Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Mons

For one person, living is cheaper in Mons: $1,893 a month against $2,594 in Brussels, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Brussels
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Brussels Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Mons
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Mons Living Index

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Brussels

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,594

/mo nomad

Mons

🇧🇪 Belgium

$1,893

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brussels and in Mons

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,594 in Brussels versus $1,893 in Mons.

Brussels $2,594
Mons $1,893

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,876 in Brussels versus $2,798 in Mons.

Brussels $3,876
Mons $2,798

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,157 in Brussels versus $3,704 in Mons.

Brussels $5,157
Mons $3,704

Living in Brussels is roughly 37% more expensive than in Mons, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brussels 92% above, Mons 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.12 €19.67

$17.03 €15.15

29.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.8 €79.9

$82.4 €73.3

9.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.07 €13.41

$10.05 €8.94

49.95%

Cappuccino

$4.49 €4.00

$2.51 €2.23

78.88%

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

$3.67 €3.27

$2.74 €2.44

33.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 €2.80

$1.70 €1.51

85.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 €5.04

$3.87 €3.44

46.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 €5.01

$4.30 €3.83

31.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.20

$1.16 €1.03

16.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 €2.46

$2.20 €1.96

25.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.78 €2.48

$2.20 €1.96

26.36%

Eggs

$5.22 €4.65

$4.10 €3.64

27.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.44 €15.51

$18.83 €16.75

-7.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.36 €11.88

$12.42 €11.05

7.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.90 €19.48

$19.48 €17.33

12.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 €2.70

$2.73 €2.43

10.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.15

$2.36 €2.10

2.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 €2.52

$2.60 €2.31

8.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 €3.62

$2.79 €2.48

45.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.28

$2.13 €1.89

20.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 €1.99

$1.16 €1.03

93.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 €1.64

$1.31 €1.17

40.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.12

$1.07 €0.95

17.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.26 €11.80

$9.66 €8.59

37.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.61 €8.55

$5.65 €5.02

70.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 €2.31

$1.90 €1.69

36.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.78

$1.81 €1.61

72.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 €2.50

$3.04 €2.71

-7.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.6 €54.8

$41.67 €37.06

47.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 €2.59

$10.95 €9.74

-73.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 €1.98

$2.85 €2.54

-21.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.47 €36.00

$25.21 €22.42

60.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.83

$1.83 €1.63

12.57%

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

$36.0K €32.0K

$35.7K €31.7K

0.83%

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

$33.2K €29.6K

$33.5K €29.8K

-0.74%

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

$283 €252

$223 €198

27.03%

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

$21.97 €19.54

$20.52 €18.25

7.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 €46.01

$45.91 €40.84

12.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.30 €29.62

$26.32 €23.41

26.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.56 €24.51

$18.37 €16.34

50.03%

Cinema Ticket

$16.33 €14.53

$12.18 €10.84

34.07%

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

$1,569 €1,396

$552 €491

184.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.7K €32.6K

$21.0K €18.7K

74.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €91.9

$106 €94.7

-2.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.60 €40.56

$46.28 €41.17

-1.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €97.2

$108 €96.3

1.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 €130

$147 €131

-0.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,318 €1,172

$686 €610

92.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 €1,038

$709 €630

64.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,463 €2,191

$1,031 €917

139.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,756

$996 €886

98.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,099 €4,535

$4,094 €3,641

24.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,881 €3,453

$2,906 €2,585

33.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,357 €2,986

$2,796 €2,487

20.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.71

3.2

15.94%

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

Last update for Brussels: October 12, 2026

Last update for Mons: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brussels

$1.2K 45%

Mons

$709 37.4% 39.3% $458

Groceries & Markets

Brussels

$392 15.1%

Mons

$339 17.9% 13.6% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brussels

$357 13.8%

Mons

$290 15.3% 18.9% $68

Eating Out

Brussels

$343 13.2%

Mons

$242 12.8% 29.4% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Brussels

$182 7%

Mons

$184 9.7% 0.9% $1.6

Getting Around

Brussels

$87 3.4%

Mons

$79 4.2% 9.1% $7.9

Sport & Entertainment

Brussels

$66 2.5%

Mons

$51 2.7% 23.2% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,318 in Brussels and $686 in Mons. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brussels pays 20% 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: $90.0 in Brussels vs $82.0 in Mons for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $339 per month, with Mons cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Brussels

🇧🇪 Mons

🕒 Local time

18:45 6:45 PM

Same time as Brussels

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

188,137 Capital

92,721

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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 Mons: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mons wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Brussels. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mons the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 20% 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: $1,318 in Brussels versus $686 in Mons. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Brussels. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Mons – a meal for two runs $82.0 versus $90.0 in Brussels. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,893 in Mons versus $2,594 in Brussels, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Mons but tight or insufficient in Brussels. The gap between the two cities makes Mons 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 Mons 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 Mons 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.