Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Hasselt Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Hasselt

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,561 in Brussels versus $2,064 in Hasselt.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,869 in Brussels versus $3,120 in Hasselt.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,177 in Brussels versus $4,177 in Hasselt.

Living in Brussels is roughly 24% more expensive than in Hasselt, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brussels 92% above, Hasselt 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.81 €24.95

$23.04 €19.95

25.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.4 €79.2

$92.4 €80.0

-1.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.92 €12.92

$12.80 €11.09

16.56%

Cappuccino

$4.75 €4.11

$4.04 €3.50

17.57%

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

$3.16 €2.74

$3.38 €2.93

-6.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 €2.50

$3.18 €2.75

-9.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 €5.96

$5.26 €4.56

30.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 €5.09

$4.54 €3.93

29.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 €1.28

$1.35 €1.17

8.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 €2.57

$2.75 €2.38

8.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 €2.41

$2.64 €2.28

5.68%

Eggs

$4.80 €4.15

$3.65 €3.16

31.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 €14.68

$17.92 €15.52

-5.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.44 €11.64

$9.88 €8.55

36.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.55 €16.07

$21.90 €18.97

-15.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 €2.69

$2.26 €1.95

37.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 €2.19

$2.26 €1.96

11.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 €2.32

$2.36 €2.05

13.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.31 €2.87

$2.25 €1.95

47.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.23

$2.33 €2.02

10.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.50 €2.17

$1.65 €1.43

51.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.66 €1.44

$0.97 €0.84

71.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.02

$0.87 €0.75

34.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.25 €10.61

$12.90 €11.17

-5.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.60 €8.32

$9.11 €7.89

5.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.27

$1.75 €1.52

49.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 €2.83

$2.00 €1.73

63.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.97 €2.57

$2.94 €2.54

1.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.3 €53.1

$34.06 €29.50

79.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.58 €6.56

$5.69 €4.92

33.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 €2.08

$2.43 €2.10

-0.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.16 €30.45

$37.72 €32.67

-6.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.65

$1.91 €1.66

-0.52%

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

$34.4K €29.8K

$36.3K €31.4K

-5.16%

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

$36.7K €31.8K

$33.3K €28.9K

9.96%

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

$262 €227

$206 €178

27.53%

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

$21.22 €18.37

$21.42 €18.55

-0.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 €48.51

$51.8 €44.84

8.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.98 €35.49

$29.07 €25.18

40.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.27 €27.08

$9.06 €7.85

245.14%

Cinema Ticket

$14.90 €12.90

$14.79 €12.81

0.74%

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

$1,134 €982

$636 €551

78.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.0K €19.1K

$13.7K €11.9K

60.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €91.7

$113 €97.6

-6.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.87 €43.19

$49.71 €43.05

0.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 €102

0.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 €131

$135 €116

12.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,282 €1,110

$978 €847

31.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,072 €928

$821 €711

30.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,343 €2,029

$1,504 €1,302

55.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,763 €1,526

$1,212 €1,050

45.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,149 €4,459

$4,695 €4,066

9.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,220 €3,655

$2,436 €2,110

73.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,148 €2,726

$3,183 €2,757

-1.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.65

3.27

11.62%

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

Last update for Brussels: July 26, 2026

Last update for Hasselt: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,282 in Brussels and $978 in Hasselt. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hasselt pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $91.0 in Brussels vs $92.0 in Hasselt. Groceries flip the comparison at $379 vs $336, with Hasselt cheaper for home cooking.

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 24% 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.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Hasselt. 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: $1,282 in Brussels versus $978 in Hasselt. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Brussels. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Hasselt – a meal for two runs $92.0 versus $91.0 in Brussels. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,064 in Hasselt versus $2,561 in Brussels, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Hasselt but tight or insufficient in Brussels. The gap between the two cities makes Hasselt 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 Hasselt 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 Hasselt gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Brussels. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.