Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Kortrijk

For one person, living is cheaper in Kortrijk: $1,833 a month against $2,584 in Brussels, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 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
89

Cost of Living Index in Kortrijk
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Kortrijk Living Index

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Brussels

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,584

/mo nomad

Kortrijk

🇧🇪 Belgium

$1,833

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brussels and in Kortrijk

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,584 in Brussels versus $1,833 in Kortrijk.

Brussels $2,584
Kortrijk $1,833

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,923 in Brussels versus $2,655 in Kortrijk.

Brussels $3,923
Kortrijk $2,655

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,262 in Brussels versus $3,478 in Kortrijk.

Brussels $5,262
Kortrijk $3,478

Living in Brussels is roughly 41% more expensive than in Kortrijk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brussels 90% above, Kortrijk 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.51 €20.22

$22.46 €20.18

0.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 €81.9

$71.2 €64.0

28.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.19 €13.65

$11.06 €9.94

37.34%

Cappuccino

$4.55 €4.08

$3.00 €2.69

51.67%

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

$3.63 €3.26

$2.96 €2.66

22.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.71

$2.64 €2.37

14.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.11

$4.56 €4.10

24.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 €4.98

$3.32 €2.98

67.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.21

$1.19 €1.07

13.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 €2.48

$1.74 €1.57

58.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 €2.55

$1.43 €1.28

98.60%

Eggs

$5.19 €4.66

$3.00 €2.70

73.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.84 €16.03

$11.72 €10.53

52.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.04 €11.71

$8.29 €7.44

57.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.85 €19.63

$14.35 €12.89

52.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 €2.81

$2.18 €1.96

43.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.18

$1.91 €1.71

26.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 €2.53

$1.99 €1.79

41.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 €3.62

$2.01 €1.81

100.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.21

$1.97 €1.77

24.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.96

$1.66 €1.49

31.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 €1.67

$1.48 €1.33

25.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.10

$0.81 €0.73

50.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.60 €12.22

$12.71 €11.42

7.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 €8.59

$7.35 €6.60

30.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 €2.43

$2.07 €1.86

30.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 €2.70

$1.79 €1.61

67.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.76 €2.48

$2.73 €2.45

1.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.6 €55.4

$54.2 €48.66

13.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 €2.65

$2.27 €2.04

29.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.24 €2.01

$2.21 €1.99

1.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.78 €36.63

$24.72 €22.21

64.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.85

$1.84 €1.65

11.96%

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

$34.8K €31.3K

$33.9K €30.5K

2.67%

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

$35.7K €32.0K

$33.6K €30.2K

6.25%

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

$280 €252

$202 €181

38.69%

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

$21.20 €19.04

$17.48 €15.70

21.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 €46.72

$53.0 €47.58

-1.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.34 €29.05

$52.1 €46.76

-37.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 €24.92

$13.44 €12.07

106.40%

Cinema Ticket

$15.88 €14.27

$14.61 €13.13

8.69%

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

$1,596 €1,434

$657 €590

142.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.2K €32.5K

$16.2K €14.6K

123.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.9

$55.8 €50.1

81.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.78 €42.03

$25.79 €23.16

81.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €102

$87.5 €78.6

29.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €129

$102 €91.7

40.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,393 €1,251

$834 €750

66.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,160 €1,042

$717 €644

61.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,518 €2,262

$1,224 €1,099

105.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,076 €1,865

$999 €898

107.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,877 €4,381

$4,237 €3,806

15.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,718 €3,340

$2,263 €2,033

64.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,392 €3,047

$2,814 €2,528

20.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.71

3.9

-4.87%

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

Last update for Brussels: October 24, 2026

Last update for Kortrijk: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brussels

$1.2K 44.9%

Kortrijk

$717 39.1% 38.2% $443

Groceries & Markets

Brussels

$391 15.2%

Kortrijk

$261 14.2% 33.4% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brussels

$353 13.7%

Kortrijk

$272 14.9% 22.9% $81

Eating Out

Brussels

$346 13.4%

Kortrijk

$301 16.4% 13.2% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Brussels

$182 7.1%

Kortrijk

$122 6.7% 33% $60

Getting Around

Brussels

$87 3.4%

Kortrijk

$78 4.3% 9.7% $8.4

Sport & Entertainment

Brussels

$64 2.5%

Kortrijk

$81 4.4% 26.8% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,393 in Brussels and $834 in Kortrijk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brussels pays 21% 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 $71 in Kortrijk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $391 vs $261 per month, with Kortrijk cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Brussels

🇧🇪 Kortrijk

🕒 Local time

00:12 12:12 AM

Same time as Brussels

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

188,137 Capital

76,700

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 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 Kortrijk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kortrijk wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Brussels. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kortrijk the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 21% 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 $834 in Kortrijk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Brussels. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kortrijk – a meal for two runs $71 versus $91 in Brussels. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 Kortrijk are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Kortrijk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Brussels. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.