Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgium and Italy Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgium and Italy

Name: Italy
Address: IT

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,061 in Belgium versus $1,717 in Italy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,060 in Belgium versus $2,624 in Italy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,059 in Belgium versus $3,530 in Italy.

Living in Belgium is roughly 20% more expensive than Italy on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Belgium 54% above, Italy 28% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,170 to $2,508, compared to $1,726–$2,511 in Belgium. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.17 €19.93

$17.44 €15.00

32.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.9 €79.9

$79.5 €68.4

16.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.30 €10.58

$11.76 €10.11

4.59%

Cappuccino

$4.21 €3.63

$2.00 €1.72

110.50%

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

$3.18 €2.74

$3.00 €2.58

6.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 €2.47

$1.35 €1.16

112.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.45 €4.69

$5.94 €5.11

-8.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 €3.93

$5.36 €4.61

-14.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.08

$1.64 €1.41

-23.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 €2.24

$2.41 €2.07

7.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.48 €2.13

$2.99 €2.58

-17.06%

Eggs

$4.17 €3.59

$3.96 €3.41

5.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.03 €12.93

$16.84 €14.49

-10.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.22 €10.51

$12.43 €10.69

-1.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.21 €16.52

$20.29 €17.46

-5.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 €2.47

$2.47 €2.13

16.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 €1.99

$2.15 €1.85

7.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 €2.22

$2.65 €2.28

-2.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 €2.64

$3.40 €2.92

-9.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 €1.95

$1.92 €1.65

18.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.81 €1.56

1.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.55 €1.33

-3.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 €0.92

$0.54 €0.46

96.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.20 €10.49

$6.79 €5.84

79.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.99 €7.74

$7.18 €6.18

25.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.80 €1.55

8.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.93

$2.42 €2.08

-7.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 €2.42

$2.00 €1.72

40.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.6 €49.53

$42.35 €36.43

35.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.84 €5.88

$5.94 €5.11

15.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 €2.25

$1.51 €1.30

73.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.32 €37.26

$34.04 €29.28

27.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.05 €1.76

-5.85%

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

$33.4K €28.8K

$32.8K €28.2K

1.81%

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

$33.2K €28.5K

$33.7K €29.0K

-1.46%

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

$222 €191

$225 €194

-1.44%

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

$24.02 €20.66

$13.25 €11.40

81.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.4 €49.34

$30.95 €26.62

85.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.45 €33.08

$55.7 €47.95

-31.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.88 €18.82

$25.15 €21.63

-13.00%

Cinema Ticket

$15.02 €12.92

$10.25 €8.82

46.54%

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

$646 €556

$576 €495

12.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.7K

$10.5K €8,998

51.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €91.3

$91.8 €79.0

15.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.44 €39.08

$40.72 €35.03

11.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.2

$98.0 €84.3

12.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €123

$131 €112

9.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$981 €844

$860 €740

14.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$851 €732

$667 €573

27.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 €1,297

$1,475 €1,269

2.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 €1,111

$1,087 €935

18.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,479 €3,853

$3,850 €3,312

16.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,131 €2,693

$2,359 €2,029

32.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,077 €2,647

$1,933 €1,663

59.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.64

4.41

-17.46%

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

Last update for Belgium: May 30, 2026

Last update for Italy: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $910 in Belgium, $743 in Italy. Capital cities: $1,318 in Brussels vs $1,325 in Rome.

National salary averages: $2,906 in Belgium, $1,949 in Italy. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 22% higher in Belgium.

Dining out costs 26% more in Belgium.

Public transport is 23% more expensive in Belgium.

Salaries are 49% higher in Belgium, giving Belgium stronger purchasing power.

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 Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,119 per month in Belgium and $1,839 in Italy, there's a 15% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Italy is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Belgium beats Italy across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Italy, $2,500 covers most cities easily. In Belgium, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. Italy wins on affordability; Belgium may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.