Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Geel

For one person, living is cheaper in Geel: $2,037 a month against $2,584 in Brussels, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 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 Geel
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Geel Living Index

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Brussels

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,584

/mo nomad

Geel

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brussels and in Geel

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,584 in Brussels versus $2,037 in Geel.

Brussels $2,584
Geel $2,037

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,923 in Brussels versus $2,915 in Geel.

Brussels $3,923
Geel $2,915

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,262 in Brussels versus $3,793 in Geel.

Brussels $5,262
Geel $3,793

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.51 €20.09

$18.27 €16.30

23.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 €81.4

$76.9 €68.6

18.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.19 €13.55

$10.54 €9.41

44.12%

Cappuccino

$4.55 €4.06

$3.94 €3.51

15.48%

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

$3.63 €3.24

$2.70 €2.41

34.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.69

$3.19 €2.85

-5.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.08

$4.52 €4.03

25.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 €4.95

$3.42 €3.05

62.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.20

$1.28 €1.14

5.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 €2.46

$2.67 €2.38

3.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 €2.53

$2.71 €2.42

4.80%

Eggs

$5.19 €4.63

$5.29 €4.72

-1.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.84 €15.92

$17.60 €15.70

1.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.04 €11.63

$13.21 €11.78

-1.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.85 €19.50

$21.92 €19.55

-0.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 €2.79

$3.14 €2.80

-0.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.16

$2.47 €2.21

-2.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 €2.51

$2.82 €2.52

-0.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 €3.60

$4.15 €3.70

-2.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.19

$2.46 €2.20

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.94

$2.14 €1.91

1.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.87 €1.67

-0.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.09

$0.69 €0.61

76.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.60 €12.13

$13.61 €12.14

-0.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 €8.53

$8.90 €7.94

7.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 €2.41

$2.62 €2.34

3.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 €2.68

$3.01 €2.68

-0.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.76 €2.47

$3.26 €2.90

-15.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.6 €55.0

$68.9 €61.5

-10.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 €2.64

$2.94 €2.62

0.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.24 €1.99

$2.22 €1.98

0.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.78 €36.39

$40.50 €36.14

0.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.84

$1.84 €1.65

11.96%

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

$34.8K €31.1K

$24.2K €21.6K

43.67%

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

$35.7K €31.8K

$35.7K €31.9K

-0.13%

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

$280 €250

$168 €150

66.64%

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

$21.20 €18.91

$21.24 €18.95

-0.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 €46.40

$50.8 €45.32

2.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.34 €28.85

$38.64 €34.48

-16.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 €24.75

Cinema Ticket

$15.88 €14.17

$15.62 €13.94

1.66%

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

$1,596 €1,424

$1,617 €1,443

-1.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.2K €32.3K

$36.0K €32.2K

0.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.3

$102 €90.6

-0.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.78 €41.74

$45.70 €40.77

2.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €101

$113 €100

0.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €128

$144 €129

-0.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,393 €1,243

$1,015 €905

37.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,160 €1,035

$789 €704

47.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,518 €2,247

$1,066 €951

136.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,076 €1,852

$940 €839

120.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,877 €4,351

$3,968 €3,540

22.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,718 €3,317

$3,415 €3,047

8.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,392 €3,027

$2,369 €2,114

43.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.71

23.67%

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

Last update for Brussels: October 24, 2026

Last update for Geel: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brussels

$1.2K 44.9%

Geel

$789 38.7% 32% $371

Groceries & Markets

Brussels

$391 15.2%

Geel

$383 18.8% 2.2% $8.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brussels

$353 13.7%

Geel

$240 11.8% 32% $113

Eating Out

Brussels

$346 13.4%

Geel

$278 13.7% 19.7% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Brussels

$182 7.1%

Geel

$182 8.9% 0.3% $0.5

Getting Around

Brussels

$87 3.4%

Geel

$96 4.7% 10.6% $9.2

Sport & Entertainment

Brussels

$64 2.5%

Geel

$70 3.4% 9% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,393 in Brussels and $1,015 in Geel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brussels pays 43% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $91 in Brussels vs $77 in Geel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $391 vs $383 per month, with Geel cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Brussels

🇧🇪 Geel

🕒 Local time

18:28 6:28 PM

Same time as Brussels

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

188,137 Capital

40,781

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Brussels Geel 57 km

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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 Geel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 43% 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 $1,015 in Geel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,596 in Brussels versus $1,617 in Geel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Geel – a meal for two runs $77 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 Geel 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.

Safety-wise, Brussels and Geel are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Geel wins on affordability, Brussels on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.