Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Tournai

For one person, living is cheaper in Tournai: $2,226 a month against $2,602 in Brussels, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 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
104

Cost of Living Index in Tournai
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Tournai Living Index

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Brussels

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,602

/mo nomad

Tournai

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,226

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brussels and in Tournai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,602 in Brussels versus $2,226 in Tournai.

Brussels $2,602
Tournai $2,226

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,932 in Brussels versus $3,303 in Tournai.

Brussels $3,932
Tournai $3,303

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,262 in Brussels versus $4,379 in Tournai.

Brussels $5,262
Tournai $4,379

Living in Brussels is roughly 17% more expensive than in Tournai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brussels 92% above, Tournai 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.69 €20.27

$24.46 €21.84

-7.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.6 €80.0

$94.6 €84.5

-5.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.03 €13.43

$13.49 €12.05

11.42%

Cappuccino

$4.60 €4.11

$4.40 €3.93

4.55%

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

$3.71 €3.31

$3.57 €3.19

3.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 €2.80

$3.51 €3.13

-10.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.05 €5.41

$5.50 €4.92

10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 €4.88

$6.22 €5.55

-12.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 €1.19

$1.34 €1.20

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 €2.48

$2.77 €2.48

0.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.70 €2.41

$2.25 €2.01

20.00%

Eggs

$5.30 €4.73

$4.02 €3.59

31.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.33 €15.48

$16.46 €14.70

5.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.28 €11.86

$12.09 €10.80

9.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.09 €19.73

$23.12 €20.65

-4.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 €2.69

$3.02 €2.69

-0.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.20

$2.51 €2.24

-1.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 €2.49

$2.55 €2.28

9.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.25 €3.80

$3.42 €3.05

24.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 €2.21

$2.65 €2.37

-6.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €2.00

$1.80 €1.61

23.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 €1.64

$1.56 €1.40

17.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.11 €0.99

16.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.17 €11.77

$12.98 €11.60

1.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 €8.95

$8.60 €7.68

16.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.35

$1.89 €1.69

39.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 €2.66

$2.00 €1.78

49.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.72 €2.43

$2.89 €2.58

-5.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.7 €56.0

$51.8 €46.23

21.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 €2.59

$5.71 €5.10

-49.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.61 €2.33

$2.73 €2.44

-4.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.46 €36.14

$43.88 €39.19

-7.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.94

$2.09 €1.86

3.83%

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

$36.0K €32.2K

0.10%

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

$35.7K €31.9K

$36.4K €32.5K

-1.92%

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

$296 €265

$210 €187

41.21%

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

$20.97 €18.73

$21.97 €19.62

-4.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.2 €46.64

$47.21 €42.17

10.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.81 €29.30

$36.34 €32.46

-9.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.86 €24.89

$20.90 €18.67

33.30%

Cinema Ticket

$16.07 €14.35

$15.12 €13.50

6.28%

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

$1,623 €1,450

$797 €712

103.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.9K €27.6K

$33.8K €30.2K

-8.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €94.5

$118 €105

-10.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.71 €41.72

$52.7 €47.04

-11.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €102

$107 €95.6

7.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 €131

$178 €159

-17.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 €1,214

$851 €760

59.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 €1,025

$871 €778

31.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,561 €2,287

$1,270 €1,135

101.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,821

$1,238 €1,106

64.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,047 €4,508

$4,379 €3,911

15.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,701 €3,305

$3,052 €2,726

21.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,373 €3,013

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.71

3.53

5.10%

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

Last update for Brussels: October 31, 2026

Last update for Tournai: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brussels

$1.1K 44.1%

Tournai

$871 39.2% 24.1% $277

Groceries & Markets

Brussels

$394 15.1%

Tournai

$365 16.4% 7.4% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brussels

$369 14.2%

Tournai

$279 12.5% 24.5% $90

Eating Out

Brussels

$350 13.5%

Tournai

$357 16% 2% $6.9

Clothing & Footwear

Brussels

$186 7.2%

Tournai

$205 9.2% 10.1% $19

Getting Around

Brussels

$90 3.4%

Tournai

$83 3.7% 7.7% $6.9

Sport & Entertainment

Brussels

$65 2.5%

Tournai

$67 3% 2.5% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,359 in Brussels and $851 in Tournai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $90 in Brussels vs $95 in Tournai. Groceries flip the comparison at $394 vs $365, with Tournai cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Brussels

🇧🇪 Tournai

🕒 Local time

13:50 1:50 PM

Same time as Brussels

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

188,137 Capital

69,842

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brussels Tournai 73 km

From you

Brussels
Tournai

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 Tournai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tournai wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Brussels. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Tournai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $3,903 in Brussels and $3,340 in Tournai 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: $1,359 in Brussels versus $851 in Tournai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Brussels. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Brussels – a meal for two runs $90 versus $95 in Tournai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Tournai gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Tournai are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.