Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgium and Spain

Name: Spain
Address: ES

For one person, living is cheaper in Spain: $1,775 a month against $2,201 in Belgium, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 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
86

Cost of Living Index in Spain
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Spain Living Index

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🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,201

/mo nomad

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,775

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belgium and in Spain

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,201 in Belgium versus $1,775 in Spain.

Belgium $2,201
Spain $1,775

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,255 in Belgium versus $2,606 in Spain.

Belgium $3,255
Spain $2,606

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,309 in Belgium versus $3,438 in Spain.

Belgium $4,309
Spain $3,438

Internal cost variation is higher in Spain: monthly costs span $931 to $2,610, compared to $1,774–$2,584 in Belgium. City choice carries more weight in Spain.

Living in Belgium is roughly 24% more expensive than in Spain on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Belgium 62% above, Spain 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.69 €20.33

$16.69 €14.96

35.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.9 €80.6

$55.7 €49.91

61.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.32 €11.94

$11.37 €10.18

17.15%

Cappuccino

$4.03 €3.61

$2.42 €2.17

66.53%

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

$3.40 €3.04

$2.68 €2.40

26.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.66

$1.79 €1.60

65.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 €5.08

$3.42 €3.07

65.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 €4.63

$3.88 €3.47

33.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.20 €1.07

10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 €2.26

$1.48 €1.33

70.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$1.67 €1.50

37.72%

Eggs

$4.16 €3.72

$3.42 €3.07

21.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.45 €13.85

$14.17 €12.70

9.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.14 €10.88

$8.33 €7.46

45.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.36 €18.24

$16.20 €14.52

25.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 €2.45

$2.45 €2.20

11.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 €2.11

$2.03 €1.82

16.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 €2.46

$2.08 €1.86

31.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.32 €2.98

$2.58 €2.31

28.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 €1.99

$1.83 €1.64

21.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$2.00 €1.79

-9.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.38

$1.31 €1.17

17.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 €0.98

$0.77 €0.69

41.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.97 €11.62

$6.36 €5.70

103.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.06 €8.12

$5.64 €5.06

60.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 €1.71

$1.30 €1.17

46.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.12

$2.09 €1.87

13.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.43 €3.07

$1.64 €1.47

109.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.1 €55.7

$32.91 €29.49

88.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 €5.06

$4.43 €3.97

27.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 €2.34

$1.47 €1.31

78.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.53 €39.90

$24.98 €22.39

78.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 €1.76

$1.77 €1.59

11.30%

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

$34.7K €31.1K

$35.5K €31.8K

-2.23%

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

$36.3K €32.5K

$30.6K €27.4K

18.57%

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

$229 €205

$149 €134

53.52%

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

$22.44 €20.11

$17.67 €15.84

26.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.9 €48.30

$31.88 €28.57

69.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.15 €31.50

$44.24 €39.64

-20.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.81 €18.64

$15.29 €13.70

36.10%

Cinema Ticket

$14.90 €13.35

$9.66 €8.66

54.24%

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

$1,055 €945

$544 €488

93.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.1K €26.0K

$10.6K €9,504

174.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €94.1

$84.9 €76.1

23.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.39 €43.36

$37.11 €33.26

30.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.7

$89.2 €79.9

18.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 €132

$106 €94.8

38.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$981 €879

$1,056 €947

-7.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$869 €779

$808 €724

7.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,529 €1,370

$1,621 €1,453

-5.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,279 €1,147

$1,246 €1,117

2.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,522 €4,053

$4,135 €3,706

9.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,161 €2,833

$2,633 €2,359

20.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,999 €2,687

$1,999 €1,791

50.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.64

3.3

10.30%

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

Last update for Belgium: October 25, 2026

Last update for Spain: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belgium

$869 39.5%

Spain

$808 45.5% 7.1% $61

Groceries & Markets

Belgium

$350 15.9%

Spain

$272 15.3% 22.3% $78

Eating Out

Belgium

$334 15.2%

Spain

$239 13.5% 28.3% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belgium

$306 13.9%

Spain

$199 11.2% 34.9% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Belgium

$183 8.3%

Spain

$143 8% 21.9% $40

Getting Around

Belgium

$95 4.3%

Spain

$51 2.9% 45.8% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Belgium

$65 3%

Spain

$64 3.6% 2.1% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $930 in Belgium, $920 in Spain. Capital cities: $1,393 in Brussels vs $1,508 in Madrid.

National salary averages: $2,913 in Belgium, $1,972 in Spain. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 54% more in Belgium.

Public transport is 74% more expensive in Belgium.

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

Good to know

🇧🇪 Belgium

🇪🇸 Spain

🕒 Local time

11:07 11:07 AM

Same time as Belgium

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,584,008

47,415,750

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Belgium Spain 1,320 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Belgium
Spain

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 Spain: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,201 per month in Belgium and $1,775 in Spain, Spain comes out about 19% cheaper. 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 cheaper in Spain: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

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