Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Kortrijk Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Kortrijk

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,570 in Brussels versus $1,879 in Kortrijk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,839 in Brussels versus $2,772 in Kortrijk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,107 in Brussels versus $3,664 in Kortrijk.

Living in Brussels is roughly 37% more expensive than in Kortrijk, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brussels 92% above, Kortrijk 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.46 €25.80

$23.00 €20.14

28.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.1 €82.4

$68.3 €59.8

37.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 €13.01

$11.55 €10.11

28.57%

Cappuccino

$4.91 €4.30

$3.26 €2.85

50.61%

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

$3.07 €2.69

$3.07 €2.68

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.73 €2.39

8.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 €6.03

$4.71 €4.13

46.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.63 €4.93

$3.54 €3.10

59.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 €1.29

$1.30 €1.14

13.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 €2.63

$1.95 €1.71

54.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 €2.46

$1.39 €1.22

102.16%

Eggs

$4.92 €4.30

$2.60 €2.28

89.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.71 €14.63

$17.68 €15.49

-5.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.48 €11.80

$10.94 €9.58

23.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.53 €16.22

$17.25 €15.10

7.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 €2.68

$2.23 €1.95

37.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 €2.19

$2.34 €2.05

6.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 €2.31

$2.06 €1.80

28.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.29 €2.89

$2.09 €1.83

57.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.25

$2.11 €1.85

21.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 €2.14

$2.41 €2.11

1.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 €1.49

$1.41 €1.24

20.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.97

$0.84 €0.74

32.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.30 €10.77

$12.49 €10.94

-1.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.75 €8.54

$7.43 €6.51

31.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 €2.23

$1.71 €1.50

49.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 €2.84

$1.93 €1.69

67.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.86 €2.50

$4.68 €4.10

-38.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.4 €52.9

$57.3 €50.2

5.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.44 €6.52

$2.28 €2.00

226.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.36 €2.07

$2.42 €2.12

-2.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.82 €30.49

$46.08 €40.36

-24.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.91 €1.68

-3.66%

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

$34.5K €30.2K

$29.2K €25.6K

18.16%

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

$35.5K €31.1K

$27.7K €24.2K

28.13%

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

$263 €230

$195 €171

34.83%

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

$21.70 €19.00

$22.73 €19.90

-4.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.4 €49.36

$50.6 €44.34

11.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.72 €35.67

$52.7 €46.17

-22.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.11 €27.25

$11.78 €10.32

164.09%

Cinema Ticket

$15.21 €13.32

$13.95 €12.21

9.03%

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

$1,129 €989

$491 €430

129.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K €19.5K

$4,636 €4,060

380.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.6

$81.8 €71.6

27.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.34 €43.21

$30.76 €26.94

60.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €100

$99.6 €87.2

14.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 €132

$118 €103

27.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,319 €1,155

$810 €710

62.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 €925

$709 €621

48.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,290 €2,006

$1,013 €887

126.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,756 €1,538

$942 €825

86.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,121 €4,485

$4,180 €3,661

22.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,112 €3,602

$2,274 €1,992

80.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,227 €2,827

$2,845 €2,492

13.44%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Kortrijk: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,319 in Brussels and $810 in Kortrijk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brussels pays 13% 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: $94.0 in Brussels vs $68.0 in Kortrijk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $377 vs $306 per month, with Kortrijk cheaper across the board.

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 37% 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 13% 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: $1,319 in Brussels versus $810 in Kortrijk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% 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 $68.0 versus $94.0 in Brussels. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,879 in Kortrijk versus $2,570 in Brussels, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kortrijk but tight or insufficient in Brussels. The gap between the two cities makes Kortrijk 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 Kortrijk 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 Kortrijk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Brussels. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.