Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Gent

For one person, living is cheaper in Gent: $2,224 a month against $2,594 in Brussels, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 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
108

Cost of Living Index in Gent
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Gent Living Index

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Brussels

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,594

/mo nomad

Gent

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,224

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brussels and in Gent

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,594 in Brussels versus $2,224 in Gent.

Brussels $2,594
Gent $2,224

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,876 in Brussels versus $3,455 in Gent.

Brussels $3,876
Gent $3,455

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,157 in Brussels versus $4,686 in Gent.

Brussels $5,157
Gent $4,686

Living in Brussels is roughly 17% more expensive than in Gent, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brussels 92% above, Gent 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.12 €19.67

$21.97 €19.54

0.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.8 €79.9

$114 €101

-20.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.07 €13.41

$15.65 €13.92

-3.71%

Cappuccino

$4.49 €4.00

$4.31 €3.83

4.18%

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

$3.67 €3.27

$3.35 €2.98

9.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 €2.80

$2.94 €2.62

7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 €5.04

$5.64 €5.01

0.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 €5.01

$5.66 €5.03

-0.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.20

$1.21 €1.07

11.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 €2.46

$2.83 €2.52

-2.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.78 €2.48

$2.13 €1.89

30.52%

Eggs

$5.22 €4.65

$3.98 €3.54

31.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.44 €15.51

$18.55 €16.50

-5.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.36 €11.88

$12.36 €11.00

8.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.90 €19.48

$19.82 €17.63

10.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 €2.70

$2.79 €2.48

8.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.15

$2.41 €2.14

0.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 €2.52

$2.54 €2.26

11.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 €3.62

$2.94 €2.61

38.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.28

$2.13 €1.89

20.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 €1.99

$1.95 €1.73

14.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 €1.64

$1.37 €1.21

34.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.12

$1.07 €0.96

17.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.26 €11.80

$13.04 €11.60

1.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.61 €8.55

$9.06 €8.06

6.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 €2.31

$1.98 €1.76

31.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.78

$2.47 €2.19

26.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 €2.50

$3.28 €2.92

-14.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.6 €54.8

$59.3 €52.8

3.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 €2.59

$11.25 €10.01

-74.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 €1.98

$2.84 €2.53

-21.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.47 €36.00

$50.5 €44.95

-19.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.83

$2.01 €1.79

2.49%

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

$36.0K €32.0K

$34.8K €31.0K

3.37%

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

$33.2K €29.6K

$33.8K €30.0K

-1.58%

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

$283 €252

$219 €195

29.34%

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

$21.97 €19.54

$20.47 €18.21

7.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 €46.01

$47.05 €41.85

9.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.30 €29.62

$35.69 €31.74

-6.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.56 €24.51

$13.07 €11.63

110.86%

Cinema Ticket

$16.33 €14.53

$15.73 €14.00

3.81%

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

$1,569 €1,396

$567 €504

176.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.7K €32.6K

$20.9K €18.6K

75.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €91.9

$109 €96.9

-5.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.60 €40.56

$46.20 €41.10

-1.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €97.2

$107 €95.6

1.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 €130

$150 €134

-2.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,318 €1,172

$1,190 €1,059

10.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 €1,038

$891 €792

30.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,463 €2,191

$1,800 €1,601

36.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,756

$1,529 €1,360

29.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,099 €4,535

$5,213 €4,637

-2.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,881 €3,453

$3,087 €2,746

25.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,357 €2,986

$3,680 €3,274

-8.78%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Gent: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brussels

$1.2K 45%

Gent

$891 40.1% 23.7% $276

Groceries & Markets

Brussels

$392 15.1%

Gent

$357 16% 9.1% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brussels

$357 13.8%

Gent

$287 12.9% 19.7% $70

Eating Out

Brussels

$343 13.2%

Gent

$339 15.2% 1.2% $4

Clothing & Footwear

Brussels

$182 7%

Gent

$186 8.4% 2.1% $3.8

Getting Around

Brussels

$87 3.4%

Gent

$98 4.4% 12.6% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Brussels

$66 2.5%

Gent

$67 3% 1.8% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,318 in Brussels and $1,190 in Gent. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gent pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $90.0 in Brussels vs $114 in Gent. Groceries flip the comparison at $392 vs $357, with Gent cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Brussels

🇧🇪 Gent

🕒 Local time

14:12 2:12 PM

Same time as Brussels

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

188,137 Capital

237,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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From you

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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 Gent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gent wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Brussels. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gent the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Gent. 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: $1,318 in Brussels versus $1,190 in Gent. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Brussels. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Gent – a meal for two runs $114 versus $90.0 in Brussels. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,224 in Gent versus $2,594 in Brussels, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Gent but tight or insufficient in Brussels. The gap between the two cities makes Gent 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 Gent 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 Gent gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Brussels. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.