Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aalst and Brussels

For one person, living is cheaper in Aalst: $2,141 a month against $2,584 in Brussels, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in Aalst
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Aalst Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Brussels
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Brussels Living Index

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Aalst

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,141

/mo nomad

Brussels

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,584

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aalst and in Brussels

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Aalst and in Brussels actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,141 in Aalst versus $2,584 in Brussels.

Aalst $2,141
Brussels $2,584

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,169 in Aalst versus $3,923 in Brussels.

Aalst $3,169
Brussels $3,923

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,197 in Aalst versus $5,262 in Brussels.

Aalst $4,197
Brussels $5,262

Living in Aalst costs roughly 17% less than in Brussels, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Aalst 57% above, Brussels 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.31 €20.94

$22.51 €20.23

3.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.9 €86.1

$91.2 €81.9

5.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €12.25

$15.19 €13.65

-10.20%

Cappuccino

$4.39 €3.94

$4.55 €4.08

-3.52%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 €3.13

$3.63 €3.27

-3.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 €2.72

$3.02 €2.71

0.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 €5.06

$5.69 €5.11

-1.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 €5.11

$5.55 €4.98

2.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 €1.20

$1.35 €1.21

-0.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 €2.56

$2.76 €2.48

3.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 €2.08

$2.84 €2.55

-18.31%

Eggs

$4.07 €3.65

$5.19 €4.66

-21.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.44 €14.77

$17.84 €16.03

-7.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.74 €10.55

$13.04 €11.72

-9.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.26 €20.00

$21.85 €19.63

1.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 €2.77

$3.13 €2.81

-1.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 €2.17

$2.42 €2.18

-0.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 €2.42

$2.81 €2.53

-3.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.35 €3.01

$4.03 €3.62

-16.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 €2.27

$2.46 €2.21

2.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.68

$2.18 €1.96

-14.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.34

$1.86 €1.67

-19.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.22 €1.10

-8.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.77 €11.48

$13.60 €12.22

-6.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.58 €7.71

$9.57 €8.59

-10.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.70

$2.70 €2.43

-30.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.83

$3.00 €2.70

-32.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.18 €2.85

$2.76 €2.48

15.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.7 €47.30

$61.6 €55.4

-14.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 €2.67

$2.95 €2.65

0.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.30 €2.07

$2.24 €2.01

2.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.01 €36.84

$40.78 €36.64

0.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.87

$2.06 €1.85

0.97%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.2K €31.6K

$34.8K €31.3K

1.02%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$36.3K €32.6K

$35.7K €32.1K

1.72%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$207 €186

$280 €252

-26.21%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$20.48 €18.40

$21.20 €19.05

-3.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.1 €46.83

$52.0 €46.73

0.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.48 €32.78

$32.34 €29.06

12.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.47 €19.29

$27.74 €24.93

-22.60%

Cinema Ticket

$15.71 €14.12

$15.88 €14.27

-1.07%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,606 €1,443

$1,596 €1,434

0.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K €30.5K

$36.2K €32.5K

-6.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 €102

$101 €90.9

11.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.55 €40.93

$46.78 €42.04

-2.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.8

$114 €102

-7.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 €149

$143 €129

15.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$931 €837

$1,393 €1,252

-33.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$814 €732

$1,160 €1,042

-29.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,392 €1,250

$2,518 €2,263

-44.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 €1,000

$2,076 €1,865

-46.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 €3,765

$4,877 €4,382

-14.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,896 €2,602

$3,718 €3,341

-22.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,836 €2,548

$3,392 €3,048

-16.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.53

3.71

-4.85%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Aalst: October 26, 2026

Last update for Brussels: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Aalst

$814 38%

Brussels

$1.2K 44.9% 42.5% $346

Groceries & Markets

Aalst

$361 16.9%

Brussels

$391 15.2% 8.4% $30

Eating Out

Aalst

$346 16.1%

Brussels

$346 13.4% 0.2% $0.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aalst

$279 13%

Brussels

$353 13.7% 26.5% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Aalst

$193 9%

Brussels

$182 7.1% 5.8% $11

Getting Around

Aalst

$80 3.7%

Brussels

$87 3.4% 8.7% $7

Sport & Entertainment

Aalst

$68 3.2%

Brussels

$64 2.5% 5.6% $3.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $931 in Aalst and $1,393 in Brussels. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brussels pays 20% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $96 in Aalst vs $91 in Brussels. Groceries flip the comparison at $361 vs $391, with Aalst cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Aalst

🇧🇪 Brussels

🕒 Local time

12:03 12:03 PM

Same time as Aalst

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,271

188,137 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Aalst vs Brussels: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aalst and Brussels differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($2,141 vs $2,584 including rent). Aalst is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Aalst. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $931 in Aalst versus $1,393 in Brussels. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Brussels – a meal for two runs $91 versus $96 in Aalst. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,141 per month in Aalst versus $2,584 in Brussels – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Aalst gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Aalst and Brussels are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Aalst wins on affordability, Brussels on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.