationship type: Nearby Independent Place. Source5
Which comparable places record less crime than Leuven?
22 places have a lower recorded total crime rate than Leuven in this strictly source-matched cohort.
Leuven: 12,756.2 offences/100k (2025).
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 source13
Common questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
How many people live in Leuven?
The published population was 104,906 people in 2025. Source: Statbel (Belgian statistical office).
Is the air quality good in Leuven?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 8 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 Leuven?
Police recorded 12,730 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Statistiek Vlaanderen - Geregistreerde criminaliteit (criminaliteitsgraad per gemeente, per 100 inwoners).
What is the unemployment rate in Leuven?
The unemployment rate is about 4.3 % (2011). Source: bestat.statbel.fgov.be.
What is the typical salary around Leuven?
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 Leuven?
A monthly transport pass is 62 EUR/month. Source: Omnipas - subscriptions - De Lijn.
Is Leuven a good place to live?
Leuven 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 Leuven part of Brussels?
Leuven 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 22.8 km away by straight-line distance.
Which cities are near Leuven?
Herent, Oud-Heverlee, Holsbeek, Bertem, Bierbeek are near Leuven. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.
Which comparable places record less crime than Leuven?
22 places have a lower recorded total crime rate than Leuven 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). Leuven, Belgium: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version c1638125d65d7c781fc7c6eb4c47d016]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/leuven-vlg-vbr/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_leuven-belgium-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_6f70896a5dfa,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Leuven, Belgium: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-16},
version = {c1638125d65d7c781fc7c6eb4c47d016},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/leuven-vlg-vbr/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Leuven, Belgium: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/leuven-vlg-vbr/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version c1638125d65d7c781fc7c6eb4c47d016; 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
- Baux immobiliers – version annuelle / Real Estate Rents Annual; MunicipalityWideRealEstateRentsAnnual; RentP50 opendata.fin.belgium.be · checked 2026-09-23
- bestat.statbel.fgov.be bestat.statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-26
- European Environment Agency (EEA) air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-06
- GISCO Urban Audit 2021 — Functional Urban Areas (URAU_RG_100K_2021_4326_FUA) GISCO Urban Audit 2021 · gisco-services.ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-19
- gisco-services.ec.europa.eu place coordinates gisco-services.ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-28
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
- Omnipas - subscriptions - De Lijn delijn.be · checked 2026-09-19
Show 19 more sources
- OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
- OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
- police.be recorded crime data police.be · checked 2026-08-28
- Proximus Internet Go proximus.be · checked 2026-09-15
- Proximus Mobile Maxi proximus.be · checked 2026-09-15
- Salaires mensuels bruts moyens des salariés employés à temps plein 2000-2022 bestat.statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-09-23
- Salaires mensuels bruts moyens des salariés employés à temps plein 2000-2022 bestat.statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-09-23
- Statbel (Belgian statistical office) statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-04
- statbel.fgov.be recorded crime data statbel.fgov.be · checked 2026-08-28
- Statistiek Vlaanderen - Geregistreerde criminaliteit (criminaliteitsgraad per gemeente, per 100 inwoners) vlaanderen.be · checked 2026-09-18
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q676893 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q729929 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q746641 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q827665 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q895293 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q926139 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q929447 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q930269 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.