Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Geraardsbergen

For one person, living is cheaper in Geraardsbergen: $2,077 a month against $2,584 in Brussels, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Brussels
Learn more

Brussels Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Geraardsbergen
Learn more

Geraardsbergen Living Index

Jump to prices

Brussels

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,584

/mo nomad

Geraardsbergen

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,077

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brussels and in Geraardsbergen

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,584 in Brussels versus $2,077 in Geraardsbergen.

Brussels $2,584
Geraardsbergen $2,077

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,923 in Brussels versus $3,072 in Geraardsbergen.

Brussels $3,923
Geraardsbergen $3,072

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,262 in Brussels versus $4,068 in Geraardsbergen.

Brussels $5,262
Geraardsbergen $4,068

Living in Brussels is roughly 24% more expensive than in Geraardsbergen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brussels 90% above, Geraardsbergen 53% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.51 €20.22

$23.67 €21.27

-4.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 €81.9

$72.1 €64.8

26.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.19 €13.65

$8.33 €7.48

82.35%

Cappuccino

$4.55 €4.08

$4.20 €3.77

8.33%

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

$3.63 €3.26

$2.25 €2.02

61.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.71

$2.27 €2.04

33.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.11

$3.08 €2.77

84.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 €4.98

$3.39 €3.05

63.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.21

$1.34 €1.21

0.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 €2.48

$2.72 €2.44

1.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 €2.55

$2.29 €2.06

24.02%

Eggs

$5.19 €4.66

$4.01 €3.60

29.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.84 €16.03

$16.49 €14.81

8.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.04 €11.71

$11.87 €10.66

9.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.85 €19.63

$23.03 €20.69

-5.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 €2.81

$2.91 €2.62

7.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.18

$2.39 €2.14

1.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 €2.53

$2.70 €2.43

4.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 €3.62

$3.42 €3.07

17.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.21

$2.56 €2.30

-3.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.96

$1.87 €1.68

16.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 €1.67

$1.54 €1.38

20.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.10

$1.14 €1.02

7.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.60 €12.22

$13.00 €11.68

4.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 €8.59

$8.64 €7.76

10.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 €2.43

$1.80 €1.62

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 €2.70

$2.07 €1.86

44.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.76 €2.48

$3.15 €2.83

-12.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.6 €55.4

$53.5 €48.09

15.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 €2.65

$5.48 €4.93

-46.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.24 €2.01

$2.75 €2.47

-18.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.78 €36.63

$45.29 €40.69

-9.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.85

$2.14 €1.92

-3.74%

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

$34.8K €31.3K

0.03%

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

$35.7K €32.0K

$30.2K €27.2K

18.01%

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

$280 €252

$136 €123

105.34%

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

$21.20 €19.04

$18.92 €17.00

12.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 €46.72

$38.57 €34.65

34.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.34 €29.05

$38.37 €34.47

-15.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 €24.92

$18.25 €16.39

52.00%

Cinema Ticket

$15.88 €14.27

$15.68 €14.09

1.28%

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

$1,596 €1,434

$788 €708

102.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.2K €32.5K

$33.6K €30.2K

7.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.9

$113 €102

-10.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.78 €42.03

$52.9 €47.48

-11.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €102

$105 €93.9

8.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €129

$180 €162

-20.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,393 €1,251

$939 €843

48.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,160 €1,042

$858 €771

35.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,518 €2,262

$1,410 €1,267

78.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,076 €1,865

$1,219 €1,095

70.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,877 €4,381

$4,389 €3,943

11.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,718 €3,340

$3,076 €2,763

20.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,392 €3,047

$2,440 €2,192

39.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.71

3.4

9.12%

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

Last update for Brussels: October 24, 2026

Last update for Geraardsbergen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brussels

$1.2K 44.9%

Geraardsbergen

$858 41.3% 26.1% $302

Groceries & Markets

Brussels

$391 15.2%

Geraardsbergen

$362 17.4% 7.5% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brussels

$353 13.7%

Geraardsbergen

$194 9.3% 45.1% $159

Eating Out

Brussels

$346 13.4%

Geraardsbergen

$305 14.7% 11.9% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Brussels

$182 7.1%

Geraardsbergen

$203 9.8% 11.4% $21

Getting Around

Brussels

$87 3.4%

Geraardsbergen

$85 4.1% 1.6% $1.4

Sport & Entertainment

Brussels

$64 2.5%

Geraardsbergen

$70 3.4% 8.8% $5.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,393 in Brussels and $939 in Geraardsbergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brussels pays 39% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $91 in Brussels vs $72 in Geraardsbergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $391 vs $362 per month, with Geraardsbergen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Brussels

🇧🇪 Geraardsbergen

🕒 Local time

19:48 7:48 PM

Same time as Brussels

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

188,137 Capital

33,204

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brussels Geraardsbergen 34 km

From you

Brussels
Geraardsbergen

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 Geraardsbergen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 39% 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 $939 in Geraardsbergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Brussels. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Geraardsbergen – a meal for two runs $72 versus $91 in Brussels. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Geraardsbergen 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 Geraardsbergen 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 Geraardsbergen 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.