Cost of Living Comparison Between Antwerp and Brugge Cost of Living Comparison Between Antwerp and Brugge

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,214 in Antwerp versus $2,155 in Brugge.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,422 in Antwerp versus $3,192 in Brugge.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,630 in Antwerp versus $4,228 in Brugge.

Living in Antwerp is roughly 3% more expensive than Brugge, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Antwerp 65% above, Brugge 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.08 €19.86

$25.51 €21.95

-9.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 €103

$105 €90.4

13.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.76 €10.98

$11.67 €10.04

9.34%

Cappuccino

$4.06 €3.49

$4.53 €3.90

-10.38%

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

$3.32 €2.86

$3.39 €2.91

-2.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 €2.65

$3.48 €3.00

-11.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 €4.83

$6.82 €5.87

-17.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.03

$5.30 €4.56

-11.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.12

$1.50 €1.29

-13.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 €2.40

$2.21 €1.90

26.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 €2.30

$1.42 €1.22

88.73%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.42

$3.29 €2.83

20.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.76 €15.28

$13.14 €11.30

35.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 €10.30

$11.57 €9.95

3.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.91 €18.84

$23.31 €20.05

-6.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 €2.50

$2.06 €1.77

41.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.46 €2.11

$1.97 €1.69

24.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 €2.01

$2.05 €1.76

14.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 €2.93

$2.89 €2.48

17.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.95 €2.53

$1.81 €1.56

62.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$0.87 €0.75

181.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.22

$1.66 €1.43

-14.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.70

$1.10 €0.94

-26.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.76 €10.97

$12.28 €10.56

3.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.40 €8.09

$9.47 €8.15

-0.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.53

$1.36 €1.17

30.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.83 €1.57

9.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 €2.43

$3.13 €2.69

-9.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 €39.12

$57.1 €49.14

-20.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.70 €4.90

$3.49 €3.00

63.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.54 €2.19

-3.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.82 €40.27

$38.32 €32.96

22.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.89 €1.63

-1.59%

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

$36.4K €31.3K

$25.4K €21.8K

43.66%

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

$32.5K €28.0K

$27.8K €24.0K

16.80%

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

$208 €179

$246 €211

-15.38%

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

$24.98 €21.48

$34.44 €29.63

-27.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.3 €44.96

$63.0 €54.2

-16.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.17 €37.99

$40.74 €35.04

8.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.71 €22.12

$12.43 €10.69

106.84%

Cinema Ticket

$14.76 €12.69

$16.33 €14.05

-9.61%

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

$659 €567

$411 €353

60.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K €11.6K

$6,535 €5,622

106.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 €95.8

$90.1 €77.5

23.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.94 €42.10

$37.68 €32.42

29.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €99.8

$103 €88.3

12.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$233 €200

$158 €136

47.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,019 €876

$849 €731

19.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$839 €722

$774 €666

8.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 €1,353

$1,269 €1,092

23.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 €1,096

$1,086 €934

17.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,605 €3,961

$3,103 €2,669

48.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,112 €2,677

$2,465 €2,120

26.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,078 €2,648

$2,623 €2,256

17.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.27

-18.25%

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

Last update for Antwerp: May 31, 2026

Last update for Brugge: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,019 in Antwerp and $849 in Brugge. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antwerp pays 17% 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: $120 in Antwerp vs $105 in Brugge for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 vs $324 per month, with Brugge cheaper across the board.

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

Antwerp vs Brugge: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Antwerp and Brugge differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($2,214 vs $2,155 including rent). Brugge is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Antwerp pays 17% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,019 in Antwerp versus $849 in Brugge. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Brugge runs roughly 26% less than in Antwerp. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $659 in Antwerp versus $411 in Brugge. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,155 in Brugge versus $2,214 in Antwerp, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Brugge but tight or insufficient in Antwerp. The gap between the two cities makes Brugge the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Antwerp and Brugge are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Brugge gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Antwerp. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.