Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Mouscron Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Mouscron

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,561 in Brussels versus $1,967 in Mouscron.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,869 in Brussels versus $2,834 in Mouscron.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,177 in Brussels versus $3,702 in Mouscron.

Living in Brussels is roughly 30% more expensive than in Mouscron, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brussels 92% above, Mouscron 48% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.81 €25.12

$12.66 €11.04

127.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.4 €79.7

$58.8 €51.3

55.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.92 €13.01

$9.95 €8.67

49.95%

Cappuccino

$4.75 €4.14

$2.83 €2.47

67.84%

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

$3.16 €2.76

$2.33 €2.03

35.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 €2.52

$2.35 €2.05

22.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 €6.00

$4.17 €3.63

64.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 €5.13

$3.57 €3.11

64.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 €1.28

$1.33 €1.16

10.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 €2.59

$2.76 €2.40

7.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.71 €2.36

2.95%

Eggs

$4.80 €4.18

$4.17 €3.64

15.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 €14.78

$18.14 €15.81

-6.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.44 €11.72

$11.49 €10.02

16.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.55 €16.17

$17.19 €14.98

7.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 €2.70

$2.92 €2.54

6.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 €2.20

$2.42 €2.11

4.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 €2.34

$2.25 €1.96

19.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.31 €2.89

$3.27 €2.85

1.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.24

$2.89 €2.52

-11.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.50 €2.18

$2.34 €2.04

6.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.66 €1.45

$1.41 €1.23

17.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.02

$0.82 €0.71

42.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.25 €10.68

$12.50 €10.90

-2.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.60 €8.37

$7.22 €6.29

32.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.28

$1.68 €1.47

55.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 €2.85

$2.02 €1.76

61.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.97 €2.59

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.3 €53.4

$57.6 €50.2

6.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.58 €6.61

$5.94 €5.17

27.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 €2.10

$2.68 €2.33

-10.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.16 €30.65

$47.00 €40.97

-25.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.66

$1.89 €1.65

0.53%

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

$34.4K €30.0K

$36.0K €31.4K

-4.48%

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

$36.7K €32.0K

$32.8K €28.6K

11.66%

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

$262 €229

$205 €178

28.15%

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

$21.22 €18.50

$25.04 €21.83

-15.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 €48.84

$50.9 €44.35

10.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.98 €35.72

$37.94 €33.07

8.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.27 €27.26

$16.75 €14.60

86.69%

Cinema Ticket

$14.90 €12.99

$15.06 €13.13

-1.06%

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

$1,134 €989

$655 €571

73.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.0K €19.2K

$13.4K €11.7K

64.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €92.3

$111 €96.8

-4.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.87 €43.48

$49.65 €43.28

0.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 €103

$117 €102

0.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 €132

$228 €199

-33.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,282 €1,118

$870 €758

47.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,072 €935

$739 €644

45.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,343 €2,042

$1,378 €1,201

70.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,763 €1,537

$1,086 €947

62.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,149 €4,489

$4,133 €3,603

24.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,220 €3,679

$3,280 €2,859

28.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,148 €2,744

$4,193 €3,655

-24.92%

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 Mouscron: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,282 in Brussels and $870 in Mouscron. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mouscron pays 33% 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 $59.0 in Mouscron for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $379 vs $342 per month, with Mouscron 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 Mouscron: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mouscron wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Brussels. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mouscron the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 33% lower in Mouscron. 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 $870 in Mouscron. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Brussels. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Mouscron – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $91.0 in Brussels. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,967 in Mouscron versus $2,561 in Brussels, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Mouscron but tight or insufficient in Brussels. The gap between the two cities makes Mouscron 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 Mouscron 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 Mouscron gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Brussels. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.