Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brugge and Antwerp

For one person, living costs are similar in Brugge and in Antwerp: $2,117 and $2,147 a month, rent and utilities included.

Brugge
🇧🇪 Belgium
$2,117
/mo nomad
Antwerp
🇧🇪 Belgium
$2,147
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brugge and in Antwerp

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Brugge and in Antwerp actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,117 in Brugge versus $2,147 in Antwerp.

  • Brugge $2,117
  • Antwerp $2,147

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,097 in Brugge versus $3,321 in Antwerp.

  • Brugge $3,097
  • Antwerp $3,321

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,077 in Brugge versus $4,494 in Antwerp.

  • Brugge $4,077
  • Antwerp $4,494

Living in Brugge costs roughly 1% less than in Antwerp, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brugge 57% above, Antwerp 59% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Brugge
Antwerp
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.26 €19.80
$22.67 €20.17
-1.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.3 €70.5
$104 €92.6
-23.88%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.35 €10.09
$13.36 €11.88
-15.04%
Cappuccino
$4.36 €3.88
$4.38 €3.90
-0.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.89 €2.57
$3.67 €3.27
-21.25%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 €2.53
$3.61 €3.21
-21.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.35 €4.76
$5.40 €4.80
-0.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.33 €3.85
$6.08 €5.41
-28.78%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Brugge
Antwerp
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.19 €1.06
$1.33 €1.18
-10.53%
White Bread (500g)
$1.93 €1.71
$2.77 €2.46
-30.32%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.04 €1.82
$2.15 €1.91
-5.12%
Eggs
$3.93 €3.50
$3.76 €3.35
4.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.55 €10.27
$17.22 €15.32
-32.93%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.83 €10.52
$12.15 €10.81
-2.63%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.28 €17.15
$23.31 €20.73
-17.29%
Apples (1kg)
$2.63 €2.34
$2.87 €2.56
-8.36%
Banana (1kg)
$2.10 €1.87
$2.32 €2.06
-9.48%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.13 €1.89
$2.60 €2.31
-18.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.23 €1.99
$3.39 €3.02
-34.22%
Potato (1kg)
$2.25 €2.00
$2.36 €2.10
-4.66%
Onion (1kg)
$0.89 €0.80
$1.86 €1.65
-52.15%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.52 €1.35
$1.52 €1.36
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.87 €0.77
$1.04 €0.93
-16.35%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.23 €11.77
$13.06 €11.62
1.30%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.05 €6.27
$9.08 €8.07
-22.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.09 €0.97
$1.71 €1.52
-36.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.90 €1.69
$2.06 €1.84
-7.77%
🚌 Getting Around
Brugge
Antwerp
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.12 €2.78
$3.37 €3.00
-7.42%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$53.7 €47.77
$53.7 €47.72
0.11%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.29 €2.93
$5.60 €4.98
-41.25%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.50 €2.22
$2.65 €2.36
-5.66%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$25.26 €22.47
$44.90 €39.94
-43.74%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.97 €1.75
$2.08 €1.85
-5.29%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.0K €31.1K
$35.0K €31.1K
0.05%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.8K €30.0K
$34.0K €30.2K
-0.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brugge
Antwerp
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$214 €191
$204 €181
5.08%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.38 €16.35
$21.85 €19.43
-15.88%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.8 €46.94
$46.38 €41.25
13.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Brugge
Antwerp
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.18 €38.41
$37.05 €32.96
16.55%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.49 €12.00
$27.10 €24.11
-50.22%
Cinema Ticket
$14.39 €12.80
$15.34 €13.64
-6.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Brugge
Antwerp
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$592 €527
$1,612 €1,434
-63.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,925 €4,381
$33.8K €30.0K
-85.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Brugge
Antwerp
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.1
$113 €100
-9.26%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.8 €52.3
$52.7 €46.83
11.70%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$88.5 €78.7
$101 €89.5
-12.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$253 €225
$166 €148
51.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Brugge
Antwerp
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$919 €818
$1,025 €912
-10.35%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$828 €737
$821 €731
0.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,282 €1,140
$1,604 €1,427
-20.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,176 €1,046
$1,357 €1,207
-13.37%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,650 €2,357
$4,403 €3,917
-39.82%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,463 €2,191
$3,082 €2,742
-20.10%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Brugge
Antwerp
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,551 €2,269
$3,073 €2,734
-17.00%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.52
3.46
1.73%

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

Last update for Brugge: October 11, 2026

Last update for Antwerp: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Brugge
$828
Antwerp
$821 0.8% $7
Eating Out
Brugge
$323
Antwerp
$342 6% $19
Groceries & Markets
Brugge
$301
Antwerp
$363 20.7% $62
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brugge
$285
Antwerp
$272 4.7% $13
Clothing & Footwear
Brugge
$226
Antwerp
$195 13.9% $31
Getting Around
Brugge
$82
Antwerp
$86 4.9% $4
Sport & Entertainment
Brugge
$72
Antwerp
$68 5.9% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $919 in Brugge and $1,025 in Antwerp. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antwerp pays 20% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $79.0 in Brugge vs $104 in Antwerp for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $301 vs $363 per month, with Brugge cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇧🇪 Brugge
🇧🇪 Antwerp
🕒 Local time
11:57 11:57 AM
11:57 11:57 AM
Same time as Brugge
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
117,639
525,935
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Brugge Antwerp 82 km
From you
  • Brugge
  • Antwerp

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
Brugge vs Antwerp: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Brugge and in Antwerp?
Brugge and Antwerp differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($2,117 vs $2,147 including rent). Brugge is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Antwerp. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Brugge and in Antwerp?
Rent for a central apartment: $919 in Brugge versus $1,025 in Antwerp. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Brugge and in Antwerp?
A monthly transit pass in Brugge runs roughly 0% less than in Antwerp. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Brugge and Antwerp?
Childcare runs $592 in Brugge versus $1,612 in Antwerp. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
At $2,117 in Brugge versus $2,147 in Antwerp, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Brugge but tight or insufficient in Antwerp. The gap between the two cities makes Brugge the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Brugge and Antwerp?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Brugge or Antwerp safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Brugge and Antwerp are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Brugge or Antwerp?
Expats usually find Brugge gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Antwerp. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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