Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgium and Germany

Name: Germany
Address: DE

For one person, living is cheaper in Germany: $2,080 a month against $2,201 in Belgium, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Belgium
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Belgium Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Germany
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Germany Living Index

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🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,201

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🇩🇪 Germany

$2,080

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Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belgium and in Germany

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 Germany actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,201 in Belgium versus $2,080 in Germany.

Belgium $2,201
Germany $2,080

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,255 in Belgium versus $3,130 in Germany.

Belgium $3,255
Germany $3,130

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,309 in Belgium versus $4,180 in Germany.

Belgium $4,309
Germany $4,180

Internal cost variation is higher in Germany: monthly costs span $1,337 to $2,681, compared to $1,774–$2,584 in Belgium. City choice carries more weight in Germany.

Living in Belgium is roughly 6% more expensive than in Germany on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Belgium 62% above, Germany 53% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.69 €20.32

$16.60 €14.87

36.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.9 €80.5

$71.8 €64.3

25.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.32 €11.93

$12.12 €10.86

9.90%

Cappuccino

$4.03 €3.61

$3.96 €3.55

1.77%

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

$3.40 €3.04

$3.36 €3.01

1.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.66

$2.89 €2.59

2.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 €5.08

$5.07 €4.54

11.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 €4.63

$4.50 €4.03

14.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.26 €1.13

4.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 €2.26

$2.20 €1.97

14.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$3.54 €3.17

-35.03%

Eggs

$4.16 €3.72

$3.88 €3.48

7.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.45 €13.84

$14.24 €12.75

8.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.14 €10.87

$11.90 €10.66

2.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.36 €18.23

$20.68 €18.52

-1.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 €2.45

$3.28 €2.94

-16.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 €2.11

$2.05 €1.83

15.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 €2.46

$2.31 €2.07

18.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.32 €2.98

$4.29 €3.84

-22.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 €1.99

$1.53 €1.37

45.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$1.50 €1.34

21.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.38

$1.64 €1.46

-6.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 €0.98

$1.02 €0.91

6.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.97 €11.61

$9.69 €8.68

33.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.06 €8.12

$6.01 €5.38

50.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 €1.70

$1.12 €1.01

69.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.12

$1.56 €1.40

51.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.43 €3.07

$3.85 €3.44

-10.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.1 €55.6

$69.7 €62.4

-10.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 €5.05

$5.34 €4.78

5.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 €2.34

$2.81 €2.51

-6.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.53 €39.88

$38.83 €34.78

14.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 €1.76

$2.13 €1.91

-7.51%

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

$34.7K €31.1K

$32.6K €29.2K

6.67%

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

$36.3K €32.5K

$37.7K €33.8K

-3.82%

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

$229 €205

$342 €306

-33.00%

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

$22.44 €20.10

$24.87 €22.27

-9.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.9 €48.28

$48.49 €43.43

11.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.15 €31.48

$39.42 €35.30

-10.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.81 €18.63

$27.47 €24.61

-24.24%

Cinema Ticket

$14.90 €13.35

$14.65 €13.12

1.71%

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

$1,055 €944

$611 €547

72.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.1K €26.0K

$17.3K €15.5K

68.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €94.0

$89.1 €79.8

17.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.39 €43.34

$42.07 €37.67

15.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.7

$98.3 €88.0

7.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 €132

$131 €117

12.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$981 €879

$934 €837

5.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$869 €778

$718 €643

20.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,529 €1,369

$1,704 €1,526

-10.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,279 €1,146

$1,294 €1,159

-1.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,522 €4,050

$5,944 €5,323

-23.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,161 €2,831

$3,958 €3,545

-20.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,999 €2,686

$3,290 €2,946

-8.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.64

3.96

-8.08%

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

Last update for Belgium: October 25, 2026

Last update for Germany: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belgium

$869 39.5%

Germany

$718 34.6% 17.3% $151

Groceries & Markets

Belgium

$350 15.9%

Germany

$335 16.1% 4.2% $15

Eating Out

Belgium

$334 15.2%

Germany

$276 13.3% 17.3% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belgium

$306 13.9%

Germany

$415 20% 36% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Belgium

$183 8.3%

Germany

$162 7.8% 11.3% $21

Getting Around

Belgium

$95 4.3%

Germany

$104 5% 10.5% $9.9

Sport & Entertainment

Belgium

$65 3%

Germany

$69 3.3% 5.8% $3.8

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $930 in Belgium, $812 in Germany. Capital cities: $1,393 in Brussels vs $1,407 in Berlin.

National salary averages: $2,913 in Belgium, $3,107 in Germany. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 15% higher in Belgium.

Dining out costs 24% more in Belgium.

Public transport is 26% more expensive in Germany.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Belgium

🇩🇪 Germany

🕒 Local time

18:40 6:40 PM

Same time as Belgium

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,584,008

84,358,845

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Belgium Germany 650 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Belgium
Germany

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 Germany: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,201 per month in Belgium and $2,080 in Germany, Germany comes out about 5% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $930 in Belgium and $812 in Germany. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: Germany wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.