As someone from Brussels who’s explored this city plenty of times, I get asked a lot whether Ghent is expensive—and the honest answer is: not as much as you’d think.
Ghent consistently surprises visitors with how affordable it stays, whether you’re backpacking on a tight budget or after a bit more comfort. Below, I’m breaking down real costs—accommodation, food, sightseeing, and transportation—so you know exactly what to expect before you book.
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How Much Does Ghent Really Cost?
Daily spending in Ghent depends a lot on where you sleep and how you eat. Here’s what to expect in euros, whether you’re backpacking or booking a nicer stay.
Your Daily Budget
Watching your euros closely gets you through Ghent on €60-80 a day. That generally covers a hostel bed, cheap eats like fries or sandwiches, and maybe one paid attraction.
Bump that up to €120-160 a day and you’re in mid-range territory. This gets you a decent hotel room, a sit-down meal or two, and some room to explore museums or take a canal boat tour.
Travelers who want to splash out should budget €250 or more per day. Luxury holidays in Ghent mean boutique hotels, multi-course dinners, and private guided tours. Even at the higher end, Ghent won’t drain your wallet like Paris or Amsterdam would.
What a Weekend Usually Costs
A typical weekend trip—two nights, three days—breaks down pretty clearly by style. This table shows the difference:
| Travel Style | Weekend Cost (2 nights) |
|---|---|
| Budget | €150-200 |
| Mid-Range | €300-400 |
| Luxury | €600+ |
These numbers cover hotel, food, and a couple of activities. Flights aren’t included, so factor those in separately depending on where you’re flying from.
Timing your trip outside peak season can shave off a good chunk of these costs. Hotel prices in Ghent tend to dip in the winter months, minus the Christmas market period.
Budget vs. Mid-Range vs. Luxury
Accommodation makes the biggest difference in your total spend. A hostel bed runs €25-35 a night, a solid mid-range hotel sits around €90-130, and boutique or luxury spots start at €180 and climb fast.
Food follows a similar pattern. Sticking to bakeries and street food gets you through on €20-25 a day, but sit-down restaurant meals push that to €40-60 daily.
Ghent doesn’t punish budget travelers the way some European cities do. I could still see the main sights, eat good food, and enjoy the city without needing a luxury budget to do it.
Where Your Money Actually Goes
Your budget in Ghent breaks down into three main areas: where you sleep, what you eat, and which sights you pay to enter. Get these three right, and you can visit Ghent without spending a fortune.
Sleep Cheap, Stay Close
Staying right in the historic center costs more, so it pays to look a few streets out. Hotel prices in Ghent for a mid-range room usually run between 80 and 130 euros a night. Travelers on a tighter budget should stick to hostels, where a bed in a shared dorm runs around 25 to 35 euros a night.
Guesthouses are a nice middle ground. They often cost less than hotels but give you more privacy than a hostel, usually landing between 60 and 90 euros a night.
Walking 10 to 15 minutes from the main square can cut your accommodation cost significantly. You’ll still be close enough to everything on foot or by a quick tram ride.
Eating Well for Less
Food in Ghent doesn’t have to break the bank if you know where to look. Your best move is hunting down a dagmenu, a fixed daily menu that many local restaurants offer for lunch. These usually cost between 15 and 20 euros and include a starter and main dish, sometimes dessert too.
You really can’t visit without trying Belgian fries from a local frituur. A cone runs about 3 to 5 euros, and they taste noticeably better than anything you’ll get back home.—worth every cent.
Anyone chasing the best food in Ghent without spending too much should stick to lunch specials instead of dinner menus. Dinner at the same restaurant can cost double what you’d pay at midday.
Worth Paying For
Some sights in Ghent are worth paying for, even on a tight budget. Saint Bavo’s Cathedral charges a small fee, around 12 euros, to see the Ghent Altarpiece up close. This painting is famous for good reason, and it’s worth building in extra time to take it all in.
Gravensteen Castle costs about 12 euros to enter, and an audio guide is included. Climbing to the top rewards you with a great view over the city rooftops—one of my favorite ten minutes of the whole trip.
Anyone planning things to do in Ghent should prioritize these two paid attractions first. Everything else, like wandering the canals or checking out the Graslei buildings, is free.
Free (or Nearly Free) Fun
Some of the best things I did here didn’t cost a cent, and a few smart choices stretch your money even further.
Ghent’s Best Free View
Walking along Graslei and Korenlei costs nothing, and it’s easily one of the best things you can do in Ghent. These two streets sit across from each other along the Leie River, lined with old guild houses that look like something out of a postcard.
Any time of day works here. Morning light hits the buildings nicely, and evening brings a totally different mood once the lamps turn on—I ended up back here on both nights of my stay.
Bring a coffee or a snack and just sit by the water for a while. Locals do it too, so you won’t stick out as a tourist just parking yourself on a bench.
This spot alone makes Ghent feel far less expensive than you’d expect for a European city break.
Off the Beaten Path
Ghent’s medieval architecture is everywhere, and most of it is visible just by walking around. The Patershol district is a great example—narrow cobblestone streets, old brick houses, and a quieter vibe than the main tourist strip.
Wandering through Patershol costs nothing, and it’s one of those Ghent hidden gems that a lot of visitors skip because they stick to the main squares.
Vrijdagmarkt is another spot worth adding to your walk. It’s a historic market square that’s been used for centuries, and on market days you’ll see local vendors selling food and goods.
Citadelpark is a solid stop for some green space without spending money. It’s got walking paths, a pond, and enough space to just relax after a day of sightseeing.
Is the City Card Worth It?
The Ghent City Card can be worth it, but only for travelers hitting several paid attractions in one or two days. It gives you free entry to major sites, including STAM Ghent City Museum, plus free public transport and a boat tour.
If you’re mostly doing free stuff like Graslei or Patershol, skip the card and save your money. But if museums like STAM are on your list, the card usually pays for itself pretty quickly.
Read also: Is the Musea Brugge Card Worth It?
Getting Around for Less
Ghent’s city center is small enough that you probably won’t need to pay for transportation most days. When you do need help covering distance, De Lijn trams and buses, bike rentals, and the occasional taxi all cost less than you’d expect.
Just Walk It
You can walk across most of central Ghent in under 30 minutes. Gravensteen Castle, St. Bavo’s Cathedral, and the Graslei waterfront all sit within a few blocks of each other—I never once felt the need to hop on a tram.
This means you save money simply by putting on comfortable shoes instead of paying for local transportation in Ghent. A self-guided walk costs nothing, and you’ll see just as much as you would on a paid tour.
For some background info along the way, a low-cost Ghent walking tour usually runs between €15 and €25 per person. That’s a reasonable price if you like having a guide point out details you’d otherwise miss.
Trams and Buses on a Budget
For trips outside the walkable core, De Lijn runs Ghent’s tram and bus network. A single ticket bought through the app costs around €2.50, while paying onboard bumps that up to about €3.
Your best bet is a day pass if you’re taking three or more rides, since it caps your cost at roughly €7.50.
Buy tickets through the De Lijn app before boarding. It’s cheaper and saves you from fumbling with cash or cards on a crowded tram—a mistake I made exactly once.
Bikes, Tours, and the Occasional Taxi
Ghent is genuinely one of the most bike-friendly cities I’ve visited, and renting one is easy on your wallet. Basic rentals start around €10 to €15 per day, which beats most public transit costs if you’re staying more than a couple days.
A guided Ghent bike tour typically costs €25 to €35 and covers more ground than walking, especially if you want to see areas just outside the center. It’s a solid option if you’re short on time but still want a fuller picture of the city.
Taxis are the priciest choice here, so save them for late nights or heavy luggage. Expect to pay €10 to €15 for short rides within the city, which adds up fast if you rely on them daily.
Timing Is Everything
When you visit Ghent can change your budget as much as where you stay or what you eat. Picking the right month, booking early, and choosing between a quick day trip or an overnight stay all affect how much cash you keep in your pocket.
Go in Shoulder Season, Save Big
For the best time to visit Ghent without paying peak prices, look at April, May, September, and October. These shoulder season months give you mild weather and much smaller crowds than summer.
Hotel prices also drop compared to July and August. In shoulder season, a decent room often runs €80 to €120 a night, where the same place might cost €150 or more during peak summer weeks.
Restaurants and attractions don’t get as crowded either, so you’re not stuck waiting in long lines. This is probably the smartest time to go if you’re trying to stretch your budget while still getting good weather—it’s when I’d go again.
Peak Season: Book Early or Pay More
Summer in Ghent, especially during the Gentse Feesten festival in July, brings bigger crowds and higher prices. Hotels cost more, and some restaurants raise their menu prices during the busiest weeks.
Anyone visiting during peak season should book their hotel and any tours at least two months ahead. Waiting until the last minute can mean paying 20% to 30% more for the same room.
Early booking really does pay off, especially for popular guesthouses near the city center.
Day Trip or Overnight?
A Ghent day trip can save you money if you’re already staying in Brussels or Bruges. You skip hotel costs completely, and train tickets from Brussels run around €10 to €15 each way.
But squeezing Ghent into a single day means missing the evening atmosphere when the medieval buildings light up along the canals. That’s one of the best parts of visiting, in my opinion, and part of why I’m glad I stayed the extra night.
Staying overnight costs more, but it lets you see the city without rushing. You’ll also avoid packing everything into a single afternoon, which can feel stressful if you’re trying to hit multiple sights.
A day trip works fine on a tight budget. For the full experience, one extra night is worth the added cost.
The Budget-Friendly Itinerary
You can see the best of Ghent without spending a ton of money if you plan your days right. Here’s how to build a budget-friendly Ghent itinerary that still hits all the highlights, whether you have one day or three.
Ghent in a Day, Cheap
With only one day in Ghent, walk everywhere. The historic center is small enough to cover on foot, and it’s free.
Start at Saint Bavo’s Cathedral in the morning. Entry to the main church is free, though you’ll pay a few euros to see the famous Ghent Altarpiece up close.
Next, walk to Gravensteen Castle. You can admire the outside for free, or pay around €12 to go inside.
Grab lunch from a food truck or bakery instead of a sit-down restaurant. A sandwich or waffle costs €4 to €7.
Spend your afternoon wandering Graslei and Korenlei, the canal-side streets that don’t cost a cent to enjoy.
Go to Graffiti Street, it’s known locally as Werregarenstraat, and is located in a narrow alley covered in colorful street art. It changes often, so no two visits look the same.
This is a fun stop if you’re looking for something different from Ghent’s older buildings. It costs nothing to walk through, and it usually only takes a few minutes.
Local artists are allowed to paint here legally, which is why the art keeps changing.
End your day watching the sunset over the water—my favorite hour of the whole trip. That’s a full day in Ghent for under €30 if you skip paid attractions and stick to cheap eats.
The 3-Day Plan (With a Splurge)
With two or three days, you get more breathing room to mix free things to do in Ghent with a few paid extras.
Day 1: Follow the one-day route above.
Day 2: Visit STAM (Ghent City Museum) for around €10, then explore Patershol, the old neighborhood full of narrow streets. Save money by cooking or picking up groceries for one meal instead of eating out every time.
Day 3: Take a canal boat tour for about €10, then treat yourself to a nicer dinner. This is a good day to splurge a little, maybe on a proper Belgian meal with fries and a local beer.
Budget travelers can expect to spend roughly €60 to €90 a day across three days, even with a splurge or two mixed in.
5 Rules to Save More
A few habits made a real difference in what I spent:
- Book your room early. Prices jump the closer you get to your travel dates.
- Skip taxis. Ghent is walkable, and public transit is cheap if you need it.
- Buy a combo ticket if you plan to see three or more paid sights. It usually saves you money compared to buying tickets one by one.
- Eat where locals eat, not right next to the main tourist spots. Prices drop fast once you walk a few blocks away.
- Set a daily spending cap. Something like €70 a day keeps you honest without feeling too tight.
These small rules add up. Follow them, and your trip stays affordable from start to finish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are quick answers to common questions about visiting Ghent without spending a lot of money. These tips cover trip length, lodging, food, and free things to do.
Is Ghent more affordable for tourists than Brussels or Bruges?
Yes, in most cases. Ghent tends to be cheaper than Bruges, which gets hit hard by day-trippers and charges tourist prices because of it.
Brussels has more budget options since it’s bigger, but hotel prices in the city center can climb fast. Ghent sits in a nice middle spot—less touristy pricing than Bruges, but still smaller and easier to manage than Brussels.
How many days do I need to see Ghent on a budget?
Two to three days gives you enough time to see the main sights without rushing. You can walk to most attractions in the city center, so you won’t need to pay for taxis or extra transport.
If you only have one day, you can still see the castle, the cathedral, and the old town squares. A longer stay lets you slow down and find cheaper meals instead of eating at tourist spots near the main attractions.
Where can I eat well in Ghent without spending too much?
Local bakeries sell fresh bread, pastries, and sandwiches for just a few euros. You can also find affordable Belgian fries, called frites, at small stands around the city.
For a sit-down meal, look for lunch specials at local restaurants, which often cost less than dinner menus. Markets like the Vrijdagmarkt area have stalls with cheap, tasty food if you want to eat like a local.
The Ghent City Museum (STAM) has free entry on the first Sunday of each month. Walking through the Patershol neighborhood costs nothing and shows you narrow streets with old houses and small shops.
You can also visit the Vooruit Arts Centre, which often has free exhibits and events. Parks like Citadelpark are great for a relaxing, no-cost break between sightseeing.
Welcome to TravelOnQuest.Com! I’m Simone, and I am here to help you plan your dream European adventure without breaking the bank. Join me as we uncover hidden gems, must-see attractions, and insider tips for creating unforgettable travel experiences. Whether you’re exploring solo, with family, or with friends, let’s connect and make your budget-friendly European escapade a reality.