Ghent on a budget: how to do it well
Short answer
Yes: Ghent is compact and walkable, so you can see the centre for very little, and frites and student-area food are cheap. A realistic minimum is about €90 a day per person sharing a room — around €40 for a bed, €30 for food, €15 for sights and €5 for transport.
A realistic daily budget
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing) | €40 | €80 | €150 |
| Food & drink | €30 | €55 | €95 |
| Sights & tickets | €15 | €30 | €45 |
| Local transport | €5 | €10 | €20 |
| Per person, per day | €90 | €175 | €310 |
Approximate 2026 prices, two people sharing a room. From our Ghent day-cost table.
Free things to do
- The view of the three towers from St Michael's Bridge
- Walking the Graslei and Korenlei, especially after dark when the old centre is lit
- The street art of Werregarenstraatje off Hoogpoort
- Wandering the medieval lanes of the Patershol
- Vrijdagmarkt, with the Dulle Griet cannon and the Friday-morning market
- St Bavo's Cathedral itself (only the Ghent Altarpiece needs a ticket); Citadelpark
Cheap eats
- Frites from a frituur — about €3–5 plus €1–1.50 for sauce
- Stoverij sauce on frites — about €4–7
- Pita or falafel in the Overpoort student area or on the Sleepstraat — a few euros
- A dagschotel (dish of the day) lunch in a brasserie — usually the cheapest sit-down meal
- Cuberdons from a Groentenmarkt stall — about €4–8 a bag
Where to sleep for less
Budget travellers stay in hostels near the Belfry and Korenmarkt, right in the old centre, with dorms and small private rooms (about €60–110 for a private room). The area around Gent-Sint-Pieters station has cheaper mid-range hotels (about €100–160) and is handy for day trips; book far ahead for July.
Getting around cheaply
Walk the centre — the Belfry to Gravensteen is about 7 minutes. From Gent-Sint-Pieters, take tram 1 to Korenmarkt (about 10–15 minutes) with an advance De Lijn ticket (about €3) or walk 30 minutes. Bikes rent for about €12–20 a day. From Brussels Airport, the train takes about 1 hour.
A sample budget day
- Morning: free views from St Michael's Bridge and a walk along the Graslei, then the Belfry (around €12)
- Lunch: frites with stoverij sauce (about €8)
- Afternoon: Patershol lanes, Vrijdagmarkt and Werregarenstraatje street art (free)
- Evening: dagschotel or pita dinner (about €12–15) and one Belgian beer (about €5)
- Total: about €90 including a hostel or shared room (about €40)
More ways to save
- Pick one or two paid sights — the Altarpiece and Gravensteen — rather than a pass if you prefer walking.
- Eat in the student areas and on the Sleepstraat for cheaper food.
- Do Bruges by train (about €8–10 one way) instead of a guided coach tour.
- Use the free evening lighting walk instead of a paid tour.
- Ask whether frites are fried in beef fat if you are vegetarian, and choose from the city's many vegetarian restaurants.
- Travel outside July and December for cheaper rooms.
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Common questions
Can you visit Ghent on a budget?
Yes. The centre is walkable and many of the best views are free. Plan on about €90 a day per person sharing a room.
How do I get from Ghent station to the centre cheaply?
Take tram 1 to Korenmarkt with an advance De Lijn ticket (about €3), or walk about 30 minutes.
Is it cheaper to stay in Ghent or Bruges?
Hotels are generally cheaper in Ghent, and Bruges is only about 25 minutes away by train.