Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Dendermonde Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Dendermonde

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,647 in Brussels versus $2,141 in Dendermonde.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,973 in Brussels versus $3,087 in Dendermonde.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,299 in Brussels versus $4,033 in Dendermonde.

Living in Brussels is roughly 24% more expensive than in Dendermonde, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brussels 92% above, Dendermonde 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.12 €19.93

$22.23 €19.16

4.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.4 €78.8

$80.0 €69.0

14.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.72 €12.69

$11.54 €9.95

27.56%

Cappuccino

$4.65 €4.00

$4.58 €3.95

1.53%

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

$3.72 €3.20

$3.25 €2.80

14.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €2.97

$3.07 €2.64

12.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.87 €5.06

$5.47 €4.71

7.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 €4.93

$4.76 €4.11

19.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 €1.29

$1.32 €1.14

12.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.95 €2.55

$2.91 €2.51

1.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 €2.48

$2.26 €1.95

27.43%

Eggs

$5.25 €4.52

$3.97 €3.42

32.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.02 €15.53

$12.07 €10.41

49.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.43 €11.58

$13.24 €11.41

1.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.67 €19.54

$19.64 €16.93

15.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 €2.94

$2.91 €2.50

17.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 €2.22

$2.27 €1.96

13.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 €2.57

$2.25 €1.94

32.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 €3.57

$2.30 €1.98

80.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 €2.32

$2.30 €1.98

16.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 €2.03

$1.72 €1.48

37.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 €1.62

$1.60 €1.38

17.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.08

$0.99 €0.86

26.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.21 €12.25

$14.16 €12.20

0.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.25 €8.84

$7.68 €6.62

33.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 €2.43

$2.14 €1.85

31.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 €2.70

$1.88 €1.62

66.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.99 €2.58

$3.25 €2.80

-8.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.8 €55.0

$57.5 €49.57

10.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 €2.66

$10.54 €9.08

-70.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.63 €2.27

-6.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.93 €36.15

$25.94 €22.36

61.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 €1.86

$2.00 €1.72

8.00%

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

$36.2K €31.2K

$37.2K €32.0K

-2.68%

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

$34.9K €30.1K

$34.4K €29.7K

1.48%

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

$291 €250

$216 €186

34.77%

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

$22.00 €18.96

$18.90 €16.29

16.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.2 €48.45

$55.8 €48.07

0.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.86 €30.91

$37.33 €32.18

-3.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.05 €25.04

$20.43 €17.61

42.19%

Cinema Ticket

$16.59 €14.30

$14.82 €12.78

11.94%

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

$1,710 €1,474

$730 €629

134.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.9K €32.6K

$17.2K €14.8K

120.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €91.8

$101 €86.7

5.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.27 €40.75

$26.76 €23.07

76.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 €96.6

$90.5 €78.0

23.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 €129

$151 €130

-0.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,403 €1,209

$962 €830

45.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 €1,069

$852 €735

45.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,521 €2,173

$1,460 €1,258

72.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 €1,833

$1,211 €1,044

75.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,246 €4,522

$4,134 €3,563

26.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,946 €3,401

$3,025 €2,607

30.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,418 €2,947

$3,444 €2,969

-0.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

3.52

4.55%

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

Last update for Brussels: September 7, 2026

Last update for Dendermonde: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,403 in Brussels and $962 in Dendermonde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dendermonde pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $91.0 in Brussels vs $80.0 in Dendermonde for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $408 vs $336 per month, with Dendermonde cheaper across the board.

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 Dendermonde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dendermonde wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Brussels. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Dendermonde the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Dendermonde. 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: $1,403 in Brussels versus $962 in Dendermonde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Brussels. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Dendermonde – a meal for two runs $80.0 versus $91.0 in Brussels. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,141 in Dendermonde versus $2,647 in Brussels, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Dendermonde but tight or insufficient in Brussels. The gap between the two cities makes Dendermonde 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 Dendermonde 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 Dendermonde gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Brussels. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.