Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brugge and Brussels

For one person, living is cheaper in Brugge: $2,117 a month against $2,594 in Brussels, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in Brugge
Learn more

Brugge Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Brussels
Learn more

Brussels Living Index

Jump to prices

Brugge

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,117

/mo nomad

Brussels

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,594

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brugge and in Brussels

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

A single person spends $2,117 per month in Brugge vs $2,594 in Brussels, rent included.

Brugge $2,117
Brussels $2,594

A couple spends around $3,097 per month in Brugge vs $3,876 in Brussels, rent included.

Brugge $3,097
Brussels $3,876

A family of three spends $4,077 per month in Brugge vs $5,157 in Brussels, rent included.

Brugge $4,077
Brussels $5,157

Brugge is about 18% cheaper than Brussels, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Brugge and Brussels sit above the global median – Brugge by 57%, Brussels by 92%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.26 €19.80

$22.12 €19.67

0.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.3 €70.5

$89.8 €79.9

-11.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.35 €10.09

$15.07 €13.41

-24.68%

Cappuccino

$4.36 €3.88

$4.49 €4.00

-2.90%

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

$3.15 €2.80

-9.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.35 €4.76

$5.67 €5.04

-5.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 €3.85

$5.64 €5.01

-23.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.06

$1.35 €1.20

-11.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 €1.71

$2.77 €2.46

-30.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 €1.82

$2.78 €2.48

-26.62%

Eggs

$3.93 €3.50

$5.22 €4.65

-24.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.55 €10.27

$17.44 €15.51

-33.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.83 €10.52

$13.36 €11.88

-11.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.28 €17.15

$21.90 €19.48

-11.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.34

$3.03 €2.70

-13.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$2.42 €2.15

-13.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 €1.89

$2.83 €2.52

-24.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 €1.99

$4.07 €3.62

-45.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 €2.00

$2.56 €2.28

-12.11%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 €0.80

$2.24 €1.99

-60.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.35

$1.84 €1.64

-17.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 €0.77

$1.26 €1.12

-30.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.23 €11.77

$13.26 €11.80

-0.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.05 €6.27

$9.61 €8.55

-26.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 €0.97

$2.60 €2.31

-58.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 €1.69

$3.12 €2.78

-39.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.12 €2.78

$2.82 €2.50

10.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.7 €47.77

$61.6 €54.8

-12.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 €2.93

$2.91 €2.59

13.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 €2.22

$2.23 €1.98

12.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.26 €22.47

$40.47 €36.00

-37.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 €1.75

$2.06 €1.83

-4.37%

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

$35.0K €31.1K

$36.0K €32.0K

-2.82%

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

$33.8K €30.0K

$33.2K €29.6K

1.60%

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

$214 €191

$283 €252

-24.41%

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

$18.38 €16.35

$21.97 €19.54

-16.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 €46.94

$51.7 €46.01

2.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.18 €38.41

$33.30 €29.62

29.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.49 €12.00

$27.56 €24.51

-51.05%

Cinema Ticket

$14.39 €12.80

$16.33 €14.53

-11.88%

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

$592 €527

$1,569 €1,396

-62.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,925 €4,381

$36.7K €32.6K

-86.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.1

$103 €91.9

-0.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.8 €52.3

$45.60 €40.56

28.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 €78.7

$109 €97.2

-19.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$253 €225

$146 €130

72.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$919 €818

$1,318 €1,172

-30.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$828 €737

$1,167 €1,038

-29.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,282 €1,140

$2,463 €2,191

-47.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,176 €1,046

$1,975 €1,756

-40.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,650 €2,357

$5,099 €4,535

-48.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,463 €2,191

$3,881 €3,453

-36.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,551 €2,269

$3,357 €2,986

-24.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.71

-5.12%

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

Last update for Brugge: October 11, 2026

Last update for Brussels: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brugge

$828 39.1%

Brussels

$1.2K 45% 40.9% $339

Eating Out

Brugge

$323 15.3%

Brussels

$343 13.2% 6.2% $20

Groceries & Markets

Brugge

$301 14.2%

Brussels

$392 15.1% 30.6% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brugge

$285 13.5%

Brussels

$357 13.8% 25.1% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Brugge

$226 10.7%

Brussels

$182 7% 19.5% $44

Getting Around

Brugge

$82 3.9%

Brussels

$87 3.4% 6% $5

Sport & Entertainment

Brugge

$72 3.4%

Brussels

$66 2.5% 8.3% $6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $919 in Brugge versus $1,318 in Brussels. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 32% higher in Brussels, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Brugge versus $90.0 in Brussels. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $301 vs $392 – making Brugge the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Brugge

🇧🇪 Brussels

🕒 Local time

15:53 3:53 PM

Same time as Brugge

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,639

188,137 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brugge Brussels 88 km

From you

Brugge
Brussels

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 Brussels: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Brussels is pricier by about 23%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,176 per month in Brugge and $3,891 in Brussels. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Brugge, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,117 in Brugge and $2,594 in Brussels. That's a gap of about 23%.

Public transport costs about 15% less in Brugge. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Brugge, where all-in costs run around $2,117, than in Brussels at $2,594. In Brugge it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brussels it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Brugge – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Brugge. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brussels makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.