Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Aalst

For one person, living is cheaper in Aalst: $2,141 a month against $2,584 in Brussels, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Brussels
Learn more

Brussels Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Aalst
Learn more

Aalst Living Index

Jump to prices

Brussels

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,584

/mo nomad

Aalst

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,141

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brussels and in Aalst

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,584 in Brussels versus $2,141 in Aalst.

Brussels $2,584
Aalst $2,141

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,923 in Brussels versus $3,169 in Aalst.

Brussels $3,923
Aalst $3,169

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,262 in Brussels versus $4,197 in Aalst.

Brussels $5,262
Aalst $4,197

Living in Brussels is roughly 21% more expensive than in Aalst, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brussels 90% above, Aalst 57% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.51 €20.16

$23.31 €20.87

-3.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 €81.7

$95.9 €85.8

-4.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.19 €13.61

$13.64 €12.21

11.36%

Cappuccino

$4.55 €4.07

$4.39 €3.93

3.64%

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

$3.63 €3.25

$3.49 €3.12

4.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.70

$3.03 €2.71

-0.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.10

$5.63 €5.04

1.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 €4.97

$5.69 €5.09

-2.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.21

$1.34 €1.20

0.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 €2.47

$2.85 €2.55

-3.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 €2.54

$2.32 €2.07

22.41%

Eggs

$5.19 €4.65

$4.07 €3.64

27.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.84 €15.98

$16.44 €14.72

8.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.04 €11.68

$11.74 €10.52

11.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.85 €19.57

$22.26 €19.94

-1.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 €2.80

$3.08 €2.76

1.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.17

$2.41 €2.16

0.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 €2.52

$2.70 €2.41

4.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 €3.61

$3.35 €3.00

20.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.20

$2.53 €2.26

-2.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.95

$1.87 €1.67

16.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.50 €1.34

24.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.10

$1.12 €1.00

8.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.60 €12.18

$12.77 €11.44

6.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 €8.57

$8.58 €7.69

11.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 €2.42

$1.89 €1.70

42.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 €2.69

$2.04 €1.83

47.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.76 €2.48

$3.18 €2.85

-13.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.6 €55.2

$52.7 €47.15

17.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 €2.65

$2.97 €2.66

-0.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.24 €2.00

$2.30 €2.06

-2.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.78 €36.52

$41.01 €36.72

-0.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.85

$2.08 €1.86

-0.96%

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

$34.8K €31.2K

$35.2K €31.5K

-1.01%

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

$35.7K €31.9K

$36.3K €32.5K

-1.69%

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

$280 €251

$207 €185

35.51%

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

$21.20 €18.98

$20.48 €18.34

3.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 €46.58

$52.1 €46.67

-0.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.34 €28.96

$36.48 €32.67

-11.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 €24.85

$21.47 €19.22

29.20%

Cinema Ticket

$15.88 €14.22

$15.71 €14.07

1.08%

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

$1,596 €1,429

$1,606 €1,439

-0.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.2K €32.4K

$34.0K €30.4K

6.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.6

$113 €101

-10.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.78 €41.90

$45.55 €40.80

2.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €102

$106 €94.5

7.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €128

$166 €148

-13.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,393 €1,248

$931 €834

49.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,160 €1,039

$814 €729

42.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,518 €2,255

$1,392 €1,246

80.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,076 €1,859

$1,113 €997

86.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,877 €4,368

$4,190 €3,752

16.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,718 €3,330

$2,896 €2,593

28.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,392 €3,038

$2,836 €2,540

19.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.71

3.53

5.10%

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

Last update for Brussels: October 24, 2026

Last update for Aalst: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brussels

$1.2K 44.9%

Aalst

$814 38% 29.8% $346

Groceries & Markets

Brussels

$391 15.2%

Aalst

$361 16.9% 7.8% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brussels

$353 13.7%

Aalst

$279 13% 20.9% $74

Eating Out

Brussels

$346 13.4%

Aalst

$346 16.1% 0.2% $0.8

Clothing & Footwear

Brussels

$182 7.1%

Aalst

$193 9% 6.2% $11

Getting Around

Brussels

$87 3.4%

Aalst

$80 3.7% 8% $7

Sport & Entertainment

Brussels

$64 2.5%

Aalst

$68 3.2% 5.9% $3.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,393 in Brussels and $931 in Aalst. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brussels 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: $91 in Brussels vs $96 in Aalst. Groceries flip the comparison at $391 vs $361, with Aalst cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Brussels

🇧🇪 Aalst

🕒 Local time

16:42 4:42 PM

Same time as Brussels

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

188,137 Capital

78,271

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brussels Aalst 24 km

From you

Brussels
Aalst

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

Brussels vs Aalst: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,584 in Brussels and $2,141 in Aalst, so Aalst is about 17% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 20% higher in Brussels, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,393 in Brussels versus $931 in Aalst. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Brussels – a meal for two runs $91 versus $96 in Aalst. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,584 per month in Brussels versus $2,141 in Aalst – Aalst is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Aalst gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Safety-wise, Brussels and Aalst are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Aalst wins on affordability, Brussels on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.