Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Aarschot

For one person, living is cheaper in Aarschot: $1,990 a month against $2,600 in Brussels, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Brussels
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Brussels Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Aarschot
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Aarschot Living Index

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Brussels

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,600

/mo nomad

Aarschot

🇧🇪 Belgium

$1,990

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brussels and in Aarschot

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,600 in Brussels versus $1,990 in Aarschot.

Brussels $2,600
Aarschot $1,990

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,919 in Brussels versus $2,883 in Aarschot.

Brussels $3,919
Aarschot $2,883

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,238 in Brussels versus $3,777 in Aarschot.

Brussels $5,238
Aarschot $3,777

Living in Brussels is roughly 31% more expensive than in Aarschot, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brussels 92% above, Aarschot 47% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.81 €20.29

$18.17 €16.16

25.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.1 €78.4

$76.7 €68.2

14.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.11 €13.44

$11.00 €9.78

37.36%

Cappuccino

$4.43 €3.94

$3.69 €3.28

20.05%

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

$3.67 €3.26

$2.98 €2.65

23.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 €2.81

$2.61 €2.32

21.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.57 €4.95

$5.33 €4.74

4.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 €5.14

$4.57 €4.06

26.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 €1.19

$1.23 €1.09

8.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 €2.51

$2.71 €2.41

4.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 €2.41

$2.01 €1.79

34.83%

Eggs

$5.44 €4.84

$3.65 €3.24

49.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.70 €15.75

$11.58 €10.30

52.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.46 €11.97

$11.65 €10.36

15.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.31 €19.84

$14.94 €13.29

49.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 €2.69

$2.69 €2.40

12.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.12

$2.23 €1.98

6.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 €2.53

$2.18 €1.94

30.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 €3.58

$2.24 €1.99

79.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.27

$2.26 €2.01

12.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.92

$1.75 €1.55

22.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 €1.60

$1.47 €1.31

22.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 €1.10

$0.96 €0.85

29.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.23 €11.77

$8.89 €7.90

48.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.08 €8.96

$7.42 €6.60

35.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 €2.42

$2.09 €1.86

30.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.67

$1.78 €1.58

69.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.85 €2.54

$3.03 €2.69

-5.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.1 €56.1

$55.7 €49.51

13.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.85 €2.53

$5.12 €4.56

-44.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 €2.01

$2.46 €2.19

-8.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.63 €36.14

$16.99 €15.11

139.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.93

$1.97 €1.75

10.15%

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

$35.9K €31.9K

$36.0K €32.0K

-0.19%

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

$35.8K €31.8K

$33.4K €29.7K

7.14%

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

$286 €254

$210 €187

35.83%

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

$20.53 €18.26

$18.58 €16.53

10.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.1 €46.37

$52.4 €46.56

-0.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.26 €29.58

$36.52 €32.49

-8.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.07 €24.97

$19.21 €17.09

46.12%

Cinema Ticket

$15.68 €13.95

$14.15 €12.59

10.81%

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

$1,609 €1,431

$697 €620

130.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.1K €33.0K

$16.3K €14.5K

127.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €89.7

$85.4 €76.0

17.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.93 €40.86

$26.41 €23.49

73.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €102

$87.5 €77.9

30.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 €129

$130 €116

11.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 €1,183

$928 €826

43.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,162 €1,034

$826 €735

40.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,469 €2,196

$1,379 €1,227

79.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,043 €1,817

$1,165 €1,036

75.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,095 €4,532

$4,218 €3,752

20.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,926 €3,492

$2,844 €2,530

38.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,310 €2,944

$3,126 €2,780

5.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.71

3.52

5.40%

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

Last update for Brussels: October 18, 2026

Last update for Aarschot: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brussels

$1.2K 44.7%

Aarschot

$826 41.5% 28.9% $336

Groceries & Markets

Brussels

$396 15.2%

Aarschot

$303 15.2% 23.5% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brussels

$358 13.8%

Aarschot

$281 14.1% 21.5% $77

Eating Out

Brussels

$348 13.4%

Aarschot

$281 14.1% 19.3% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Brussels

$182 7%

Aarschot

$148 7.5% 18.7% $34

Getting Around

Brussels

$89 3.4%

Aarschot

$85 4.3% 3.9% $3.4

Sport & Entertainment

Brussels

$65 2.5%

Aarschot

$65 3.3% 0.3% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,330 in Brussels and $928 in Aarschot. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brussels pays 6% 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: $88.0 in Brussels vs $77.0 in Aarschot for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $396 vs $303 per month, with Aarschot cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Brussels

🇧🇪 Aarschot

🕒 Local time

23:36 11:36 PM

Same time as Brussels

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

188,137 Capital

27,656

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Aarschot: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aarschot is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 6% 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: $1,330 in Brussels versus $928 in Aarschot. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Brussels. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Aarschot – a meal for two runs $77.0 versus $88.0 in Brussels. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,990 in Aarschot versus $2,600 in Brussels, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Aarschot but tight or insufficient in Brussels. The gap between the two cities makes Aarschot the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Aarschot are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Aarschot gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Brussels. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.