Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Brugge

For one person, living is cheaper in Brugge: $2,117 a month against $2,594 in Brussels, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 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
103

Cost of Living Index in Brugge
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Brugge Living Index

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Brussels

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,594

/mo nomad

Brugge

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,117

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brussels and in Brugge

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

A single person spends $2,594 per month in Brussels vs $2,117 in Brugge, rent included.

Brussels $2,594
Brugge $2,117

A couple spends around $3,876 per month in Brussels vs $3,097 in Brugge, rent included.

Brussels $3,876
Brugge $3,097

A family of three spends $5,157 per month in Brussels vs $4,077 in Brugge, rent included.

Brussels $5,157
Brugge $4,077

Brussels costs about 23% more than Brugge, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Brussels and Brugge sit above the global median – Brussels by 92%, Brugge by 57%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.12 €19.67

$22.26 €19.80

-0.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.8 €79.9

$79.3 €70.5

13.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.07 €13.41

$11.35 €10.09

32.78%

Cappuccino

$4.49 €4.00

$4.36 €3.88

2.98%

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

$3.67 €3.27

$2.89 €2.57

26.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 €2.80

$2.85 €2.53

10.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 €5.04

$5.35 €4.76

5.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 €5.01

$4.33 €3.85

30.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.20

$1.19 €1.06

13.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 €2.46

$1.93 €1.71

43.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.78 €2.48

$2.04 €1.82

36.27%

Eggs

$5.22 €4.65

$3.93 €3.50

32.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.44 €15.51

$11.55 €10.27

51.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.36 €11.88

$11.83 €10.52

12.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.90 €19.48

$19.28 €17.15

13.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 €2.70

$2.63 €2.34

15.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.15

$2.10 €1.87

15.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 €2.52

$2.13 €1.89

32.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 €3.62

$2.23 €1.99

82.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.28

$2.25 €2.00

13.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 €1.99

$0.89 €0.80

151.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 €1.64

$1.52 €1.35

21.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.12

$0.87 €0.77

44.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.26 €11.80

$13.23 €11.77

0.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.61 €8.55

$7.05 €6.27

36.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 €2.31

$1.09 €0.97

138.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.78

$1.90 €1.69

64.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 €2.50

$3.12 €2.78

-9.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.6 €54.8

$53.7 €47.77

14.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 €2.59

$3.29 €2.93

-11.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 €1.98

$2.50 €2.22

-10.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.47 €36.00

$25.26 €22.47

60.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.83

$1.97 €1.75

4.57%

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

$36.0K €32.0K

$35.0K €31.1K

2.90%

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

$33.2K €29.6K

$33.8K €30.0K

-1.58%

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

$283 €252

$214 €191

32.29%

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

$21.97 €19.54

$18.38 €16.35

19.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 €46.01

$52.8 €46.94

-1.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.30 €29.62

$43.18 €38.41

-22.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.56 €24.51

$13.49 €12.00

104.30%

Cinema Ticket

$16.33 €14.53

$14.39 €12.80

13.48%

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

$1,569 €1,396

$592 €527

165.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.7K €32.6K

$4,925 €4,381

644.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €91.9

$102 €91.1

0.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.60 €40.56

$58.8 €52.3

-22.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €97.2

$88.5 €78.7

23.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 €130

$253 €225

-42.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,318 €1,172

$919 €818

43.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 €1,038

$828 €737

40.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,463 €2,191

$1,282 €1,140

92.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,756

$1,176 €1,046

67.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,099 €4,535

$2,650 €2,357

92.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,881 €3,453

$2,463 €2,191

57.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,357 €2,986

$2,551 €2,269

31.61%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Brugge: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brussels

$1.2K 45%

Brugge

$828 39.1% 29% $339

Groceries & Markets

Brussels

$392 15.1%

Brugge

$301 14.2% 23.4% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brussels

$357 13.8%

Brugge

$285 13.5% 20.1% $72

Eating Out

Brussels

$343 13.2%

Brugge

$323 15.3% 5.8% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Brussels

$182 7%

Brugge

$226 10.7% 24.3% $44

Getting Around

Brussels

$87 3.4%

Brugge

$82 3.9% 5.7% $5

Sport & Entertainment

Brussels

$66 2.5%

Brugge

$72 3.4% 9.1% $6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,318 in Brussels versus $919 in Brugge. 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 32% 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 $90.0 in Brussels versus $79.0 in Brugge. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $392 vs $301 – making Brugge the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Brussels

🇧🇪 Brugge

🕒 Local time

15:54 3:54 PM

Same time as Brussels

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

188,137 Capital

117,639

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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From you

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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 Brugge: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Brussels is pricier by about 23%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,891 per month in Brussels and $3,176 in Brugge. 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 $2,594 in Brussels and $2,117 in Brugge. That's a gap of about 23%.

Public transport costs about 15% 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 Brussels at $2,594. In Brugge it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brussels 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, Brussels makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.