Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Belgium Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Belgium

Name: Belgium
Address: BE

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,509 per month in Australia vs $2,161 in Belgium, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,641 per month in Australia vs $3,201 in Belgium, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,772 per month in Australia vs $4,241 in Belgium, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 16% higher than in Belgium on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Australia and Belgium are pricier than the global median – Australia by 83%, Belgium by 58%.

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,174–$3,292) than in Belgium ($1,840–$2,700), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.16 A$25.52

$23.16 €20.18

-21.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.9 A$121

$94.1 €82.0

-8.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.87 A$15.27

$13.85 €12.07

-21.52%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.78

$4.42 €3.85

-7.01%

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

$3.04 A$4.28

$3.55 €3.09

-14.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 A$3.47

$3.13 €2.73

-21.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 A$11.05

$5.66 €4.93

39.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.98 A$11.21

$5.28 €4.60

51.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 A$2.43

$1.34 €1.17

29.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$3.90

$2.67 €2.33

4.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.34

$2.45 €2.13

-2.86%

Eggs

$5.08 A$7.14

$4.20 €3.66

20.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.98 A$14.02

$16.09 €14.02

-37.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.24 A$12.98

$12.56 €10.94

-26.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.49 A$21.76

$20.68 €18.02

-25.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 A$5.24

$2.83 €2.47

31.80%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.25

$2.40 €2.09

25.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 A$4.54

$2.84 €2.47

13.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.88 A$6.86

$3.39 €2.96

43.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 A$4.04

$2.44 €2.13

17.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.32

$1.88 €1.64

25.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 A$3.50

$1.60 €1.39

55.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 A$2.35

$1.14 €0.99

47.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.51 A$54.1

$14.04 €12.23

174.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 A$20.02

$9.18 €8.00

55.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.07 A$7.12

$1.96 €1.71

158.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.19 A$7.29

$2.37 €2.07

118.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.78 A$3.91

$3.26 €2.84

-14.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.8 A$133

$60.7 €52.9

56.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 A$4.95

$5.71 €4.98

-38.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.24

$2.79 €2.43

-42.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.42 A$56.8

$43.40 €37.81

-6.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 A$1.79

$1.92 €1.67

-33.85%

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

$28.3K A$39.8K

$37.1K €32.4K

-23.67%

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

$28.6K A$40.2K

$34.3K €29.9K

-16.58%

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

$202 A$284

$243 €212

-17.03%

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

$29.08 A$40.86

$23.46 €20.44

23.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.6 A$83.7

$55.8 €48.64

6.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.3 A$83.3

$37.10 €32.32

59.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.13 A$28.28

$21.40 €18.64

-5.93%

Cinema Ticket

$15.75 A$22.12

$15.83 €13.79

-0.51%

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

$2,197 A$3,087

$1,021 €889

115.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K A$25.6K

$29.4K €25.6K

-37.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 A$111

$106 €92.0

-24.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.2 A$80.4

$48.81 €42.52

17.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 A$160

$110 €96.0

3.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 A$175

$152 €133

-18.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 A$2,221

$1,009 €879

56.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 A$1,813

$889 €775

45.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 A$3,555

$1,586 €1,382

59.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,982 A$2,784

$1,296 €1,129

52.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,571 A$12.0K

$4,578 €3,989

87.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,120 A$8,598

$3,305 €2,879

85.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,979 A$5,591

$3,120 €2,718

27.55%

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: September 12, 2026

Last update for Belgium: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,387 in Australia vs $968 in Belgium. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,829 in Canberra and $1,418 in Brussels.

Average salary: $3,903 in Australia vs $3,005 in Belgium. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 43% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 12% more in Belgium.

Public transport is 55% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 30% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

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

Australia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 2% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Belgium, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Belgium consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Australia, contributing to the overall 2% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Australia, but in Belgium it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Australia is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.