Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Cary, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Brussels: $2,594 a month against $2,842 in Cary, NC, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Brussels
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Brussels Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Cary, NC
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Cary, NC Living Index

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Brussels

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,594

/mo nomad

Cary, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,842

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brussels and in Cary, NC

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,594 in Brussels versus $2,842 in Cary, NC.

Brussels $2,594
Cary, NC $2,842

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,876 in Brussels versus $4,173 in Cary, NC.

Brussels $3,876
Cary, NC $4,173

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,157 in Brussels versus $5,505 in Cary, NC.

Brussels $5,157
Cary, NC $5,505

Living in Brussels costs roughly 9% less than in Cary, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brussels 92% above, Cary, NC 111% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.12 €19.67

$19.35 $19.35

14.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.8 €79.9

$99.3 $99.3

-9.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.07 €13.41

$10.42 $10.42

44.63%

Cappuccino

$4.49 €4.00

$5.06 $5.06

-11.26%

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

$3.67 €3.27

$2.03 $2.03

80.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 €2.80

$1.85 $1.85

70.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 €5.04

$4.51 $4.51

25.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 €5.01

$6.39 $6.39

-11.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.20

$1.04 $1.04

29.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 €2.46

$5.51 $5.51

-49.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.78 €2.48

$6.18 $6.18

-55.02%

Eggs

$5.22 €4.65

$4.02 $4.02

29.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.44 €15.51

$17.74 $17.74

-1.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.36 €11.88

$16.62 $16.62

-19.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.90 €19.48

$17.96 $17.96

21.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 €2.70

$6.25 $6.25

-51.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.15

$1.93 $1.93

25.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 €2.52

$3.75 $3.75

-24.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 €3.62

$6.90 $6.90

-41.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.28

$3.25 $3.25

-21.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 €1.99

$4.17 $4.17

-46.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 €1.64

$2.97 $2.97

-38.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.12

$2.38 $2.38

-47.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.26 €11.80

$10.06 $10.06

31.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.61 €8.55

$9.71 $9.71

-1.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 €2.31

$2.33 $2.33

11.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.78

$4.04 $4.04

-22.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 €2.50

$2.53 $2.53

11.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.6 €54.8

$78.7 $78.7

-21.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 €2.59

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 €1.98

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.47 €36.00

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.83

$0.93 $0.93

121.51%

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

$36.0K €32.0K

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

$33.2K €29.6K

$28.7K $28.7K

15.93%

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

$283 €252

$179 $179

58.43%

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

$21.97 €19.54

$47.18 $47.18

-53.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 €46.01

$67.6 $67.6

-23.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.30 €29.62

$77.8 $77.8

-57.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.56 €24.51

$21.88 $21.88

25.96%

Cinema Ticket

$16.33 €14.53

$15.26 $15.26

7.01%

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

$1,569 €1,396

$1,455 $1,455

7.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.7K €32.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €91.9

$65.9 $65.9

56.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.60 €40.56

$32.18 $32.18

41.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €97.2

$119 $119

-8.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 €130

$137 $137

6.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,318 €1,172

$1,904 $1,904

-30.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 €1,038

$1,407 $1,407

-17.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,463 €2,191

$2,710 $2,710

-9.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,756

$2,162 $2,162

-8.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,099 €4,535

$2,859 $2,859

78.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,881 €3,453

$2,643 $2,643

46.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,357 €2,986

$6,032 $6,032

-44.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.71

6.42

-42.21%

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

Last update for Brussels: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cary, NC: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brussels

$1.2K 45%

Cary, NC

$1.4K 49.5% 20.6% $240

Groceries & Markets

Brussels

$392 15.1%

Cary, NC

$486 17.1% 24% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brussels

$357 13.8%

Cary, NC

$294 10.3% 17.8% $63

Eating Out

Brussels

$343 13.2%

Cary, NC

$298 10.5% 13.2% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Brussels

$182 7%

Cary, NC

$160 5.6% 12.3% $22

Getting Around

Brussels

$87 3.4%

Cary, NC

$89 * 3.1% 2.2% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Brussels

$66 2.5%

Cary, NC

$108 3.8% 64.2% $42

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,318 in Brussels and $1,904 in Cary, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cary, NC pays 80% 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: $90.0 in Brussels vs $99.0 in Cary, NC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $486 per month, with Brussels cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Brussels

🇺🇸 Cary, NC

🕒 Local time

18:45 6:45 PM

12:45 12:45 PM

6 h behind Brussels

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

188,137 Capital

176,987

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Brussels Cary, NC 6,560 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Brussels
Cary, NC

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 Cary, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brussels wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Cary, NC. 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 80% lower in Cary, NC. 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 $1,904 in Cary, NC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Cary, NC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Brussels – a meal for two runs $90.0 versus $99.0 in Cary, NC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,594 in Brussels versus $2,842 in Cary, NC, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Brussels but tight or insufficient in Cary, NC. 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 Cary, NC 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 10% less than in Cary, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.