Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Mortsel

For one person, living is cheaper in Mortsel: $2,145 a month against $2,584 in Brussels, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 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
103

Cost of Living Index in Mortsel
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Mortsel Living Index

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Brussels

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,584

/mo nomad

Mortsel

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,145

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brussels and in Mortsel

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,584 in Brussels versus $2,145 in Mortsel.

Brussels $2,584
Mortsel $2,145

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,923 in Brussels versus $3,187 in Mortsel.

Brussels $3,923
Mortsel $3,187

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,262 in Brussels versus $4,229 in Mortsel.

Brussels $5,262
Mortsel $4,229

Living in Brussels is roughly 20% more expensive than in Mortsel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brussels 90% above, Mortsel 58% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.51 €20.22

$22.62 €20.32

-0.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 €81.9

$96.3 €86.5

-5.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.19 €13.65

$13.55 €12.17

12.10%

Cappuccino

$4.55 €4.08

$4.25 €3.81

7.06%

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

$3.63 €3.26

$3.47 €3.11

4.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.71

$2.87 €2.58

5.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.11

$5.55 €4.99

2.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 €4.98

$5.71 €5.13

-2.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.21

$1.35 €1.22

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 €2.48

$2.88 €2.59

-4.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 €2.55

$2.23 €2.01

27.35%

Eggs

$5.19 €4.66

$3.94 €3.54

31.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.84 €16.03

$16.51 €14.83

8.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.04 €11.71

$12.10 €10.87

7.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.85 €19.63

$22.81 €20.49

-4.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 €2.81

$2.80 €2.52

11.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.18

$2.37 €2.13

2.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 €2.53

$2.60 €2.33

8.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 €3.62

$2.85 €2.56

41.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.21

$2.18 €1.96

12.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.96

$1.85 €1.66

17.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 €1.67

$1.35 €1.22

37.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.10

$1.10 €0.99

10.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.60 €12.22

$13.33 €11.97

2.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 €8.59

$8.64 €7.76

10.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 €2.43

$1.99 €1.79

35.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 €2.70

$2.30 €2.06

30.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.76 €2.48

$3.03 €2.72

-8.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.6 €55.4

$56.3 €50.5

9.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 €2.65

$5.45 €4.89

-45.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.24 €2.01

$2.75 €2.47

-18.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.78 €36.63

$45.23 €40.63

-9.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.85

$2.10 €1.89

-1.90%

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

$34.8K €31.3K

$35.5K €31.9K

-1.96%

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

$35.7K €32.0K

$36.4K €32.7K

-1.98%

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

$280 €252

$220 €198

27.17%

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

$21.20 €19.04

$20.70 €18.59

2.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 €46.72

$47.54 €42.70

9.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.34 €29.05

$41.18 €36.99

-21.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 €24.92

$20.40 €18.32

35.98%

Cinema Ticket

$15.88 €14.27

$15.81 €14.20

0.44%

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

$1,596 €1,434

$569 €511

180.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.2K €32.5K

$21.6K €19.4K

68.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.9

$114 €102

-10.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.78 €42.03

$47.83 €42.96

-2.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €102

$107 €95.7

6.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €129

$149 €134

-3.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,393 €1,251

$931 €836

49.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,160 €1,042

$813 €730

42.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,518 €2,262

$1,379 €1,239

82.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,076 €1,865

$1,145 €1,029

81.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,877 €4,381

$4,305 €3,867

13.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,718 €3,340

$2,739 €2,460

35.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,392 €3,047

$2,361 €2,121

43.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.71

3.5

6.00%

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

Last update for Brussels: October 24, 2026

Last update for Mortsel: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brussels

$1.2K 44.9%

Mortsel

$813 37.9% 29.9% $347

Groceries & Markets

Brussels

$391 15.2%

Mortsel

$359 16.7% 8.3% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brussels

$353 13.7%

Mortsel

$288 13.5% 18.3% $65

Eating Out

Brussels

$346 13.4%

Mortsel

$337 15.7% 2.7% $9.3

Clothing & Footwear

Brussels

$182 7.1%

Mortsel

$187 8.7% 2.9% $5.3

Getting Around

Brussels

$87 3.4%

Mortsel

$88 4.1% 0.9% $0.8

Sport & Entertainment

Brussels

$64 2.5%

Mortsel

$73 3.4% 13.6% $8.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,393 in Brussels and $931 in Mortsel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brussels pays 44% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $91 in Brussels vs $96 in Mortsel. Groceries flip the comparison at $391 vs $359, with Mortsel cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Brussels

🇧🇪 Mortsel

🕒 Local time

02:01 2:01 AM

Same time as Brussels

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

188,137 Capital

24,525

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Mortsel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mortsel wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Brussels. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Mortsel the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 44% 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 $931 in Mortsel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% 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 $96 in Mortsel. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,145 in Mortsel versus $2,584 in Brussels, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Mortsel but tight or insufficient in Brussels. The gap between the two cities makes Mortsel 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 Mortsel are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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