Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Diest

For one person, living is cheaper in Diest: $2,088 a month against $2,602 in Brussels, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 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
100

Cost of Living Index in Diest
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Diest Living Index

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Brussels

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,602

/mo nomad

Diest

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,088

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brussels and in Diest

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,602 in Brussels versus $2,088 in Diest.

Brussels $2,602
Diest $2,088

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,932 in Brussels versus $3,070 in Diest.

Brussels $3,932
Diest $3,070

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,262 in Brussels versus $4,052 in Diest.

Brussels $5,262
Diest $4,052

Living in Brussels is roughly 25% more expensive than in Diest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brussels 92% above, Diest 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.69 €20.21

$21.93 €19.53

3.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.6 €79.8

$85.0 €75.7

5.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.03 €13.39

$11.89 €10.59

26.41%

Cappuccino

$4.60 €4.09

$3.54 €3.15

29.94%

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

$3.71 €3.30

$2.94 €2.62

26.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 €2.79

$2.80 €2.50

11.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.05 €5.39

$5.38 €4.79

12.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 €4.86

$4.35 €3.87

25.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 €1.19

$1.26 €1.12

6.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 €2.48

$2.73 €2.43

1.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.70 €2.40

$2.25 €2.00

20.00%

Eggs

$5.30 €4.72

$3.93 €3.50

34.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.33 €15.43

$15.20 €13.54

14.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.28 €11.83

$11.87 €10.57

11.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.09 €19.68

$18.91 €16.84

16.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 €2.68

$2.78 €2.48

8.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.20

$2.25 €2.01

9.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 €2.48

$2.61 €2.32

6.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.25 €3.79

$2.93 €2.61

45.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 €2.21

$2.18 €1.94

13.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.99

$1.72 €1.54

29.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 €1.64

$1.52 €1.36

21.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.02 €0.91

26.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.17 €11.73

$13.13 €11.69

0.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 €8.93

$8.44 €7.52

18.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.35

$1.95 €1.74

34.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 €2.65

$2.05 €1.82

45.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.72 €2.43

$3.07 €2.74

-11.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.7 €55.8

$54.4 €48.47

15.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 €2.58

$5.69 €5.07

-49.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.61 €2.33

$2.47 €2.20

5.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.46 €36.04

$30.18 €26.89

34.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.93

$2.07 €1.84

4.83%

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

$36.0K €32.1K

-0.02%

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

$35.7K €31.8K

$36.1K €32.1K

-1.01%

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

$296 €264

$209 €186

42.02%

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

$20.97 €18.68

$20.59 €18.34

1.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.2 €46.51

$51.4 €45.77

1.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.81 €29.23

$36.60 €32.60

-10.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.86 €24.82

$19.94 €17.76

39.72%

Cinema Ticket

$16.07 €14.31

$14.29 €12.73

12.46%

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

$1,623 €1,446

$781 €696

107.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.9K €27.6K

$19.3K €17.2K

60.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €94.3

$103 €91.9

2.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.71 €41.61

$48.33 €43.05

-3.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €102

$106 €94.8

7.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 €130

$147 €131

-0.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 €1,211

$938 €836

44.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 €1,023

$825 €735

39.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,561 €2,281

$1,367 €1,217

87.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,816

$1,168 €1,040

74.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,047 €4,496

$4,180 €3,723

20.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,701 €3,297

$2,949 €2,627

25.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,373 €3,005

$2,138 €1,905

57.72%

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 31, 2026

Last update for Diest: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brussels

$1.1K 44.1%

Diest

$825 39.5% 28.1% $323

Groceries & Markets

Brussels

$394 15.1%

Diest

$338 16.2% 14.3% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brussels

$369 14.2%

Diest

$281 13.4% 24.1% $89

Eating Out

Brussels

$350 13.5%

Diest

$312 15% 10.9% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Brussels

$186 7.2%

Diest

$182 8.7% 2% $3.8

Getting Around

Brussels

$90 3.4%

Diest

$85 4.1% 5.4% $4.8

Sport & Entertainment

Brussels

$65 2.5%

Diest

$65 3.1% 0.4% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,359 in Brussels and $938 in Diest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brussels pays 58% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $90 in Brussels vs $85 in Diest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $394 vs $338 per month, with Diest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Brussels

🇧🇪 Diest

🕒 Local time

23:34 11:34 PM

Same time as Brussels

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

188,137 Capital

22,516

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Brussels Diest 52 km

From you

Brussels
Diest

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 Diest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Diest wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Brussels. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Diest the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 58% 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: $1,359 in Brussels versus $938 in Diest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Brussels. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Diest – a meal for two runs $85 versus $90 in Brussels. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Diest is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Diest are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Diest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Brussels. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.