Cost of Living Comparison Between Antwerp and Brussels Cost of Living Comparison Between Antwerp and Brussels

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,214 in Antwerp versus $2,511 in Brussels.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,422 in Antwerp versus $3,815 in Brussels.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,630 in Antwerp versus $5,120 in Brussels.

Living in Antwerp costs roughly 12% less than in Brussels, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Antwerp 65% above, Brussels 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.08 €19.87

$28.39 €24.44

-18.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 €103

$92.7 €79.8

29.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.76 €10.98

$15.30 €13.17

-16.60%

Cappuccino

$4.06 €3.49

$4.84 €4.16

-16.12%

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

$3.32 €2.86

$3.11 €2.68

6.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 €2.65

$2.98 €2.56

3.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 €4.84

$7.12 €6.13

-21.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.04

$5.83 €5.02

-19.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.12

$1.55 €1.34

-16.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 €2.41

$3.01 €2.59

-7.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 €2.30

$2.80 €2.41

-4.29%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.43

$4.89 €4.21

-18.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.76 €15.29

$16.57 €14.27

7.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 €10.31

$13.48 €11.61

-11.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.91 €18.86

$18.92 €16.29

15.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 €2.51

$2.96 €2.55

-1.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.53 €2.18

-2.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.77 €2.39

-15.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 €2.93

$3.14 €2.70

8.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.95 €2.54

$2.57 €2.22

14.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.46 €2.12

-0.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.22

$1.72 €1.48

-17.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.70

$1.16 €1.00

-30.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.76 €10.98

$12.57 €10.82

1.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.40 €8.09

$9.47 €8.16

-0.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.53

$2.51 €2.16

-29.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.72

$3.24 €2.79

-38.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 €2.43

$2.81 €2.42

0.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 €39.15

$60.6 €52.2

-24.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.70 €4.90

$7.59 €6.53

-24.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.33 €2.00

5.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.82 €40.31

$34.30 €29.53

36.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.85 €1.59

0.54%

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

$36.4K €31.4K

$34.1K €29.3K

6.94%

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

$32.5K €28.0K

$35.4K €30.5K

-8.23%

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

$208 €179

$262 €226

-20.74%

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

$24.98 €21.50

$21.44 €18.46

16.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.3 €45.00

$56.2 €48.37

-6.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.17 €38.02

$41.19 €35.46

7.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.71 €22.14

$31.33 €26.98

-17.94%

Cinema Ticket

$14.76 €12.70

$15.24 €13.12

-3.15%

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

$659 €567

$1,117 €962

-40.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K €11.6K

$22.8K €19.6K

-40.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 €95.9

$107 €92.5

3.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.94 €42.13

$48.48 €41.73

0.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €99.8

$116 €100

-0.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$233 €200

$150 €129

54.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,019 €877

$1,318 €1,135

-22.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$839 €722

$1,066 €918

-21.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 €1,354

$2,318 €1,996

-32.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 €1,097

$1,804 €1,553

-29.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,605 €3,965

$5,112 €4,401

-9.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,112 €2,679

$3,902 €3,360

-20.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,078 €2,650

$3,338 €2,874

-7.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.27

3.65

-10.41%

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

Last update for Antwerp: May 31, 2026

Last update for Brussels: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,019 in Antwerp and $1,318 in Brussels. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brussels pays 8% 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 $93.0 in Brussels. Groceries flip the comparison at $363 vs $379, with Antwerp cheaper for home cooking.

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 Brussels: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Antwerp and Brussels differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,214 vs $2,511 including rent). Antwerp is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Brussels earns 8% less. 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: $1,019 in Antwerp versus $1,318 in Brussels. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Antwerp runs roughly 33% less than in Brussels. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $659 in Antwerp versus $1,117 in Brussels. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,214 in Antwerp versus $2,511 in Brussels, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Antwerp but tight or insufficient in Brussels. 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 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.

Expats usually find Antwerp gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Brussels. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.