Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brugge and Gent

For one person, living is cheaper in Brugge: $2,117 a month against $2,224 in Gent, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in Brugge
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Brugge Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Gent
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Gent Living Index

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Brugge

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,117

/mo nomad

Gent

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,224

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brugge and in Gent

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

A single person spends $2,117 per month in Brugge vs $2,224 in Gent, rent included.

Brugge $2,117
Gent $2,224

A couple spends around $3,097 per month in Brugge vs $3,455 in Gent, rent included.

Brugge $3,097
Gent $3,455

A family of three spends $4,077 per month in Brugge vs $4,686 in Gent, rent included.

Brugge $4,077
Gent $4,686

Brugge is about 5% cheaper than Gent, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Brugge and Gent sit above the global median – Brugge by 57%, Gent by 65%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.26 €19.80

$21.97 €19.54

1.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.3 €70.5

$114 €101

-30.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.35 €10.09

$15.65 €13.92

-27.48%

Cappuccino

$4.36 €3.88

$4.31 €3.83

1.16%

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

$2.89 €2.57

$3.35 €2.98

-13.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 €2.53

$2.94 €2.62

-3.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.35 €4.76

$5.64 €5.01

-5.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 €3.85

$5.66 €5.03

-23.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.06

$1.21 €1.07

-1.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 €1.71

$2.83 €2.52

-31.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 €1.82

$2.13 €1.89

-4.23%

Eggs

$3.93 €3.50

$3.98 €3.54

-1.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.55 €10.27

$18.55 €16.50

-37.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.83 €10.52

$12.36 €11.00

-4.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.28 €17.15

$19.82 €17.63

-2.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.34

$2.79 €2.48

-5.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$2.41 €2.14

-12.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 €1.89

$2.54 €2.26

-16.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 €1.99

$2.94 €2.61

-24.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 €2.00

$2.13 €1.89

5.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 €0.80

$1.95 €1.73

-54.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.35

$1.37 €1.21

10.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 €0.77

$1.07 €0.96

-18.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.23 €11.77

$13.04 €11.60

1.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.05 €6.27

$9.06 €8.06

-22.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 €0.97

$1.98 €1.76

-44.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 €1.69

$2.47 €2.19

-23.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.12 €2.78

$3.28 €2.92

-4.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.7 €47.77

$59.3 €52.8

-9.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 €2.93

$11.25 €10.01

-70.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 €2.22

$2.84 €2.53

-11.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.26 €22.47

$50.5 €44.95

-50.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 €1.75

$2.01 €1.79

-1.99%

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

$35.0K €31.1K

$34.8K €31.0K

0.46%

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

$33.8K €30.0K

0.00%

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

$214 €191

$219 €195

-2.23%

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

$18.38 €16.35

$20.47 €18.21

-10.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 €46.94

$47.05 €41.85

12.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.18 €38.41

$35.69 €31.74

20.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.49 €12.00

$13.07 €11.63

3.21%

Cinema Ticket

$14.39 €12.80

$15.73 €14.00

-8.52%

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

$592 €527

$567 €504

4.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,925 €4,381

$20.9K €18.6K

-76.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.1

$109 €96.9

-5.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.8 €52.3

$46.20 €41.10

27.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 €78.7

$107 €95.6

-17.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$253 €225

$150 €134

68.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$919 €818

$1,190 €1,059

-22.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$828 €737

$891 €792

-7.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,282 €1,140

$1,800 €1,601

-28.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,176 €1,046

$1,529 €1,360

-23.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,650 €2,357

$5,213 €4,637

-49.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,463 €2,191

$3,087 €2,746

-20.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,551 €2,269

$3,680 €3,274

-30.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.2

10.00%

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

Last update for Brugge: October 11, 2026

Last update for Gent: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brugge

$828 39.1%

Gent

$891 40.1% 7.5% $62

Eating Out

Brugge

$323 15.3%

Gent

$339 15.2% 5% $16

Groceries & Markets

Brugge

$301 14.2%

Gent

$357 16% 18.6% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brugge

$285 13.5%

Gent

$287 12.9% 0.4% $1.3

Clothing & Footwear

Brugge

$226 10.7%

Gent

$186 8.4% 17.8% $40

Getting Around

Brugge

$82 3.9%

Gent

$98 4.4% 19.4% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Brugge

$72 3.4%

Gent

$67 3% 6.7% $4.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $919 in Brugge versus $1,190 in Gent. 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 44% higher in Gent, 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 $114 in Gent. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $301 vs $357 – making Brugge the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Brugge

🇧🇪 Gent

🕒 Local time

19:16 7:16 PM

Same time as Brugge

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,639

237,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

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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 Gent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Gent is pricier by about 5%, 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 $3,336 in Gent. 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 $2,224 in Gent. That's a gap of about 5%.

Public transport costs about 10% 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 Gent at $2,224. In Brugge it covers expenses comfortably, while in Gent 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, Gent makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.