Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Ostend

For one person, living is cheaper in Ostend: $1,810 a month against $2,594 in Brussels, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 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
88

Cost of Living Index in Ostend
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Ostend Living Index

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Brussels

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,594

/mo nomad

Ostend

🇧🇪 Belgium

$1,810

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brussels and in Ostend

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,594 in Brussels versus $1,810 in Ostend.

Brussels $2,594
Ostend $1,810

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,876 in Brussels versus $2,702 in Ostend.

Brussels $3,876
Ostend $2,702

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,157 in Brussels versus $3,595 in Ostend.

Brussels $5,157
Ostend $3,595

Living in Brussels is roughly 43% more expensive than in Ostend, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brussels 92% above, Ostend 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.12 €19.67

$22.10 €19.65

0.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.8 €79.9

$79.1 €70.3

13.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.07 €13.41

$11.18 €9.94

34.79%

Cappuccino

$4.49 €4.00

$4.09 €3.64

9.78%

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

$3.67 €3.27

$3.00 €2.67

22.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 €2.80

$2.52 €2.24

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 €5.04

$4.40 €3.91

28.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 €5.01

$4.48 €3.99

25.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.20

$1.21 €1.08

11.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 €2.46

$2.69 €2.40

2.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.78 €2.48

$2.08 €1.85

33.65%

Eggs

$5.22 €4.65

$3.73 €3.32

39.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.44 €15.51

$11.69 €10.40

49.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.36 €11.88

$11.77 €10.47

13.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.90 €19.48

$13.46 €11.97

62.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 €2.70

$2.83 €2.51

7.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.15

$2.14 €1.90

13.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 €2.52

$2.15 €1.91

31.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 €3.62

$2.32 €2.06

75.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.28

$1.84 €1.64

39.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 €1.99

$1.71 €1.52

30.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 €1.64

$1.22 €1.08

50.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.12

$0.92 €0.82

36.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.26 €11.80

$10.12 €9.01

31.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.61 €8.55

$6.86 €6.10

40.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 €2.31

$2.10 €1.87

23.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.78

$1.84 €1.64

69.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 €2.50

$3.39 €3.01

-16.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.6 €54.8

$38.31 €34.07

60.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 €2.59

$3.38 €3.00

-13.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 €1.98

$2.29 €2.04

-2.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.47 €36.00

$25.03 €22.26

61.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.83

$1.95 €1.73

5.64%

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

$36.0K €32.0K

$34.6K €30.7K

4.16%

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

$33.2K €29.6K

$30.6K €27.2K

8.68%

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

$283 €252

$176 €156

61.39%

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

$21.97 €19.54

$18.08 €16.08

21.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 €46.01

$53.1 €47.23

-2.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.30 €29.62

$36.39 €32.36

-8.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.56 €24.51

$11.02 €9.80

150.09%

Cinema Ticket

$16.33 €14.53

$14.36 €12.77

13.72%

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

$1,569 €1,396

$391 €348

300.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.7K €32.6K

$16.0K €14.2K

128.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €91.9

$99.4 €88.4

4.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.60 €40.56

$26.26 €23.36

73.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €97.2

$87.8 €78.1

24.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 €130

$120 €107

21.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,318 €1,172

$792 €704

66.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 €1,038

$673 €598

73.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,463 €2,191

$1,245 €1,108

97.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,756

$987 €878

100.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,099 €4,535

$3,674 €3,268

38.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,881 €3,453

$1,918 €1,706

102.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,357 €2,986

$3,097 €2,755

8.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.71

3.33

11.41%

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

Last update for Brussels: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ostend: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brussels

$1.2K 45%

Ostend

$673 37.1% 42.4% $494

Groceries & Markets

Brussels

$392 15.1%

Ostend

$297 16.4% 24.4% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brussels

$357 13.8%

Ostend

$247 13.6% 30.9% $110

Eating Out

Brussels

$343 13.2%

Ostend

$312 17.3% 8.9% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Brussels

$182 7%

Ostend

$150 8.3% 17.5% $32

Getting Around

Brussels

$87 3.4%

Ostend

$67 3.7% 23.3% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Brussels

$66 2.5%

Ostend

$65 3.6% 1.3% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,318 in Brussels and $792 in Ostend. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brussels pays 8% 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 $79.0 in Ostend for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $297 per month, with Ostend cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Brussels

🇧🇪 Ostend

🕒 Local time

07:41 7:41 AM

Same time as Brussels

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

188,137 Capital

70,600

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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From you

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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 Ostend: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ostend wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Brussels. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ostend the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 8% 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 $792 in Ostend. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Brussels. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ostend – a meal for two runs $79.0 versus $90.0 in Brussels. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,810 in Ostend versus $2,594 in Brussels, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Ostend but tight or insufficient in Brussels. The gap between the two cities makes Ostend 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 Ostend 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 Ostend gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Brussels. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.