Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Hamont-Achel

For one person, living is cheaper in Hamont-Achel: $2,244 a month against $2,584 in Brussels, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Brussels, Belgium
Hamont-Achel, Belgium
Brussels
🇧🇪 Belgium
$2,584
/mo nomad
Hamont-Achel
🇧🇪 Belgium
$2,244
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brussels and in Hamont-Achel

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 Hamont-Achel actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,584 in Brussels versus $2,244 in Hamont-Achel.

  • Brussels $2,584
  • Hamont-Achel $2,244

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,923 in Brussels versus $3,322 in Hamont-Achel.

  • Brussels $3,923
  • Hamont-Achel $3,322

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,262 in Brussels versus $4,400 in Hamont-Achel.

  • Brussels $5,262
  • Hamont-Achel $4,400

Living in Brussels is roughly 15% more expensive than in Hamont-Achel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brussels 90% above, Hamont-Achel 65% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Brussels
Hamont-Achel
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.51 €20.22
$22.58 €20.28
-0.31%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$91.2 €81.9
$87.7 €78.8
3.93%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.19 €13.65
$14.85 €13.34
2.29%
Cappuccino
$4.55 €4.08
$4.49 €4.03
1.34%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 €3.26
$3.79 €3.41
-4.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.02 €2.71
$3.14 €2.82
-3.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.69 €5.11
$5.46 €4.90
4.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.55 €4.98
$5.71 €5.13
-2.80%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Brussels
Hamont-Achel
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.35 €1.21
$1.30 €1.16
3.85%
White Bread (500g)
$2.76 €2.48
$2.81 €2.53
-1.78%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.84 €2.55
$2.73 €2.45
4.03%
Eggs
$5.19 €4.66
$5.30 €4.76
-2.08%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.84 €16.03
$18.10 €16.26
-1.44%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.04 €11.71
$13.45 €12.08
-3.05%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.85 €19.63
$22.41 €20.13
-2.50%
Apples (1kg)
$3.13 €2.81
$3.06 €2.75
2.29%
Banana (1kg)
$2.42 €2.18
$2.37 €2.13
2.11%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.81 €2.53
$2.83 €2.54
-0.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.03 €3.62
$4.21 €3.78
-4.28%
Potato (1kg)
$2.46 €2.21
$2.56 €2.30
-3.91%
Onion (1kg)
$2.18 €1.96
$2.14 €1.92
1.87%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.86 €1.67
$1.79 €1.60
3.91%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 €1.10
$1.21 €1.08
0.83%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.60 €12.22
$13.23 €11.88
2.80%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.57 €8.59
$9.67 €8.68
-1.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.70 €2.43
$2.58 €2.32
4.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 €2.70
$3.13 €2.81
-4.15%
🚌 Getting Around
Brussels
Hamont-Achel
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.76 €2.48
$3.54 €3.18
-22.03%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$61.6 €55.4
$46.61 €41.87
32.20%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.95 €2.65
$2.86 €2.57
3.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.24 €2.01
$2.23 €2.01
0.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$40.78 €36.63
$39.98 €35.91
2.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.06 €1.85
$2.17 €1.95
-5.07%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.8K €31.3K
$35.7K €32.1K
-2.53%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.7K €32.0K
$35.5K €31.9K
0.37%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brussels
Hamont-Achel
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$280 €252
$278 €250
0.74%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.20 €19.04
$20.59 €18.50
2.96%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.0 €46.72
$51.1 €45.88
1.82%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Brussels
Hamont-Achel
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.34 €29.05
$37.00 €33.24
-12.59%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.74 €24.92
$21.18 €19.03
30.97%
Cinema Ticket
$15.88 €14.27
$15.54 €13.96
2.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Brussels
Hamont-Achel
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,596 €1,434
$1,626 €1,461
-1.85%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$36.2K €32.5K
$36.8K €33.0K
-1.54%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Brussels
Hamont-Achel
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 €90.9
$102 €92.0
-1.22%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.78 €42.03
$46.27 €41.57
1.10%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$114 €102
$112 €101
1.47%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$143 €129
$147 €132
-2.48%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Brussels
Hamont-Achel
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,393 €1,251
$915 €822
52.23%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,160 €1,042
$827 €742
40.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,518 €2,262
$1,264 €1,136
99.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,076 €1,865
$1,243 €1,117
66.97%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,877 €4,381
$4,579 €4,113
6.51%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,718 €3,340
$2,981 €2,678
24.71%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Brussels
Hamont-Achel
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,392 €3,047
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.71
3.71
-

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

Last update for Brussels: October 24, 2026

Last update for Hamont-Achel: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Brussels
$1.2K
Hamont-Achel
$827 28.7% $333
Groceries & Markets
Brussels
$391
Hamont-Achel
$396 1.1% $4.4
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brussels
$353
Hamont-Achel
$350 1% $3.6
Eating Out
Brussels
$346
Hamont-Achel
$346 0.3% $0.9
Clothing & Footwear
Brussels
$182
Hamont-Achel
$183 0.7% $1.2
Getting Around
Brussels
$87
Hamont-Achel
$75 13.8% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Brussels
$64
Hamont-Achel
$68 6.2% $4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,393 in Brussels and $915 in Hamont-Achel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $91 in Brussels vs $88 in Hamont-Achel. Groceries flip the comparison at $391 vs $396, with Brussels cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇧🇪 Brussels
🇧🇪 Hamont-Achel
🕒 Local time
21:27 9:27 PM
21:27 9:27 PM
Same time as Brussels
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
188,137 Capital
14,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Brussels Hamont-Achel 93 km
From you
  • Brussels
  • Hamont-Achel

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 Hamont-Achel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Brussels or Hamont-Achel?
Hamont-Achel wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Brussels. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Hamont-Achel the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Brussels and in Hamont-Achel?
You’d need roughly $3,876 in Brussels and $3,366 in Hamont-Achel 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Brussels compared to Hamont-Achel?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,393 in Brussels versus $915 in Hamont-Achel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Brussels and in Hamont-Achel?
Childcare runs $1,596 in Brussels versus $1,626 in Hamont-Achel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Brussels and in Hamont-Achel?
Dining out is cheaper in Hamont-Achel – a meal for two runs $88 versus $91 in Brussels. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Brussels or in Hamont-Achel?
At $2,244 in Hamont-Achel versus $2,584 in Brussels, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Hamont-Achel but tight or insufficient in Brussels. The gap between the two cities makes Hamont-Achel the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Brussels or Hamont-Achel?
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.
How safe is Brussels compared to Hamont-Achel?
Safety-wise, Brussels and Hamont-Achel are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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