Travel Budget for Leuven Visit Leuven on a Budget or Travel in Style

Leuven, Flanders, Belgium

How much does it cost to travel to Leuven?

You should plan to spend around $194 (€178) per day on your vacation in Leuven. This is the average daily price based on the expenses of other visitors.

Past travelers have spent, on average for one day:

  • $53 (€49) on meals
  • $67 (€61) on local transportation
  • $202 (€185) on hotels

A one week trip to Leuven for two people costs, on average, $2,712 (€2,492). This includes accommodation, food, local transportation, and sightseeing.

All of these average travel prices have been collected from other travelers to help you plan your own travel budget.

  • Average Daily Cost Per person, per day
    $194
    178
  • One Week Per person
    $1,356
    1,246
  • 2 Weeks Per person
    $2,712
    2,492
  • One Month Per person
    $5,812
    5,339
  • One Week For a couple
    $2,712
    2,492
  • 2 Weeks For a couple
    $5,425
    4,983
  • One Month For a couple
    $11,624
    10,679
This data comes from the travel budgets of real travelers - How it works. Put these numbers on your website.


How much does a one week, two week, or one month trip to Leuven cost?

A one week trip to Leuven usually costs around $1,356 (€1,246) for one person and $2,712 (€2,492) for two people. This includes accommodation, food, local transportation, and sightseeing.

A two week trip to Leuven on average costs around $2,712 (€2,492) for one person and $5,425 (€4,983) for two people. This cost includes accommodation, food, local transportation, and sightseeing.

Please note, prices can vary based on your travel style, speed, and other variables. If you're traveling as a family of three or four people, the price per person often goes down because kid's tickets are cheaper and hotel rooms can be shared. If you travel slower over a longer period of time then your daily budget will also go down. Two people traveling together for one month in Leuven will often have a lower daily budget per person than one person traveling alone for one week.

A one month trip to Leuven on average costs around $5,812 (€5,339) for one person and $11,624 (€10,679) for two people. The more places you visit, the higher the daily price will become due to increased transportation costs.




Independent Travel

Traveling Independently to Leuven has many benefits including affordabilty, freedom, flexibility, and the opportunity to control your own experiences.

All of the travel costs below are based on the experiences of other independent travelers.

Is Leuven expensive to visit?

Prices in Leuven are reasonable and comparable to your average travel destination. Hotels, food, and sightseeing are generally within normal price ranges.

Within Europe, which is known to be an expensive region, Leuven is a moderately priced destination compared to other places. The overall cost of travel here is fair for the region and comparable to Santorini or Annecy.

For more details, and to find out if it's within your travel budget, see Is Leuven Expensive?

How much money do I need for a trip to Leuven?

The average Leuven trip cost is broken down by category here for independent travelers. All of these Leuven travel prices are calculated from the budgets of real travelers.


Category Cost
Accommodation 1 (Double Occupancy) 185 ($202)
Local Transportation 1 61 ($67)
Food 2 49 ($53)
Entertainment 1 23 ($25)
Alcohol 2 13 - 38 ($14 - 41)
Accommodation Budget in Leuven
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

The average price paid for one person for accommodation in Leuven is $101 (€93). For two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room, the average price paid for a hotel room in Leuven is $202 (€185). This cost is from the reported spending of actual travelers.


  • Accommodation1 Hotel or hostel for one person
    $101
    93
  • Accommodation1 Typical double-occupancy room
    $202
    185

Hotel Prices in Leuven

Looking for a hotel in Leuven? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options.

Find the best hotel for your travel style.

 

Actual Hotel Prices
The average hotel room price in Leuven based on data provided by Kayak for actual hotel rooms is $81. (Prices in U.S. Dollars, before taxes & fees.)

Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world.


Recommended Properties


Transportation Budget in Leuven
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • The cost of a taxi ride in Leuven is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $67 (€61) per person, per day, on local transportation in Leuven.


  • Transportation1 Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    $67
    61

Recommended Services


Flights to Leuven
How much does it cost to go to Leuven? Naturally, it depends on the dates. We recommend Kayak because they can find the best deals across all airlines.

Rental Cars in Leuven
The price of renting a car in Leuven will depends on dates, the type of car, the location, and your age. We recommend Kayak because they can find the best deals across all car rental companies.



Food Budget in Leuven
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • While meal prices in Leuven can vary, the average cost of food in Leuven is $53 (€49) per day. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out an average meal in Leuven should cost around $21 (€20) per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Leuven is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.


  • Food2 Meals for one day
    $53
    49

Recommended


Entertainment Budget in Leuven
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • Entertainment and activities in Leuven typically cost an average of $25 (€23) per person, per day based on the spending of previous travelers. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.


  • Entertainment1 Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    $25
    23

Recommended Activities


Alcohol Budget in Leuven
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • The average person spends about $27 (€25) on alcoholic beverages in Leuven per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.


  • Alcohol2 Drinks for one day
    $27
    25


Leuven On a Budget
Leuven Leuven, Belgium
Lying just east of Brussels, Leuven is a Belgian city and capital of the Province of Flemish Brabant known for its breweries, historic architecture, and university. Because of the university, the town is at its busiest during the academic year (September through June), but there is plenty to see and do during all seasons.
Sights
The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, abbreviated KU Leuven, is a university that conducts teaching and research in the sciences, engineering, humanities, medicine, law, and social sciences. It is also the oldest Catholic University in the world still in existence, founded in 1425. Although much of the city suffered damage during both World Wars, the historic center has been preserved and buildings like the University Library have since been restored.

Leuven also contains two UNESCO World Heritage Sites. One of these sites is the Groot Begijnhof (Grand Beguinage), which includes a completely restored historical quarter south of downtown Leuven. It is also one of the largest remaining beguinages (an architectural complex created to house beguines, or religious women) in the Low Countries. The second UNESCO site is St Peter’s Church, whose belfry is a part of the Belfries of Belgium and France. The University buildings and Leuven's historic center are also on Belgium’s tentative list to become a World Heritage Sites.

Another impressive site is the Leuven Town Hall whose Gothic edifice is decorated with hundreds of statues of local figures, biblical characters, and saints.
Neighborhoods
In Leuven, the best place to start to orient oneself is at the center. Old Market, or Oude Markt, lies in the midst of it all. Not only is the market a pedestrian area, but there are also plenty of restaurants and cafes to indulge in. The Grote Markt (Grand Place) is where the tourist information desk is situated. Also in this central location is a 15th-century town hall with its iconic tall spires, across from which sits the late Gothic St. Peter's Church. The university lies just southeast of here, making it very easy for students to frequent the city center.

Activities
Whether explored on one's own or via guided tour, Leuven's historical landmarks and architecture are worth visiting. Most are located within the city's historical center. For those who enjoy art museums, Leuven is also home to the M-Museum, which exhibits a combination of modern art and work from the past centuries. Since the city is also known for its breweries, you may also want to experience the beer-drinking scene. Inbev’s main Belgian beer factory is located in Leuven, producing famous brands such as Stella Artois, Vieux Temps, and Leffe Radieuse. Depending on the day of the week there are also various markets, as well as seasonal markets like the Christmas Market where visitors can shop for Christmas gifts, taste local specialties, and drink a glass of Gluhwein or brandy. Various events and festivals are held year-round.
Food and Dining
Most people think of Belgium food specialties and they think chocolate, waffles, and beer. Inventors of the chocolate bar and the praline, the Belgian chocolate industry indeed has produced some of the highest quality chocolate since the 17th century. Waffles are, of course, a common street snack and dessert, while beer is produced in a range of more than 1,000 varieties-each matched with a different food dish. Some meals even use beer as an ingredient, such as carbonade which consists of a stew of beef cooked in beer, similar to boeuf bourguignon. Fries are also extremely popular, as they most likely originated in Belgium. They are usually served with sauces, most often mayonnaise or ketchup. Other common dishes include moules-frites (mussels with fries), steak-frites (steak with fries), waterzooi (a rich stew of chicken or fish, vegetables, cream, and eggs), and boudin (a kind of sausage).

In Leuven most restaurants are tasty and affordable due to the student population. Muntstraat has a variety of options from traditional Belgian to international restaurants like Chinese, Mexican, or Italian. Other great waypoints for dining include Grand Place, Oude Markt (Old Market), and Parijsstraat.

Transportation
The nearest major airport is Brussels Airport, which has international flights serving Europe, America, Africa, and Asia. A train and a bus station are located right at the airport with trains to Leuven running every half hour on weekdays and every hour on the weekend. Taxis are also available. It takes about 20 minutes by car and 13 minutes by train to reach Leuven from the airport.

Leuven's busy railway station is also connected to multiple locations in Brussels, Mechelen, Lier, Antwerp, Ghent, Bruges, Liege, Mons, the Flemish coast, and many more.

We've been gathering travel costs from tens of thousands of actual travelers since 2010, and we use the data to calculate average daily travel costs for destinations around the world. We also systematically analyze the prices of hotels, hostels, and tours from travel providers such as Kayak, HostelWorld, TourRadar, Viator, and others. This combination of expenses from actual travelers, combined with pricing data from major travel companies, gives us a uniqe insight into the overall cost of travel for thousands of cities in countries around the world. You can see more here: How it Works.



1 Categories averaged on a per-item basis.
2 Categories averaged on a per-day basis.
For example, the Food2 daily average is for all meals for an entire day, while Entertainment1 is for each individual purchase. Thus, the overall daily average cost is not a summation of the individual categories.