Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Dilbeek

For one person, living is cheaper in Dilbeek: $2,121 a month against $2,602 in Brussels, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 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
102

Cost of Living Index in Dilbeek
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Dilbeek Living Index

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Brussels

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,602

/mo nomad

Dilbeek

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,121

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brussels and in Dilbeek

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,602 in Brussels versus $2,121 in Dilbeek.

Brussels $2,602
Dilbeek $2,121

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,932 in Brussels versus $3,139 in Dilbeek.

Brussels $3,932
Dilbeek $3,139

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,262 in Brussels versus $4,156 in Dilbeek.

Brussels $5,262
Dilbeek $4,156

Living in Brussels is roughly 23% more expensive than in Dilbeek, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brussels 92% above, Dilbeek 57% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.69 €20.27

$22.66 €20.24

0.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.6 €80.0

$91.0 €81.2

-1.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.03 €13.43

$15.26 €13.63

-1.51%

Cappuccino

$4.60 €4.11

$4.17 €3.73

10.31%

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

$3.71 €3.31

$3.36 €3.00

10.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 €2.80

$2.96 €2.65

5.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.05 €5.41

$5.64 €5.04

7.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 €4.88

$5.55 €4.96

-1.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 €1.19

$1.16 €1.03

15.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 €2.48

$2.79 €2.49

-0.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.70 €2.41

$2.19 €1.96

23.29%

Eggs

$5.30 €4.73

$4.06 €3.63

30.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.33 €15.48

$17.65 €15.77

-1.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.28 €11.86

$12.26 €10.95

8.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.09 €19.73

$19.82 €17.71

11.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 €2.69

$2.68 €2.40

12.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.20

$2.45 €2.18

0.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 €2.49

$2.61 €2.33

6.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.25 €3.80

$2.81 €2.51

51.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 €2.21

$2.10 €1.87

18.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €2.00

$1.91 €1.71

16.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 €1.64

$1.36 €1.21

35.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.10 €0.98

17.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.17 €11.77

$13.22 €11.81

-0.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 €8.95

$8.66 €7.74

15.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.35

$1.92 €1.72

36.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 €2.66

$2.36 €2.11

26.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.72 €2.43

$3.05 €2.73

-10.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.7 €56.0

$55.5 €49.54

13.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 €2.59

$2.88 €2.57

0.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.61 €2.33

$2.31 €2.06

12.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.46 €36.14

$39.84 €35.59

1.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.94

$2.04 €1.82

6.37%

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

$36.0K €32.2K

$35.7K €31.9K

0.81%

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

$35.7K €31.9K

$36.5K €32.6K

-2.16%

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

$296 €265

$219 €195

35.53%

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

$20.97 €18.73

$20.92 €18.69

0.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.2 €46.64

$47.73 €42.63

9.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.81 €29.30

$35.79 €31.97

-8.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.86 €24.89

$19.85 €17.73

40.35%

Cinema Ticket

$16.07 €14.35

$15.49 €13.84

3.74%

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

$1,623 €1,450

$563 €503

188.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.9K €27.6K

$21.5K €19.2K

43.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €94.5

$99.9 €89.3

5.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.71 €41.72

$46.65 €41.66

0.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €102

$109 €97.5

5.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 €131

$144 €129

1.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 €1,214

$905 €809

50.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 €1,025

$812 €725

41.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,561 €2,287

$1,383 €1,235

85.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,821

$1,154 €1,030

76.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,047 €4,508

$4,186 €3,739

20.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,701 €3,305

$2,905 €2,595

27.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,373 €3,013

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.71

3.2

15.94%

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

Last update for Brussels: October 31, 2026

Last update for Dilbeek: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brussels

$1.1K 44.1%

Dilbeek

$812 38.3% 29.3% $336

Groceries & Markets

Brussels

$394 15.1%

Dilbeek

$351 16.6% 10.8% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brussels

$369 14.2%

Dilbeek

$287 13.5% 22.2% $82

Eating Out

Brussels

$350 13.5%

Dilbeek

$342 16.1% 2.4% $8.6

Clothing & Footwear

Brussels

$186 7.2%

Dilbeek

$180 8.5% 3.2% $5.9

Getting Around

Brussels

$90 3.4%

Dilbeek

$82 3.9% 8.3% $7.5

Sport & Entertainment

Brussels

$65 2.5%

Dilbeek

$67 3.2% 2.8% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,359 in Brussels and $905 in Dilbeek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $90 in Brussels vs $91 in Dilbeek. Groceries flip the comparison at $394 vs $351, with Dilbeek cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Brussels

🇧🇪 Dilbeek

🕒 Local time

12:30 12:30 PM

Same time as Brussels

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

188,137 Capital

39,482

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Dilbeek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dilbeek wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Brussels. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Dilbeek the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $3,903 in Brussels and $3,182 in Dilbeek to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,359 in Brussels versus $905 in Dilbeek. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,623 in Brussels versus $563 in Dilbeek. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Dilbeek runs roughly 12% less than in Brussels. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Dilbeek 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 Dilbeek are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.