Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Roeselare Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Roeselare

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,647 in Brussels versus $1,872 in Roeselare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,973 in Brussels versus $2,778 in Roeselare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,299 in Brussels versus $3,685 in Roeselare.

Living in Brussels is roughly 41% more expensive than in Roeselare, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brussels 92% above, Roeselare 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.12 €19.93

$19.48 €16.79

18.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.4 €78.8

$79.9 €68.9

14.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.72 €12.69

$11.76 €10.13

25.17%

Cappuccino

$4.65 €4.00

$4.52 €3.90

2.88%

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

$3.72 €3.20

$2.16 €1.86

72.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €2.97

$1.90 €1.64

81.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.87 €5.06

$5.36 €4.62

9.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 €4.93

$4.10 €3.53

39.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 €1.29

$1.29 €1.11

15.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.95 €2.55

$2.78 €2.40

6.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 €2.48

$2.23 €1.92

29.15%

Eggs

$5.25 €4.52

$3.89 €3.35

34.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.02 €15.53

$11.76 €10.14

53.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.43 €11.58

$12.84 €11.07

4.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.67 €19.54

$19.62 €16.92

15.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 €2.94

$2.92 €2.52

16.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 €2.22

$2.32 €2.00

11.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 €2.57

$2.25 €1.94

32.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 €3.57

$2.37 €2.04

74.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 €2.32

$2.30 €1.98

16.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 €2.03

$1.73 €1.49

36.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 €1.62

$1.54 €1.33

22.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.08

$0.96 €0.83

30.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.21 €12.25

$14.04 €12.10

1.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.25 €8.84

$7.66 €6.60

33.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 €2.43

$2.08 €1.79

35.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 €2.70

$1.92 €1.66

63.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.99 €2.58

$2.88 €2.49

3.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.8 €55.0

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 €2.66

$10.56 €9.10

-70.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.54 €2.19

-3.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.93 €36.15

$26.09 €22.49

60.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.88 €1.62

14.89%

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

$36.2K €31.2K

$36.4K €31.4K

-0.61%

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

$34.9K €30.1K

$34.8K €30.0K

0.32%

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

$291 €250

$172 €148

69.08%

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

$22.00 €18.96

$19.05 €16.42

15.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.2 €48.45

$52.2 €45.03

7.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.86 €30.91

$60.8 €52.4

-40.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.05 €25.04

$20.92 €18.03

38.86%

Cinema Ticket

$16.59 €14.30

$13.51 €11.64

22.80%

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

$1,710 €1,474

$725 €625

135.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.9K €32.6K

$16.7K €14.4K

126.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €91.8

$103 €88.4

3.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.27 €40.75

$27.31 €23.54

73.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 €96.6

$91.7 €79.1

22.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 €129

$148 €128

1.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,403 €1,209

$808 €696

73.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 €1,069

$703 €606

76.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,521 €2,173

$1,239 €1,068

103.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 €1,833

$996 €858

113.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,246 €4,522

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,946 €3,401

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,418 €2,947

$2,855 €2,461

19.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

2.5

47.20%

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

Last update for Brussels: September 7, 2026

Last update for Roeselare: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,403 in Brussels and $808 in Roeselare. 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: $91.0 in Brussels vs $80.0 in Roeselare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $408 vs $330 per month, with Roeselare 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 Roeselare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Roeselare wins on cost – living expenses run 41% lower than in Brussels. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Roeselare 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: $1,403 in Brussels versus $808 in Roeselare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,710 in Brussels versus $725 in Roeselare. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Roeselare – a meal for two runs $80.0 versus $91.0 in Brussels. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,872 in Roeselare versus $2,647 in Brussels, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Roeselare but tight or insufficient in Brussels. The gap between the two cities makes Roeselare 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 Roeselare 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 Roeselare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Brussels. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.