Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgium and Spain Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgium and Spain

Name: Spain
Address: ES

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,161 in Belgium versus $1,686 in Spain.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,201 in Belgium versus $2,489 in Spain.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,241 in Belgium versus $3,291 in Spain.

Living in Belgium is roughly 28% more expensive than in Spain on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Belgium 58% above, Spain 23% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in Spain: monthly costs span $959 to $2,683, compared to $1,840–$2,700 in Belgium. City choice carries more weight in Spain.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.16 €20.18

$17.13 €14.93

35.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.1 €82.0

$57.2 €49.86

64.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.85 €12.07

$11.60 €10.11

19.40%

Cappuccino

$4.42 €3.85

$2.40 €2.09

84.17%

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

$3.55 €3.09

$2.73 €2.38

30.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 €2.73

$1.89 €1.65

65.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.66 €4.93

$3.57 €3.11

58.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.28 €4.60

$3.96 €3.45

33.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 €1.17

$1.26 €1.09

6.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 €2.33

$1.54 €1.34

73.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 €2.13

$1.63 €1.42

50.31%

Eggs

$4.20 €3.66

$3.44 €3.00

22.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.09 €14.02

$14.42 €12.56

11.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.56 €10.94

$8.89 €7.75

41.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.68 €18.02

$16.49 €14.37

25.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 €2.47

$2.49 €2.17

13.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.09

$2.13 €1.85

12.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 €2.47

$2.22 €1.94

27.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 €2.96

$2.54 €2.22

33.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 €2.13

$1.81 €1.57

34.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 €1.64

$2.00 €1.74

-6.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 €1.39

$1.35 €1.17

18.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.76 €0.66

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.04 €12.23

$6.91 €6.02

103.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.18 €8.00

$5.72 €4.98

60.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$1.32 €1.15

48.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.13 €1.86

11.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.26 €2.84

$1.71 €1.49

90.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.7 €52.9

$35.14 €30.61

72.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.71 €4.98

$4.66 €4.06

22.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.54 €1.35

81.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.40 €37.81

$25.59 €22.29

69.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.67

$1.76 €1.54

9.09%

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

$37.1K €32.4K

$36.2K €31.5K

2.56%

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

$34.3K €29.9K

$30.2K €26.3K

13.69%

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

$243 €212

$155 €135

57.39%

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

$23.46 €20.44

$18.12 €15.78

29.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 €48.64

$32.66 €28.45

70.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.10 €32.32

$46.15 €40.20

-19.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.40 €18.64

$15.65 €13.63

36.74%

Cinema Ticket

$15.83 €13.79

$10.01 €8.72

58.14%

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

$1,021 €889

$560 €488

82.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.4K €25.6K

$10.7K €9,348

174.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €92.0

$87.1 €75.9

21.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.81 €42.52

$38.45 €33.49

26.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €96.0

$91.9 €80.1

19.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 €133

$108 €94.3

40.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 €879

$1,042 €908

-3.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$889 €775

$814 €709

9.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 €1,382

$1,627 €1,418

-2.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,296 €1,129

$1,246 €1,086

3.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,578 €3,989

$4,266 €3,716

7.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,305 €2,879

$2,607 €2,271

26.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,120 €2,718

$2,046 €1,782

52.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.64

3.29

10.64%

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

Last update for Belgium: September 13, 2026

Last update for Spain: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $968 in Belgium, $932 in Spain. Capital cities: $1,418 in Brussels vs $1,567 in Madrid.

National salary averages: $3,005 in Belgium, $2,029 in Spain. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 59% more in Belgium.

Public transport is 65% more expensive in Belgium.

Salaries are 48% higher in Belgium, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Belgium.

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 Spain: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,270 per month in Belgium and $1,821 in Spain, there's a 25% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Spain: 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 is consistently higher than in Spain across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Spain, $3,000 covers most cities easily; in Belgium it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

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