Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Sint-Pieters-Leeuw Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Sint-Pieters-Leeuw

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,649 in Brussels versus $2,191 in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,979 in Brussels versus $3,251 in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,309 in Brussels versus $4,312 in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw.

Living in Brussels is roughly 21% more expensive than in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brussels 93% above, Sint-Pieters-Leeuw 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.25 €20.01

$23.41 €20.14

-0.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.4 €81.2

$93.8 €80.7

0.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.88 €12.81

$14.58 €12.54

2.06%

Cappuccino

$4.47 €3.85

$4.57 €3.94

-2.19%

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

$3.60 €3.10

$3.44 €2.96

4.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 €2.90

$2.92 €2.52

15.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.95 €5.12

$5.64 €4.86

5.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.83 €5.01

$5.71 €4.91

2.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.22 €1.05

20.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 €2.51

$3.00 €2.58

-2.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 €2.62

$2.28 €1.97

33.77%

Eggs

$5.48 €4.72

$4.10 €3.52

33.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.85 €15.36

$17.74 €15.27

0.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.43 €11.56

$12.58 €10.83

6.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.46 €20.19

$19.89 €17.11

17.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 €2.92

$2.81 €2.42

20.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 €2.33

$2.48 €2.13

9.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 €2.61

$2.62 €2.25

15.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 €3.71

$2.95 €2.53

46.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.36

$2.18 €1.88

26.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 €2.09

$1.98 €1.71

22.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.37 €1.18

42.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.09 €0.94

13.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.12 €12.15

$13.65 €11.74

3.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.48 €9.02

$8.96 €7.71

16.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 €2.44

$1.97 €1.70

44.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 €2.78

$2.47 €2.13

30.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 €2.42

$2.97 €2.56

-5.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.0 €55.1

$56.8 €48.90

12.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 €2.56

$3.00 €2.58

-0.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 €1.81

$2.14 €1.85

-1.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.45 €36.53

$42.32 €36.42

0.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 €1.85

$2.12 €1.82

1.89%

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

$36.4K €31.3K

$36.5K €31.4K

-0.33%

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

$34.4K €29.6K

$34.9K €30.1K

-1.41%

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

$285 €245

$232 €199

22.95%

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

$22.13 €19.05

$22.01 €18.94

0.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 €47.71

$49.42 €42.52

12.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.05 €31.02

$33.64 €28.95

7.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.90 €25.73

$23.65 €20.35

26.43%

Cinema Ticket

$16.36 €14.07

$16.22 €13.95

0.86%

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

$1,732 €1,490

$585 €504

195.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.7K €34.2K

$22.4K €19.3K

77.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 €93.4

$108 €92.8

0.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.07 €37.92

$44.44 €38.24

-0.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.4

$110 €94.9

0.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 €130

$148 €127

2.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,458 €1,254

$874 €752

66.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 €1,035

$943 €811

27.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,533 €2,180

$1,640 €1,412

54.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,084 €1,794

$1,264 €1,088

64.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,250 €4,517

$4,722 €4,063

11.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,181 €3,598

$2,664 €2,292

56.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,402 €2,928

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.66

3.2

14.37%

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

Last update for Brussels: August 30, 2026

Last update for Sint-Pieters-Leeuw: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,458 in Brussels and $874 in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $94.0 in Brussels vs $94.0 in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw. Groceries flip the comparison at $413 vs $359, with Sint-Pieters-Leeuw cheaper for home cooking.

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-Pieters-Leeuw: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sint-Pieters-Leeuw wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Brussels. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sint-Pieters-Leeuw the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,973 in Brussels and $3,287 in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,458 in Brussels versus $874 in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Brussels. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw – a meal for two runs $94.0 versus $94.0 in Brussels. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,191 in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw versus $2,649 in Brussels, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw but tight or insufficient in Brussels. The gap between the two cities makes Sint-Pieters-Leeuw 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-Pieters-Leeuw 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-Pieters-Leeuw gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Brussels. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.