Budget · Antwerp · Belgium
Antwerp on a budget
What a trip to Antwerp really costs, and where the savings are.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Rolf Kranz, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Antwerp is moderately priced for most international visitors. Budget roughly $80–$130 per person per day on a tight budget, $170–$300 mid-range and $380–$850 for luxury, excluding flights. Hotel prices are usually lowest in January–March and November.
Key facts
- Budget traveller
- $80–$130 a day
- Mid-range
- $170–$300 a day
- Luxury
- $380–$850 a day
- Local currency
- EUR
- Free sights
- 8
Daily budget and trip cost
AMZBooking estimates per person in US dollars, excluding flights, reviewed October 2026. Accommodation is the biggest variable; prices rise in peak months.
| Style | Per day | 3 days | 5 days | 7 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | $80–$130 | $240–$390 | $400–$650 | $560–$910 |
| Mid-range | $170–$300 | $510–$900 | $850–$1,500 | $1,190–$2,100 |
| Luxury | $380–$850 | $1,140–$2,550 | $1,900–$4,250 | $2,660–$5,950 |
Typical prices
Approximate prices in Antwerp, October 2026. They change; use them for planning, not as quotes.
| Item | Typical price |
|---|---|
| De Lijn single ticket | about €2.50–€3.50 |
| Coffee in a café | about €3–€4 |
| Fries with sauce | about €4–€6 |
| Bolleke De Koninck | about €3–€4.50 |
| Moules-frites | about €25–€35 |
| Major museum ticket | about €12–€22 |
| Waffle from a stand | about €3–€6 |
Money-saving tips
- The MAS rooftop, Central Station, the Grote Markt, the Sint-Annatunnel and the Middelheim Museum cost nothing.
- The Antwerp City Card pays off if you visit several museums over one or two days.
- Weekday lunch menus are much cheaper than dinner.
- Fries, waffles and beer in local cafés make for affordable meals and breaks.
- Many city museums offer free entry on the last Wednesday of the month; check before you go.
Free things to do
- Grote Markt and City Hall — Antwerp's main square is lined with gabled guildhouses topped with gilded statues and dominated by the Renaissance City Hall of the 1560s.
- Antwerp Central Station — Louis Delacenserie's station, completed in 1905, has a domed stone hall of marble and gilt, a vast iron-and-glass train shed and, since the 2000s, tracks on three levels beneath it.
- St. Charles Borromeo Church — This Jesuit church on the elegant Hendrik Conscienceplein was built in the early 17th century with Rubens involved in its decoration.
- St. Paul's Church — A Gothic church with a Baroque interior and paintings by Rubens, Van Dyck and Jordaens, including Rubens's Flagellation in a series of 15 paintings of the Mysteries of the Rosary.
- Sint-Annatunnel — A pedestrian and cyclist tunnel opened in 1933 runs about 570 metres under the Scheldt to the left bank, reached by original wooden escalators and tiled entrance halls.
- Cogels-Osylei and Zurenborg — The Cogels-Osylei and nearby Waterloostraat and Transvaalstraat are lined with exuberant townhouses built around 1900 in Art Nouveau, neo-Renaissance and eclectic styles, including the Huis Zonnebloem and the houses of the Vier Seizoenen (Four Seasons) at the Waterloostraat junction.
Where to stay on a budget
$$ · Best for first-timers, families and budget
Stationsbuurt and Diamond Quarter
The grand Central Station, the zoo and the diamond trade's streets
$$ · Best for quiet stays, couples, culture and food lovers
Zurenborg
Art Nouveau and eclectic townhouses around Dageraadplaats
$ · Best for budget, quiet stays and families
Linkeroever
The left bank across the Scheldt, with skyline views and a riverside beach
Eating well for less
- Belgian fries — Frituur (fry shops) across the city, including around the Groenplaats and the Meir.
- Shrimp croquettes — Brasseries and cafés as a starter.
- Antwerpse handjes — Bakeries and chocolatiers around the Grote Markt and the Meir.
Getting around for less
Antwerp City Card
A 24-, 48- or 72-hour card with free entry to many museums and attractions; check whether public transport is included in the version you buy.
Questions travellers ask
+How much does a trip to Antwerp cost?
About $850–$1,500 per person for five days mid-range, excluding flights (estimate), or $400–$650 on a tight budget.
+Is Antwerp expensive?
It is moderately priced for international visitors. The MAS rooftop, Central Station, the Grote Markt, the Sint-Annatunnel and the Middelheim Museum cost nothing.
+How much money do I need per day in Antwerp?
Roughly $80–$130 on a budget and $170–$300 mid-range (estimates).
+When are hotel prices lowest in Antwerp?
Usually in January–March and November.