Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Arlon

For one person, living is cheaper in Arlon: $2,033 a month against $2,584 in Brussels, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Brussels
Learn more

Brussels Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Arlon
Learn more

Arlon Living Index

Jump to prices

Brussels

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,584

/mo nomad

Arlon

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,033

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brussels and in Arlon

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

A single person spends $2,584 per month in Brussels vs $2,033 in Arlon, rent included.

Brussels $2,584
Arlon $2,033

A couple spends around $3,923 per month in Brussels vs $3,132 in Arlon, rent included.

Brussels $3,923
Arlon $3,132

A family of three spends $5,262 per month in Brussels vs $4,232 in Arlon, rent included.

Brussels $5,262
Arlon $4,232

Brussels costs about 27% more than Arlon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Brussels and Arlon sit above the global median – Brussels by 90%, Arlon by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.51 €20.22

$17.02 €15.29

32.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 €81.9

$91.1 €81.8

0.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.19 €13.65

$11.21 €10.07

35.50%

Cappuccino

$4.55 €4.08

$2.86 €2.57

59.09%

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

$3.63 €3.26

$2.68 €2.41

35.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.71

$2.58 €2.32

17.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.11

$3.41 €3.06

66.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 €4.98

$4.39 €3.94

26.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.21

$1.19 €1.07

13.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 €2.48

$1.54 €1.39

79.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 €2.55

$2.36 €2.12

20.34%

Eggs

$5.19 €4.66

$3.77 €3.39

37.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.84 €16.03

$14.58 €13.09

22.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.04 €11.71

$11.54 €10.36

13.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.85 €19.63

$15.33 €13.77

42.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 €2.81

$3.05 €2.74

2.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.18

$1.09 €0.98

122.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 €2.53

$2.18 €1.96

28.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 €3.62

$3.05 €2.74

32.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.21

$1.67 €1.50

47.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.96

$2.08 €1.87

4.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 €1.67

$1.71 €1.54

8.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.10

$1.11 €1.00

9.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.60 €12.22

$8.99 €8.08

51.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 €8.59

$7.92 €7.11

20.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 €2.43

$2.01 €1.81

34.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 €2.70

$1.10 €0.99

172.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.76 €2.48

$2.24 €2.01

23.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.6 €55.4

$41.07 €36.89

50.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 €2.65

$3.95 €3.55

-25.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.24 €2.01

$2.61 €2.35

-14.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.78 €36.63

$16.95 €15.23

140.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.85

$1.99 €1.78

3.52%

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

$34.8K €31.3K

$35.5K €31.9K

-2.02%

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

$35.7K €32.0K

$36.6K €32.9K

-2.59%

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

$280 €252

$263 €236

6.53%

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

$21.20 €19.04

$24.91 €22.37

-14.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 €46.72

$52.8 €47.43

-1.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.34 €29.05

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 €24.92

$24.29 €21.82

14.20%

Cinema Ticket

$15.88 €14.27

$9.08 €8.15

74.89%

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

$1,596 €1,434

$851 €765

87.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.2K €32.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.9

$85.4 €76.7

18.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.78 €42.03

$50.5 €45.38

-7.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €102

$49.54 €44.50

129.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €129

$111 €99.4

29.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,393 €1,251

$897 €806

55.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,160 €1,042

$921 €827

25.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,518 €2,262

$1,681 €1,510

49.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,076 €1,865

$1,701 €1,528

22.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,877 €4,381

$4,215 €3,786

15.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,718 €3,340

$3,897 €3,501

-4.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,392 €3,047

$2,868 €2,576

18.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.71

3.65

1.64%

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

Last update for Brussels: October 24, 2026

Last update for Arlon: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brussels

$1.2K 44.9%

Arlon

$921 45.3% 20.6% $239

Groceries & Markets

Brussels

$391 15.2%

Arlon

$302 14.9% 22.7% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brussels

$353 13.7%

Arlon

$341 16.8% 3.6% $13

Eating Out

Brussels

$346 13.4%

Arlon

$251 12.4% 27.5% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Brussels

$182 7.1%

Arlon

$133 6.6% 26.9% $49

Getting Around

Brussels

$87 3.4%

Arlon

$67 3.3% 22.8% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Brussels

$64 2.5%

Arlon

$18 * 0.9% 71.7% $46

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,393 in Brussels versus $897 in Arlon. 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 18% 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 $91 in Brussels versus $91 in Arlon. Groceries tell a different story – $391 in Brussels vs $302 in Arlon – so Arlon wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Brussels

🇧🇪 Arlon

🕒 Local time

22:06 10:06 PM

Same time as Brussels

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

188,137 Capital

28,759

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brussels Arlon 170 km

From you

Brussels
Arlon

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 Arlon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brussels costs about 27% more than Arlon, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,876 per month in Brussels and $3,050 in Arlon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Arlon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $897 there versus $1,393 in Brussels.

Public transport costs about 33% less in Arlon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 29% more in Brussels, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,584 in Brussels and $2,033 in Arlon. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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