Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Hasselt

For one person, living is cheaper in Hasselt: $2,021 a month against $2,584 in Brussels, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 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 Hasselt
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Hasselt Living Index

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Brussels

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,584

/mo nomad

Hasselt

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,021

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brussels and in Hasselt

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,584 in Brussels versus $2,021 in Hasselt.

Brussels $2,584
Hasselt $2,021

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,923 in Brussels versus $3,042 in Hasselt.

Brussels $3,923
Hasselt $3,042

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,262 in Brussels versus $4,063 in Hasselt.

Brussels $5,262
Hasselt $4,063

Living in Brussels is roughly 28% more expensive than in Hasselt, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brussels 90% above, Hasselt 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.51 €20.11

$22.32 €19.94

0.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 €81.4

$97.7 €87.3

-6.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.19 €13.57

$13.60 €12.15

11.69%

Cappuccino

$4.55 €4.06

$3.80 €3.39

19.74%

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

$3.63 €3.25

$3.51 €3.14

3.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.70

$3.25 €2.90

-7.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.08

$5.43 €4.85

4.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 €4.95

$5.16 €4.61

7.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.20

$1.34 €1.20

0.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 €2.46

$2.42 €2.16

14.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 €2.53

$2.28 €2.03

24.56%

Eggs

$5.19 €4.63

$3.23 €2.89

60.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.84 €15.93

$8.01 €7.15

122.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.04 €11.65

$11.71 €10.46

11.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.85 €19.52

$22.25 €19.87

-1.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 €2.79

$2.03 €1.81

54.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.16

$1.66 €1.48

45.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 €2.51

$2.61 €2.33

7.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 €3.60

$2.69 €2.40

49.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.19

$1.85 €1.65

32.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.95

$1.37 €1.23

59.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.00 €0.90

86.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.09

$1.08 €0.96

12.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.60 €12.15

$12.64 €11.29

7.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 €8.54

$8.84 €7.89

8.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 €2.41

$1.62 €1.45

66.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 €2.68

$2.05 €1.83

46.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.76 €2.47

$3.15 €2.81

-12.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.6 €55.0

$32.27 €28.82

90.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 €2.64

$5.71 €5.10

-48.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.24 €2.00

$2.62 €2.34

-14.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.78 €36.43

$36.45 €32.56

11.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.84

$1.98 €1.76

4.04%

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

$34.8K €31.1K

$34.9K €31.2K

-0.39%

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

$35.7K €31.9K

$33.8K €30.2K

5.55%

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

$280 €250

$212 €189

32.04%

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

$21.20 €18.93

$19.34 €17.27

9.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 €46.45

$47.00 €41.98

10.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.34 €28.89

$27.97 €24.98

15.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 €24.78

$9.18 €8.20

202.18%

Cinema Ticket

$15.88 €14.19

$15.00 €13.40

5.87%

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

$1,596 €1,426

$1,664 €1,486

-4.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.2K €32.3K

$33.0K €29.5K

9.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.4

$115 €103

-12.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.78 €41.79

$53.3 €47.60

-12.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €101

$106 €94.7

7.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €128

$134 €119

7.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,393 €1,244

$906 €810

53.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,160 €1,036

$800 €715

45.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,518 €2,249

$1,457 €1,301

72.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,076 €1,854

$1,218 €1,088

70.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,877 €4,356

$4,588 €4,098

6.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,718 €3,321

$2,398 €2,142

55.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,392 €3,030

$3,045 €2,720

11.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.71

3.53

5.10%

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

Last update for Brussels: October 24, 2026

Last update for Hasselt: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brussels

$1.2K 44.9%

Hasselt

$800 39.6% 31% $360

Groceries & Markets

Brussels

$391 15.2%

Hasselt

$308 15.2% 21.3% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brussels

$353 13.7%

Hasselt

$278 13.8% 21.2% $75

Eating Out

Brussels

$346 13.4%

Hasselt

$329 16.3% 4.9% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Brussels

$182 7.1%

Hasselt

$184 9.1% 0.9% $1.7

Getting Around

Brussels

$87 3.4%

Hasselt

$64 3.2% 26.7% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Brussels

$64 2.5%

Hasselt

$58 2.9% 9.6% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,393 in Brussels and $906 in Hasselt. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brussels pays 11% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $91 in Brussels vs $98 in Hasselt. Groceries flip the comparison at $391 vs $308, with Hasselt cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Brussels

🇧🇪 Hasselt

🕒 Local time

09:12 9:12 AM

Same time as Brussels

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

188,137 Capital

74,694

💱 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 Hasselt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hasselt wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Brussels. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Hasselt the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 11% 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 $906 in Hasselt. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Brussels. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Brussels – a meal for two runs $91 versus $98 in Hasselt. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Hasselt 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 Hasselt are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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