Living in Mechelen

In Mechelen, the median rent tenants pay is €900 a month (2025).

Mechelen numbered 89,655 residents at the end of 2025. Annual PM2.5 in the air was 9 µg/m³ at the end of 2024.

Last checked 2026-09-2629 sources

Population89,655people31 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

Median rent900EUR/month31 Dec 2025Official source · Baux immobiliers – version annuelle / Real Estate Rents Annual; MunicipalityWideRealEstateRentsAnnual; RentP50

Unemployment rate6.65%country median 5.3% — 25% aboveOfficial source · bestat.statbel.fgov.be

Recorded crime8,720incidents per 100,000country median 5,167 — 69% aboveOfficial source · Gemeente-Stadsmonitor register data — Samenleven (worksheet SA_01)

PM2.5, annual mean9µg/m³31 Dec 2024Nearest stationOfficial source · European Environment Agency (EEA)

More recorded crime than 92% of Belgian cities that publish it and dirtier air than 97% of Belgian cities that publish it.

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

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 Mechelen.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

What recurs every month3 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Transport pass€62

Internet, 60 Mbps€60

Mobile plan, 10 GB€50

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	59.99 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Proximus Internet Go¹⁵Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB	49.99 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Proximus Mobile Maxi¹⁶Official · national market
Monthly transport pass	62 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Omnipas - subscriptions - De Lijn¹¹Official
Median monthly rent	900 EUR/month	31 Dec 2025	Baux immobiliers – version annuelle / Real Estate Rents Annual; MunicipalityWideRealEstateRentsAnnual; RentP50¹Official

Is Mechelen 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 worker53%strong on work, weak on safety · range 44–62%

Skilled employee55%strong on work, weak on education · range 46–64%

Student39%strong on cost, weak on education · range 29–49%

Family45%strong on family, weak on education · range 36–54%

Retirement53%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 42–64%

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Mechelen?

The unemployment rate is about 6.7 % (2011).

Unemployment rate: 6.65 % · bestat.statbel.fgov.be²

Unemployment across cities in BelgiumUnemployment in Mechelen is 6.7%. Of 509 cities with data, 160 have unemployment of 2 to under 4%.

160

123

0–22–44–66–88–1010–1212–1414–1616–1818–2020–2222–2424–26

Mechelen 6.7%

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 2000-2022¹⁷Official · regional context
Median gross salary (regional)	3,711 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Salaires mensuels bruts moyens des salariés employés à temps plein 2000-2022¹⁸Official · regional context
Unemployment rate	6.65 %country median 5.3%	31 Dec 2011	bestat.statbel.fgov.be²Official

What does a salary buy in Mechelen?

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

Left over each month€1,415of €2,487 take-home

Rent
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
Rentmedian rent of a whole dwelling · official · Baux immobiliers – version annuelle / Real Estate Rents Annual; MunicipalityWideRealEstateRentsAnnual; RentP50 · 2025-12-31	− €900
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	€1,415

Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Mechelen Salary needed to live in Mechelen

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Mechelen. 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

Open the Belgium service overview

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

Safety

How safe is Mechelen?

Police recorded about 8,720 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 citiesMechelen highlighted among comparable cities

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

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents	8,720 incidents per 100,000country median 5,167	31 Dec 2025	Gemeente-Stadsmonitor register data — Samenleven (worksheet SA_01)⁴Official

Mobility and administration

Mechelen's nearest airport was BRU, 14 km away and offered 146 direct destinations.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Direct destinations from the nearest major airport	146 count	3 Aug 2026	OpenFlights¹²Official
Distance to the nearest major airport	14 km	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports¹³Official
Nearest major airport (IATA code)	BRU	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports¹³Official

Climate and air quality

Monthly mean temperature moved from 3.8°C in January to 18.7°C in July. Mechelen's monthly precipitation totalled 66.6 mm in January and 71.3 mm in July.

Is the air quality good in Mechelen?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 9 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

0°

6°1°

7°1°

11°3°

15°5°

19°9°

21°12°

24°14°

24°13°

20°10°

15°7°

10°4°

7°2°

JFMAMJJASOND

Night-time low to daytime high

Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm

JFMAMJJASOND

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM2.59WHO 5 · EU 25

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

PM2.5 across cities in BelgiumAnnual PM2.5 in Mechelen is 9.0 µg/m³. Of 442 cities with data, 142 have annual PM2.5 of 8 to under 9 µg/m³.

142

2–33–44–55–66–77–88–99–10

Mechelen 9.0

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
PM2.5 — annual mean	9 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 / WMO⁷Official · 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 / WMO⁸Official · 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 / WMO⁹Official · 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 / WMO¹⁰Official · 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 Mechelen?

The published population was 89,655 people in 2025. Source: Statbel (Belgian statistical office)¹⁹

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Population	89,655 people	31 Dec 2025	Statbel (Belgian statistical office)¹⁹Official

Alternatives for people set on Mechelen

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.

Leuven as a Mechelen alternative in the same region

23 km away, better on 2 of 4 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0. Recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.

Unemployment: 4.3% Leuven vs 6.7% Mechelen−36%
Recorded crime, per 100k: 12,730 Leuven vs 8,720 Mechelenno percentage
Annual PM2.5: 8.0 µg/m³ Leuven vs 9.0 µg/m³ Mechelen−11%
Residents: 104,906 Leuven vs 89,655 Mechelen+17%
Median gross pay, region: €3,711 Leuven vs €3,711 Mechelensame level

Full comparison More about Leuven

Roeselare as a Mechelen alternative in the same country

95 km away, better on 2 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0.

Unemployment: 4.0% Roeselare vs 6.7% Mechelen−41%
Recorded crime, per 100k: 7,852 Roeselare vs 8,720 Mechelen−10%
Residents: 66,888 Roeselare vs 89,655 Mechelen−25%
Median gross pay, region: €3,711 Roeselare vs €3,711 Mechelensame level
Annual PM2.5: 9.0 µg/m³ Roeselare vs 9.0 µg/m³ Mechelensame level

Full comparison More about Roeselare

Cities near Mechelen

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

Bonheiden Commuting Zone · 4.8 km away

Rent: 1,068 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31

Zemst Commuting Zone · 5.1 km away

Rent: 1,100 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31

Sint-Katelijne-Waver Commuting Zone · 5.8 km away

Rent: 900 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31

Boortmeerbeek Commuting Zone · 7.8 km away

Rent: 1,075 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31

Kapelle-op-den-Bos Commuting Zone · 8.0 km away

Rent: 915 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2025-12-31

Alternative cities in Belgium

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

All Belgium cities

Ixelles89,162 residents Hasselt90,914 residents Uccle87,548 residents Aalst92,131 residents Sint-Niklaas82,661 residents La Louvière81,751 residents

How does Mechelen compare?

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

Open the full comparison

Mechelen in rankings

#14 of 30 in Largest cities in Belgium

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Mechelen 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; Mechelen's school authority applies it locally.

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

Is Mechelen part of Brussels?

Mechelen 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 18.4 km away by straight-line distance. Brussels city profile

Relationship type: Nearby Independent Place. Source⁶

Which comparable places record less crime than Mechelen?

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

Mechelen: 8,720.1 offences/100k (2025).

Sint-Genesius-Rode — 4,208.6 offences/100k2025 Kapellen — 4,346.6 offences/100k2025 Hove — 4,625.9 offences/100k2025 Zoutleeuw — 4,734.2 offences/100k2025 Hamme — 4,971.6 offences/100k2025 Herk-de-Stad — 5,028.2 offences/100k2025 Temse — 5,554.7 offences/100k2025 Oudenaarde — 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 source¹⁴

Put Mechelen'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 Mechelen?

The published population was 89,655 people in 2025. Source: Statbel (Belgian statistical office).

Is the air quality good in Mechelen?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 9 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 Mechelen?

What is the unemployment rate in Mechelen?

The unemployment rate is about 6.7 % (2011). Source: bestat.statbel.fgov.be.

What is the typical salary around Mechelen?

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 Mechelen?

A monthly transport pass is 62 EUR/month. Source: Omnipas - subscriptions - De Lijn.

Is Mechelen a good place to live?

Mechelen 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 Mechelen part of Brussels?

Mechelen 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 18.4 km away by straight-line distance.

Which cities are near Mechelen?

Bonheiden, Zemst, Sint-Katelijne-Waver, Hever, Elewijt are near Mechelen. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

Which comparable places record less crime than Mechelen?

16 places have a lower recorded total crime rate than Mechelen 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). Mechelen, Belgium: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 4176de6333780213139bdc1c5a7992da]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/mechelen-vlg-van/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_mechelen-belgium-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_6e57afa5c316,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Mechelen, Belgium: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {4176de6333780213139bdc1c5a7992da},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/mechelen-vlg-van/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Mechelen, Belgium: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/be/mechelen-vlg-van/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 4176de6333780213139bdc1c5a7992da; 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

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
Gemeente-Stadsmonitor register data — Samenleven (worksheet SA_01) Gemeente-Stadsmonitor register data · data.gemeente-stadsmonitor.vlaanderen.be · checked 2026-09-25
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

Show 19 more sources

Omnipas - subscriptions - De Lijn delijn.be · checked 2026-09-19
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
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q179249 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q528222 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q696578 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q746078 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q911995 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05

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