Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Belgium and in Canada actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,224 in Belgium versus $2,305 in Canada.
Belgium $2,224
Canada $2,305
Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,262 in Belgium versus $3,339 in Canada.
Belgium $3,262
Canada $3,339
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,301 in Belgium versus $4,374 in Canada.
Belgium $4,301
Canada $4,374
📏
Internal cost variation is higher in Canada: monthly costs span $889 to $3,671, compared to $1,782–$2,552 in Belgium. City choice carries more weight in Canada.
🌍
Living in Belgium costs about 4% less than in Canada on average.
📊
Both countries sit above the global median: Belgium 66% above, Canada 72% above.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Belgium
Canada
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.21€19.80
$17.69CA$25.17
25.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$89.8€80.1
$70.6CA$100
27.26%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$13.29€11.85
$10.71CA$15.24
24.09%
Cappuccino
$4.13€3.68
$3.72CA$5.29
11.02%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.44€3.07
$2.07CA$2.95
66.18%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.87€2.56
$1.66CA$2.35
72.89%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$5.70€5.08
$5.69CA$8.10
0.18%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.36€4.77
$5.76CA$8.19
-6.94%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Belgium
Canada
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.26€1.13
$2.13CA$3.03
-40.85%
White Bread(500g)
$2.51€2.23
$2.68CA$3.81
-6.34%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.41€2.15
$3.60CA$5.12
-33.06%
Eggs
$4.06€3.62
$3.51CA$4.99
15.67%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$15.86€14.14
$10.72CA$15.25
47.95%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$12.18€10.86
$11.91CA$16.94
2.27%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$20.71€18.47
$15.29CA$21.75
35.45%
Apples(1kg)
$2.72€2.42
$3.98CA$5.66
-31.66%
Banana(1kg)
$2.35€2.10
$1.36CA$1.94
72.79%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.64€2.35
$3.84CA$5.46
-31.25%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.26€2.91
$4.06CA$5.77
-19.70%
Potato(1kg)
$2.24€2.00
$2.56CA$3.64
-12.50%
Onion(1kg)
$1.81€1.61
$2.42CA$3.45
-25.21%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.54€1.38
$2.57CA$3.66
-40.08%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.11€0.99
$1.69CA$2.41
-34.32%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$13.01€11.60
$13.94CA$19.82
-6.67%
Wine(Bottle)
$8.81€7.86
$13.26CA$18.86
-33.56%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.88€1.68
$2.86CA$4.06
-34.27%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.39€2.13
$3.26CA$4.63
-26.69%
🚌 Getting Around
Belgium
Canada
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$3.21€2.86
$2.41CA$3.43
33.20%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$55.5€49.48
$71.8CA$102
-22.68%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$5.51€4.91
$3.05CA$4.34
80.66%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.73€2.43
$1.44CA$2.05
89.58%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$45.73€40.78
$26.68CA$37.94
71.40%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.03€1.81
$1.17CA$1.67
73.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.7K€31.8K
$27.7KCA$39.4K
28.77%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.6K€29.9K
$19.4KCA$27.6K
72.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Belgium
Canada
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$237€211
$147CA$209
60.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.53€20.09
$41.33CA$58.8
-45.49%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.8€47.98
$57.9CA$82.3
-6.98%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Belgium
Canada
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$35.38€31.54
$40.41CA$57.5
-12.45%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.79€18.54
$19.23CA$27.35
8.11%
Cinema Ticket
$14.96€13.33
$11.07CA$15.75
35.14%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Belgium
Canada
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$1,034€922
$757CA$1,077
36.55%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$29.3K€26.1K
$14.3KCA$20.3K
105.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Belgium
Canada
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$106€94.1
$54.2CA$77.1
94.60%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.51€42.36
$39.79CA$56.6
19.40%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$109€97.2
$87.6CA$125
24.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$145€129
$101CA$144
43.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Belgium
Canada
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$973€867
$1,278CA$1,818
-23.93%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$850€758
$1,107CA$1,575
-23.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,506€1,342
$2,035CA$2,895
-26.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,263€1,126
$1,741CA$2,476
-27.44%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$4,520€4,030
$4,611CA$6,559
-1.98%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$3,184€2,839
$3,822CA$5,437
-16.70%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Belgium
Canada
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$3,036€2,707
$2,975CA$4,231
2.06%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.64
4.87
-25.26%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Belgium: October 5, 2026
Last update for Canada: October 5, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Belgium
$850 39%
Canada
$1.1K 48.6% ↑ 30.2%$257
🛒Groceries & Markets
Belgium
$350 16.1%
Canada
$368 16.2% ↑ 5.1%$18
🍽Eating Out
Belgium
$332 15.2%
Canada
$273 12% ↓ 17.6%$58
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Belgium
$313 14.4%
Canada
$246 10.8% ↓ 21.3%$67
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Belgium
$183 8.4%
Canada
$127 5.6% ↓ 30.6%$56
🚌Getting Around
Belgium
$87 4%
Canada
$92 4% ↑ 4.8%$4.2
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Belgium
$65 3%
Canada
$63 2.8% ↓ 4.2%$2.7
🏠Accommodation & Living
Belgium
$1.3K 29.5%
Canada
$1.7K 39.7% ↑ 37.8%$478
🛒Groceries & Markets
Belgium
$825 19.3%
Canada
$840 19.2% ↑ 1.9%$16
🍽Eating Out
Belgium
$1.1K 26.1%
Canada
$905 20.6% ↓ 19.1%$214
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Belgium
$335 7.8%
Canada
$288 6.6% ↓ 14.2%$48
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Belgium
$407 9.5%
Canada
$283 6.4% ↓ 30.6%$124
🚌Getting Around
Belgium
$181 4.2%
Canada
$188 4.3% ↑ 3.8%$6.8
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Belgium
$151 3.5%
Canada
$144 3.3% ↓ 4.7%$7
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $942 in Belgium, $1,193 in Canada. Capital cities: $1,318 in Brussels vs $1,490 in Ottawa.
💰National salary averages: $2,946 in Belgium, $2,896 in Canada. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 27% higher in Canada.
⭐Dining out costs 46% more in Belgium.
⭐Public transport is 32% more expensive in Canada.
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
Belgium vs Canada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How does the cost of living in Belgium compare to the cost in Canada?
At $2,224 per month in Belgium and $2,305 in Canada, there's a 4% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Is rent more expensive in Belgium or in Canada?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,193 in Canada and $942 in Belgium. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Can you live in both Belgium and Canada on $2,000 per month?
In Belgium, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Canada it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
Which country is better for expats: Belgium or Canada?
It depends on what you're after: Belgium wins on affordability; Canada may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.