Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Belgium

Name: Belgium
Address: BE

For one person, living is cheaper in Belgium: $2,201 a month against $2,626 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Belgium
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Belgium Living Index

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🇦🇺 Australia

$2,626

/mo nomad

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,201

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Australia and in Belgium

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

A single person spends $2,626 per month in Australia vs $2,201 in Belgium, rent included.

Australia $2,626
Belgium $2,201

A couple spends around $3,810 per month in Australia vs $3,255 in Belgium, rent included.

Australia $3,810
Belgium $3,255

A family of three spends $4,994 per month in Australia vs $4,309 in Belgium, rent included.

Australia $4,994
Belgium $4,309

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,068–$3,303) than in Belgium ($1,774–$2,584), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Australia is about 19% higher than in Belgium on average.

Both Australia and Belgium are pricier than the global median – Australia by 93%, Belgium by 62%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 A$25.08

$22.69 €20.32

-22.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.2 A$121

$89.9 €80.5

-5.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 A$15.76

$13.32 €11.93

-16.74%

Cappuccino

$3.90 A$5.54

$4.03 €3.61

-3.23%

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

$2.85 A$4.05

$3.40 €3.04

-16.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 A$3.29

$2.97 €2.66

-22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.53 A$10.70

$5.67 €5.08

32.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.59 A$12.20

$5.17 €4.63

66.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 A$2.50

$1.32 €1.18

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 A$3.99

$2.52 €2.26

11.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 A$3.19

$2.30 €2.06

-2.61%

Eggs

$5.02 A$7.14

$4.16 €3.72

20.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.87 A$14.02

$15.45 €13.84

-36.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 A$13.24

$12.14 €10.87

-23.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.86 A$21.13

$20.36 €18.23

-27.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 A$5.42

$2.74 €2.45

39.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 A$4.16

$2.36 €2.11

23.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.46

$2.74 €2.46

14.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 A$6.83

$3.32 €2.98

44.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 A$3.98

$2.22 €1.99

26.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.38

$1.82 €1.63

30.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 A$3.37

$1.54 €1.38

53.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 A$2.35

$1.09 €0.98

51.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$39.13 A$55.6

$12.97 €11.61

201.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.93 A$19.80

$9.06 €8.12

53.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.96 A$7.05

$1.90 €1.70

161.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 A$7.35

$2.37 €2.12

118.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 A$3.44

$3.43 €3.07

-29.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.6 A$134

$62.1 €55.6

52.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 A$4.97

$5.64 €5.05

-38.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.27

$2.62 €2.34

-38.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.84 A$56.6

$44.53 €39.88

-10.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 A$1.97

$1.97 €1.76

-29.44%

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

$30.0K A$42.7K

$34.7K €31.1K

-13.60%

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

$25.8K A$36.6K

$36.3K €32.5K

-29.05%

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

$205 A$291

$229 €205

-10.53%

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

$28.33 A$40.27

$22.44 €20.10

26.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.8 A$83.5

$53.9 €48.28

9.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 A$79.1

$35.15 €31.48

58.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.57 A$27.82

$20.81 €18.63

-5.96%

Cinema Ticket

$15.38 A$21.86

$14.90 €13.35

3.22%

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

$2,145 A$3,049

$1,055 €944

103.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K A$26.1K

$29.1K €26.0K

-36.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.3 A$111

$105 €94.0

-25.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 A$80.0

$48.39 €43.34

16.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 A$164

$106 €94.7

8.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 A$175

$147 €132

-16.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 A$2,261

$981 €879

62.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 A$1,837

$869 €778

48.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,524 A$3,588

$1,529 €1,369

65.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 A$2,850

$1,279 €1,146

56.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,751 A$12.4K

$4,522 €4,050

93.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,260 A$8,898

$3,161 €2,831

98.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,984 A$5,663

$2,999 €2,686

32.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

3.64

62.91%

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

Last update for Australia: October 27, 2026

Last update for Belgium: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Australia

$1.3K 49.2%

Belgium

$869 39.5% 32.8% $424

Groceries & Markets

Australia

$374 14.3%

Belgium

$350 15.9% 6.5% $24

Eating Out

Australia

$297 11.3%

Belgium

$334 15.2% 12.6% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Australia

$292 11.1%

Belgium

$306 13.9% 4.6% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Australia

$168 6.4%

Belgium

$183 8.3% 8.9% $15

Getting Around

Australia

$116 4.4%

Belgium

$95 4.3% 18.3% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Australia

$86 3.3%

Belgium

$65 3% 24.8% $21

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,383 in Australia vs $930 in Belgium. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,749 in Canberra and $1,393 in Brussels.

Average salary: $3,874 in Australia vs $2,913 in Belgium. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 49% higher in Australia.

Public transport is 56% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 33% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Australia

🇧🇪 Belgium

🕒 Local time

16:54 4:54 PM

06:54 6:54 AM

10 h behind Australia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,473,055

11,584,008

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Australia Belgium 16,720 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Australia
Belgium

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Australia vs Belgium: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Belgium is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 16% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,383 versus $930 in Belgium.

Belgium is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.