Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Vilvoorde Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Vilvoorde

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,517 in Brussels versus $2,008 in Vilvoorde.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,814 in Brussels versus $3,042 in Vilvoorde.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,112 in Brussels versus $4,076 in Vilvoorde.

Living in Brussels is roughly 25% more expensive than Vilvoorde, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brussels 88% above, Vilvoorde 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.73 €24.59

$17.57 €15.04

63.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.9 €77.8

$93.4 €79.9

-2.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.81 €12.67

$11.43 €9.79

29.57%

Cappuccino

$4.75 €4.06

$4.12 €3.53

15.29%

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

$3.16 €2.71

$3.48 €2.98

-9.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.58

$3.18 €2.73

-5.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 €6.08

$4.89 €4.18

45.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 €4.90

$3.79 €3.25

50.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.24 €1.06

18.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 €2.58

$2.14 €1.83

40.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 €2.40

$2.31 €1.97

21.21%

Eggs

$4.82 €4.12

$3.50 €3.00

37.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.73 €14.32

$12.13 €10.38

37.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.67 €11.70

$11.98 €10.26

14.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.85 €16.14

$17.43 €14.92

8.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 €2.61

$2.75 €2.35

10.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.46 €2.10

$2.37 €2.03

3.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 €2.29

$2.03 €1.73

32.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.29 €2.81

$2.67 €2.28

23.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.27

$1.91 €1.63

38.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 €2.08

$1.66 €1.42

46.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.66 €1.42

$1.34 €1.15

23.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €0.96

$0.89 €0.77

25.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.60 €10.79

$12.66 €10.83

-0.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.12 €7.81

$9.28 €7.94

-1.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 €2.21

$2.02 €1.73

28.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 €2.81

$2.16 €1.85

51.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 €2.53

$5.92 €5.07

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.3 €50.8

$34.56 €29.58

71.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.42 €6.35

$6.45 €5.52

15.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.42 €2.07

$2.65 €2.27

-8.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.98 €29.94

$34.60 €29.62

1.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.59

$1.89 €1.62

-1.59%

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

$34.4K €29.5K

$29.9K €25.6K

15.29%

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

$35.6K €30.4K

$37.5K €32.1K

-5.16%

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

$264 €226

$232 €198

13.78%

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

$21.23 €18.17

$21.75 €18.62

-2.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.5 €48.37

$50.6 €43.32

11.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.91 €35.02

$26.18 €22.41

56.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.02 €26.56

$17.13 €14.66

81.09%

Cinema Ticket

$14.78 €12.65

$14.41 €12.33

2.57%

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

$1,110 €950

$648 €555

71.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.1K €18.9K

$13.7K €11.7K

61.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.3

$113 €96.5

-7.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.85 €42.67

$32.81 €28.09

51.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €97.5

$107 €91.8

6.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 €130

$163 €139

-6.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 €1,137

$877 €751

51.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 €924

$829 €710

30.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,304 €1,972

$1,404 €1,202

64.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,755 €1,503

$1,225 €1,048

43.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,099 €4,365

$3,103 €2,657

64.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,823 €3,272

$2,558 €2,190

49.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,553 €3,041

$3,896 €3,335

-8.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.65

3.74

-2.41%

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

Last update for Brussels: April 26, 2026

Last update for Vilvoorde: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,329 in Brussels and $877 in Vilvoorde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vilvoorde pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $91.0 in Brussels vs $93.0 in Vilvoorde. Groceries flip the comparison at $378 vs $313, with Vilvoorde 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 Vilvoorde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, Vilvoorde earns 10% less. 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: $1,329 in Brussels versus $877 in Vilvoorde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Brussels. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Vilvoorde – a meal for two runs $93.0 versus $91.0 in Brussels. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,008 in Vilvoorde versus $2,517 in Brussels, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Vilvoorde but tight or insufficient in Brussels. The gap between the two cities makes Vilvoorde 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 Vilvoorde 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 Vilvoorde 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.