Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Brussels: $2,552 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Brussels
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Brussels Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Brussels

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,552

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brussels and in Austin, TX

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,552 in Brussels versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Brussels $2,552
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,875 in Brussels versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Brussels $3,875
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,197 in Brussels versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Brussels $5,197
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Brussels costs roughly 6% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brussels 90% above, Austin, TX 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.61 €20.18

$20.22 $20.22

11.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 €81.4

$85.0 $85.0

7.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.21 €13.57

$12.35 $12.35

23.16%

Cappuccino

$4.32 €3.86

$5.47 $5.47

-21.02%

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

$3.78 €3.37

$3.82 $3.82

-1.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 €2.71

$2.50 $2.50

21.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.53 €4.94

$8.06 $8.06

-31.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 €5.11

$8.99 $8.99

-36.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.13 $1.13

15.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 €2.42

$3.78 $3.78

-28.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 €2.50

$3.25 $3.25

-13.85%

Eggs

$5.33 €4.76

$4.14 $4.14

28.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.78 €15.87

$13.08 $13.08

35.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.11 €11.70

$14.31 $14.31

-8.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.01 €19.64

$15.96 $15.96

37.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 €2.78

$4.38 $4.38

-28.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.11

$1.45 $1.45

63.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 €2.45

$4.54 $4.54

-39.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 €3.78

$4.19 $4.19

1.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.30

$2.63 $2.63

-1.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.99

$2.36 $2.36

-5.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 €1.60

$1.76 $1.76

2.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.13

$2.16 $2.16

-41.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.68 €12.21

$9.81 $9.81

39.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.75 €8.70

$14.72 $14.72

-33.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.39

$2.78 $2.78

-3.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 €2.73

$3.48 $3.48

-12.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.57

$1.49 $1.49

93.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.1 €56.3

$40.51 $40.51

55.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 €2.55

$2.67 $2.67

7.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.31 €2.06

$1.58 $1.58

46.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.43 €36.08

$35.29 $35.29

14.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.92

$0.99 $0.99

117.17%

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

$35.1K €31.3K

$35.8K $35.8K

-1.98%

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

$33.2K €29.6K

$27.2K $27.2K

22.02%

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

$285 €255

$219 $219

30.12%

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

$21.90 €19.54

$58.0 $58.0

-62.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.0 €47.26

$68.4 $68.4

-22.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.51 €29.90

$57.9 $57.9

-42.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.85 €24.85

$14.82 $14.82

87.92%

Cinema Ticket

$16.62 €14.83

$14.13 $14.13

17.62%

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

$1,590 €1,419

$1,509 $1,509

5.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.2K €33.2K

$21.5K $21.5K

73.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.7

$51.7 $51.7

101.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.15 €41.18

$44.05 $44.05

4.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €99.2

$85.1 $85.1

30.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 €133

$105 $105

41.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,318 €1,176

$1,932 $1,932

-31.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,166 €1,040

$1,272 $1,272

-8.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,442 €2,179

$3,670 $3,670

-33.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,980 €1,767

$2,525 $2,525

-21.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,082 €4,535

$7,617 $7,617

-33.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,941 €3,517

$3,199 $3,199

23.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,280 €2,927

$5,105 $5,105

-35.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.71

6.79

-45.36%

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

Last update for Brussels: October 5, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brussels

$1.2K 44.8%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 9.2% $107

Groceries & Markets

Brussels

$393 15.1%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 2.4% $9.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brussels

$360 13.8%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 4% $15

Eating Out

Brussels

$345 13.2%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 0.9% $3.3

Clothing & Footwear

Brussels

$185 7.1%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 30.3% $56

Getting Around

Brussels

$89 3.4%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 36% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Brussels

$67 2.6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 29.1% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,318 in Brussels and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 56% 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: $91.0 in Brussels vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $393 vs $403, with Brussels cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Brussels

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

04:26 4:26 AM

21:26 9:26 PM

7 h behind Brussels

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

188,137 Capital

974,447

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Brussels Austin, TX 8,220 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Brussels
Austin, TX

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 Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brussels wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Brussels the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 56% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,318 in Brussels versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,552 per month in Brussels versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Brussels runs roughly 56% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,552 in Brussels versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Brussels but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Brussels 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 Austin, TX 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 Brussels gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.