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: $2,254 in Antwerp versus $2,454 in Brugge.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,494 in Antwerp versus $3,673 in Brugge.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,733 in Antwerp versus $4,892 in Brugge.

Living in Antwerp costs roughly 8% less than in Brugge, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Antwerp 64% above, Brugge 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.50 €20.21

$28.02 €24.09

-16.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 €94.3

$115 €98.7

-4.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.17

$13.82 €11.88

2.46%

Cappuccino

$4.40 €3.78

$4.57 €3.92

-3.72%

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

$3.82 €3.28

$3.89 €3.35

-1.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 €3.24

$4.10 €3.53

-8.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.65 €4.86

$6.94 €5.97

-18.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.54 €5.62

$5.94 €5.11

10.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.31 €1.13

3.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 €2.38

$1.94 €1.67

42.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 €2.01

$1.17 €1.00

100.00%

Eggs

$3.77 €3.24

$4.38 €3.76

-13.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.24 €15.68

$11.77 €10.12

54.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.53 €10.77

$12.19 €10.48

2.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.99 €20.62

$41.82 €35.95

-42.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 €2.61

$1.99 €1.71

52.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.08

$2.34 €2.01

3.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 €2.40

$2.56 €2.20

9.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.35 €2.88

$3.82 €3.28

-12.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.38 €2.04

2.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.99 €0.85

103.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$2.13 €1.83

-28.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.95

$1.57 €1.35

-29.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.31 €11.45

$13.69 €11.77

-2.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.17 €7.88

$9.25 €7.95

-0.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.18 €1.01

55.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.99 €1.71

5.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.56 €3.06

$3.33 €2.86

6.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.5 €48.60

$56.0 €48.12

1.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 €4.96

$2.83 €2.43

103.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.71 €2.33

$2.94 €2.53

-7.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.88 €39.44

$37.32 €32.08

22.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.98 €1.70

8.08%

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

$37.4K €32.2K

$36.7K €31.6K

1.96%

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

$35.1K €30.2K

$35.2K €30.2K

-0.19%

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

$215 €185

$269 €232

-20.19%

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

$22.55 €19.39

$34.06 €29.28

-33.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.51 €41.70

$60.6 €52.1

-19.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.38 €33.85

$45.06 €38.74

-12.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.36 €24.38

$13.81 €11.87

105.36%

Cinema Ticket

$15.53 €13.35

$17.26 €14.84

-10.02%

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

$1,693 €1,455

$539 €464

213.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.1K €29.3K

$5,443 €4,680

526.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 €97.3

$105 €90.5

7.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.5 €45.95

$62.1 €53.4

-13.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €92.3

$123 €106

-12.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$173 €148

$259 €223

-33.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 €929

$947 €814

14.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 €752

$888 €764

-1.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,676 €1,441

$1,371 €1,179

22.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,385 €1,190

$1,206 €1,036

14.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,573 €3,932

$2,667 €2,293

71.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,194 €2,746

$2,545 €2,188

25.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,146 €2,705

$2,716 €2,335

15.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

4.67

-25.91%

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

Last update for Antwerp: August 31, 2026

Last update for Brugge: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,081 in Antwerp and $947 in Brugge. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antwerp pays 16% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $110 in Antwerp vs $115 in Brugge for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $375 vs $394 per month, with Antwerp 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 9% in total monthly costs ($2,254 vs $2,454 including rent). Antwerp is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 16% higher in Antwerp, 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: $1,081 in Antwerp versus $947 in Brugge. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Antwerp runs roughly 1% less than in Brugge. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,693 in Antwerp versus $539 in Brugge. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,254 in Antwerp versus $2,454 in Brugge, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Antwerp but tight or insufficient in Brugge. The gap between the two cities makes Antwerp 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 Antwerp gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Brugge. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.