Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Charleroi

For one person, living is cheaper in Charleroi: $2,041 a month against $2,584 in Brussels, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Brussels
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Brussels Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Charleroi
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Charleroi Living Index

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Brussels

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,584

/mo nomad

Charleroi

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,041

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brussels and in Charleroi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,584 in Brussels versus $2,041 in Charleroi.

Brussels $2,584
Charleroi $2,041

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,923 in Brussels versus $2,937 in Charleroi.

Brussels $3,923
Charleroi $2,937

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,262 in Brussels versus $3,833 in Charleroi.

Brussels $5,262
Charleroi $3,833

Living in Brussels is roughly 27% more expensive than in Charleroi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brussels 90% above, Charleroi 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.51 €20.22

$21.95 €19.72

2.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 €81.9

$82.4 €74.0

10.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.19 €13.65

$13.56 €12.18

12.02%

Cappuccino

$4.55 €4.08

$3.01 €2.70

51.16%

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

$3.63 €3.26

$2.20 €1.98

65.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.71

$2.17 €1.95

39.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.11

$3.31 €2.97

71.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 €4.98

$4.11 €3.69

35.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.21

$1.18 €1.06

14.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 €2.48

$2.45 €2.20

12.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 €2.55

$2.22 €2.00

27.93%

Eggs

$5.19 €4.66

$4.00 €3.59

29.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.84 €16.03

$16.52 €14.84

7.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.04 €11.71

$12.01 €10.79

8.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.85 €19.63

$22.11 €19.86

-1.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 €2.81

$2.62 €2.35

19.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.18

$2.25 €2.03

7.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 €2.53

$2.67 €2.40

5.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 €3.62

$3.41 €3.06

18.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.21

$2.07 €1.86

18.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.96

$1.14 €1.03

91.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 €1.67

$1.36 €1.22

36.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.10

$0.68 €0.61

79.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.60 €12.22

$12.74 €11.45

6.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 €8.59

$8.75 €7.86

9.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 €2.43

$1.74 €1.56

55.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 €2.70

$1.99 €1.79

50.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.76 €2.48

$2.93 €2.64

-5.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.6 €55.4

$41.93 €37.67

46.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 €2.65

$5.56 €4.99

-46.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.24 €2.01

$2.60 €2.34

-13.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.78 €36.63

$44.93 €40.36

-9.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.85

$1.82 €1.64

13.19%

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

$34.8K €31.3K

$29.7K €26.7K

17.24%

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

$35.7K €32.0K

$32.3K €29.0K

10.45%

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

$280 €252

$208 €187

34.58%

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

$21.20 €19.04

$21.83 €19.61

-2.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 €46.72

$46.70 €41.95

11.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.34 €29.05

$31.51 €28.30

2.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 €24.92

$28.27 €25.39

-1.87%

Cinema Ticket

$15.88 €14.27

$15.79 €14.19

0.57%

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

$1,596 €1,434

$1,619 €1,455

-1.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.2K €32.5K

$16.5K €14.8K

119.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.9

$114 €103

-11.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.78 €42.03

$53.0 €47.60

-11.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €102

$90.6 €81.4

25.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €129

$90.5 €81.3

58.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,393 €1,251

$799 €718

74.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,160 €1,042

$834 €749

39.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,518 €2,262

$1,043 €937

141.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,076 €1,865

$1,052 €945

97.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,877 €4,381

$2,886 €2,593

68.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,718 €3,340

$2,941 €2,642

26.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,392 €3,047

$2,251 €2,022

50.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.71

3.53

5.10%

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

Last update for Brussels: October 24, 2026

Last update for Charleroi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brussels

$1.2K 44.9%

Charleroi

$834 40.9% 28.1% $326

Groceries & Markets

Brussels

$391 15.2%

Charleroi

$344 16.8% 12.2% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brussels

$353 13.7%

Charleroi

$277 13.6% 21.7% $77

Eating Out

Brussels

$346 13.4%

Charleroi

$295 14.4% 14.9% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Brussels

$182 7.1%

Charleroi

$157 7.7% 13.9% $25

Getting Around

Brussels

$87 3.4%

Charleroi

$72 3.5% 16.8% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Brussels

$64 2.5%

Charleroi

$63 3.1% 1.6% $1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,393 in Brussels and $799 in Charleroi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brussels pays 51% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $91 in Brussels vs $82 in Charleroi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $391 vs $344 per month, with Charleroi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Brussels

🇧🇪 Charleroi

🕒 Local time

21:22 9:22 PM

Same time as Brussels

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

188,137 Capital

202,730

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Brussels Charleroi 49 km

From you

Brussels
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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 Charleroi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Charleroi wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Brussels. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Charleroi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 51% 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: $1,393 in Brussels versus $799 in Charleroi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Brussels. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Charleroi – a meal for two runs $82 versus $91 in Brussels. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Charleroi gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Expats usually find Charleroi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Brussels. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.