Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Sint-Niklaas

For one person, living is cheaper in Sint-Niklaas: $2,075 a month against $2,600 in Brussels, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 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
100

Cost of Living Index in Sint-Niklaas
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Sint-Niklaas Living Index

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Brussels

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,600

/mo nomad

Sint-Niklaas

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,075

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brussels and in Sint-Niklaas

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 Sint-Niklaas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,600 in Brussels versus $2,075 in Sint-Niklaas.

Brussels $2,600
Sint-Niklaas $2,075

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,919 in Brussels versus $2,975 in Sint-Niklaas.

Brussels $3,919
Sint-Niklaas $2,975

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,238 in Brussels versus $3,875 in Sint-Niklaas.

Brussels $5,238
Sint-Niklaas $3,875

Living in Brussels is roughly 25% more expensive than in Sint-Niklaas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brussels 92% above, Sint-Niklaas 53% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.81 €20.29

$22.80 €20.28

0.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.1 €78.4

$79.6 €70.8

10.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.11 €13.44

$13.43 €11.95

12.51%

Cappuccino

$4.43 €3.94

$4.44 €3.95

-0.23%

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

$3.67 €3.26

$2.91 €2.59

26.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 €2.81

$2.86 €2.55

10.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.57 €4.95

$5.35 €4.76

4.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 €5.14

$4.44 €3.95

29.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 €1.19

$1.31 €1.16

2.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 €2.51

$2.79 €2.48

1.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 €2.41

$2.03 €1.80

33.50%

Eggs

$5.44 €4.84

$3.78 €3.37

43.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.70 €15.75

$11.58 €10.30

52.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.46 €11.97

$11.75 €10.45

14.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.31 €19.84

$19.04 €16.94

17.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 €2.69

$2.82 €2.51

7.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.12

$2.21 €1.97

7.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 €2.53

$2.20 €1.95

29.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 €3.58

$2.34 €2.08

71.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.27

$2.18 €1.94

16.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.92

$1.68 €1.49

27.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 €1.60

$1.52 €1.35

18.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 €1.10

$0.94 €0.84

31.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.23 €11.77

$13.43 €11.94

-1.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.08 €8.96

$7.15 €6.36

40.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 €2.42

$1.78 €1.59

52.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.67

$1.80 €1.60

67.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.85 €2.54

$2.83 €2.52

0.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.1 €56.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.85 €2.53

$5.76 €5.12

-50.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 €2.01

$2.52 €2.24

-10.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.63 €36.14

$25.52 €22.70

59.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.93

$2.01 €1.79

7.96%

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

$35.9K €31.9K

$35.2K €31.3K

1.83%

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

$35.8K €31.8K

$37.3K €33.2K

-4.10%

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

$286 €254

$213 €189

34.29%

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

$20.53 €18.26

$21.27 €18.92

-3.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.1 €46.37

$47.73 €42.46

9.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.26 €29.58

$36.14 €32.15

-7.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.07 €24.97

Cinema Ticket

$15.68 €13.95

$14.71 €13.08

6.59%

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

$1,609 €1,431

$729 €648

120.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.1K €33.0K

$16.0K €14.2K

132.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €89.7

$113 €100

-10.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.93 €40.86

$52.1 €46.38

-11.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €102

$102 €90.5

12.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 €129

$168 €150

-14.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 €1,183

$965 €858

37.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,162 €1,034

$851 €757

36.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,469 €2,196

$1,376 €1,224

79.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,043 €1,817

$1,115 €992

83.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,095 €4,532

$3,261 €2,900

56.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,926 €3,492

$2,832 €2,519

38.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,310 €2,944

$4,777 €4,249

-30.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.71

3.46

7.23%

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

Last update for Brussels: October 18, 2026

Last update for Sint-Niklaas: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brussels

$1.2K 44.7%

Sint-Niklaas

$851 41% 26.8% $311

Groceries & Markets

Brussels

$396 15.2%

Sint-Niklaas

$317 15.3% 20% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brussels

$358 13.8%

Sint-Niklaas

$282 13.6% 21.4% $77

Eating Out

Brussels

$348 13.4%

Sint-Niklaas

$335 16.1% 3.7% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Brussels

$182 7%

Sint-Niklaas

$196 9.4% 7.3% $13

Getting Around

Brussels

$89 3.4%

Sint-Niklaas

$30 * 1.4% 66.5% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Brussels

$65 2.5%

Sint-Niklaas

$66 3.2% 1.4% $0.9

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,330 in Brussels and $965 in Sint-Niklaas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sint-Niklaas pays 44% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $88.0 in Brussels vs $80.0 in Sint-Niklaas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $396 vs $317 per month, with Sint-Niklaas cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Brussels

🇧🇪 Sint-Niklaas

🕒 Local time

03:31 3:31 AM

Same time as Brussels

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

188,137 Capital

69,010

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Brussels Sint-Niklaas 38 km

From you

Brussels
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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 Sint-Niklaas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sint-Niklaas wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Brussels. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sint-Niklaas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 44% lower in Sint-Niklaas. 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: $1,330 in Brussels versus $965 in Sint-Niklaas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,609 in Brussels versus $729 in Sint-Niklaas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sint-Niklaas – a meal for two runs $80.0 versus $88.0 in Brussels. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,075 in Sint-Niklaas versus $2,600 in Brussels, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Sint-Niklaas but tight or insufficient in Brussels. The gap between the two cities makes Sint-Niklaas 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 Sint-Niklaas 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 Sint-Niklaas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Brussels. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.