Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belgium and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in Belgium: $2,201 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Belgium
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Belgium Living Index
131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index

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🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,201

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belgium and in the United States

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 the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,201 in Belgium versus $2,734 in the United States.

Belgium $2,201
United States $2,734

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,255 in Belgium versus $3,985 in the United States.

Belgium $3,255
United States $3,985

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,309 in Belgium versus $5,235 in the United States.

Belgium $4,309
United States $5,235

Internal cost variation is higher in the United States: monthly costs span $979 to $5,160, compared to $1,774–$2,584 in Belgium. City choice carries more weight in the United States.

Living in Belgium costs about 20% less than in the United States on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Belgium 62% above, the United States 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.69 €20.33

$20.03 $20.03

13.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.9 €80.6

$80.0 $80.0

12.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.32 €11.94

$11.80 $11.80

12.88%

Cappuccino

$4.03 €3.61

$5.55 $5.55

-27.39%

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

$3.40 €3.04

$2.66 $2.66

27.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.66

$2.17 $2.17

36.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 €5.08

$6.12 $6.12

-7.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 €4.63

$7.94 $7.94

-34.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.04 $1.04

26.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 €2.26

$3.59 $3.59

-29.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$4.52 $4.52

-49.12%

Eggs

$4.16 €3.72

$4.28 $4.28

-2.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.45 €13.85

$13.22 $13.22

16.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.14 €10.88

$12.60 $12.60

-3.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.36 €18.24

$17.60 $17.60

15.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 €2.45

$5.30 $5.30

-48.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 €2.11

$1.69 $1.69

39.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 €2.46

$4.44 $4.44

-38.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.32 €2.98

$4.77 $4.77

-30.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 €1.99

$2.97 $2.97

-25.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$3.15 $3.15

-42.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.38

$2.20 $2.20

-30.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 €0.98

$2.35 $2.35

-53.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.97 €11.62

$10.98 $10.98

18.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.06 €8.12

$15.05 $15.05

-39.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 €1.71

$2.06 $2.06

-7.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.12

$3.79 $3.79

-37.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.43 €3.07

$1.94 $1.94

76.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.1 €55.7

$59.4 $59.4

4.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 €5.06

$3.58 $3.58

57.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 €2.34

$1.88 $1.88

39.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.53 €39.90

$29.84 $29.84

49.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 €1.76

$1.02 $1.02

93.14%

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

$34.7K €31.1K

$28.8K $28.8K

20.77%

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

$36.3K €32.5K

$26.2K $26.2K

38.50%

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

$229 €205

$218 $218

5.15%

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

$22.44 €20.11

$62.5 $62.5

-64.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.9 €48.30

$74.5 $74.5

-27.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.15 €31.50

$41.86 $41.86

-16.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.81 €18.64

$22.81 $22.81

-8.77%

Cinema Ticket

$14.90 €13.35

$14.70 $14.70

1.36%

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

$1,055 €945

$1,489 $1,489

-29.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.1K €26.0K

$25.3K $25.3K

15.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €94.1

$54.3 $54.3

93.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.39 €43.36

$42.71 $42.71

13.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.7

$94.1 $94.1

12.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 €132

$114 $114

29.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$981 €879

$1,659 $1,659

-40.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$869 €779

$1,348 $1,348

-35.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,529 €1,370

$2,682 $2,682

-43.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,279 €1,147

$2,169 $2,169

-41.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,522 €4,053

$3,283 $3,283

37.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,161 €2,833

$2,482 $2,482

27.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,999 €2,687

$4,296 $4,296

-30.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.64

6.55

-44.43%

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

Last update for Belgium: October 25, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belgium

$869 39.5%

United States

$1.3K 49.3% 55.1% $478

Groceries & Markets

Belgium

$350 15.9%

United States

$415 15.2% 18.8% $66

Eating Out

Belgium

$334 15.2%

United States

$328 12% 1.8% $6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belgium

$306 13.9%

United States

$355 13% 16.2% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Belgium

$183 8.3%

United States

$137 5% 24.9% $46

Getting Around

Belgium

$95 4.3%

United States

$80 2.9% 15.3% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Belgium

$65 3%

United States

$71 2.6% 9.7% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $930 in Belgium, $1,620 in the United States. Capital cities: $1,393 in Brussels vs $2,768 in Washington, DC.

National salary averages: $2,913 in Belgium, $4,549 in the United States. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 74% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 17% more in Belgium.

Public transport is 17% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are 56% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Belgium

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

06:28 6:28 AM

00:28 12:28 AM

6 h behind Belgium

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,584,008

340,110,988

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Belgium United States 7,110 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Belgium
United States

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 United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,201 per month in Belgium and $2,734 in the United States, Belgium comes out about 20% 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 $1,620 in the United States and $930 in Belgium. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

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