Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Waregem

For one person, living is cheaper in Waregem: $2,071 a month against $2,584 in Brussels, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Brussels
Learn more

Brussels Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Waregem
Learn more

Waregem Living Index

Jump to prices

Brussels

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,584

/mo nomad

Waregem

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,071

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brussels and in Waregem

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,584 in Brussels versus $2,071 in Waregem.

Brussels $2,584
Waregem $2,071

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,923 in Brussels versus $3,169 in Waregem.

Brussels $3,923
Waregem $3,169

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,262 in Brussels versus $4,267 in Waregem.

Brussels $5,262
Waregem $4,267

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brussels 90% above, Waregem 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.51 €20.22

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 €81.9

$139 €125

-34.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.19 €13.65

$13.46 €12.09

12.85%

Cappuccino

$4.55 €4.08

$5.18 €4.65

-12.16%

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

$3.63 €3.26

$3.86 €3.47

-5.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.71

$3.82 €3.43

-20.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.11

$6.09 €5.47

-6.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 €4.98

$5.36 €4.82

3.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.21

$1.31 €1.18

3.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 €2.48

$2.56 €2.30

7.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 €2.55

$2.23 €2.00

27.35%

Eggs

$5.19 €4.66

$3.90 €3.50

33.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.84 €16.03

$15.80 €14.19

12.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.04 €11.71

$11.78 €10.58

10.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.85 €19.63

$19.48 €17.50

12.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 €2.81

$2.84 €2.55

10.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.18

$2.21 €1.98

9.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 €2.53

$2.61 €2.35

7.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 €3.62

$2.80 €2.52

43.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.21

$2.15 €1.93

14.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.96

$1.66 €1.49

31.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 €1.67

$1.33 €1.19

39.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.10

$0.96 €0.86

27.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.60 €12.22

$13.45 €12.08

1.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 €8.59

$7.89 €7.09

21.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 €2.43

$1.95 €1.75

38.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 €2.70

$2.20 €1.98

36.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.76 €2.48

$3.25 €2.92

-15.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.6 €55.4

$50.6 €45.44

21.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 €2.65

$4.94 €4.44

-40.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.24 €2.01

$2.84 €2.55

-21.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.78 €36.63

$29.96 €26.91

36.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.85

$2.03 €1.82

1.48%

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

$34.8K €31.3K

$40.3K €36.2K

-13.65%

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

$35.7K €32.0K

$39.8K €35.8K

-10.48%

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

$280 €252

$212 €191

32.06%

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

$21.20 €19.04

$37.46 €33.65

-43.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 €46.72

$71.6 €64.3

-27.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.34 €29.05

$33.82 €30.38

-4.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 €24.92

$16.73 €15.03

65.81%

Cinema Ticket

$15.88 €14.27

$16.06 €14.42

-1.12%

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

$1,596 €1,434

$820 €737

94.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.2K €32.5K

$18.7K €16.8K

93.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.9

$92.4 €83.0

9.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.78 €42.03

$46.14 €41.44

1.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €102

$102 €91.5

11.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €129

$166 €149

-13.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,393 €1,251

$845 €759

64.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,160 €1,042

$728 €654

59.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,518 €2,262

$1,085 €975

132.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,076 €1,865

$979 €880

111.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,877 €4,381

$4,018 €3,609

21.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,718 €3,340

$2,646 €2,377

40.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,392 €3,047

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 24, 2026

Last update for Waregem: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brussels

$1.2K 44.9%

Waregem

$728 35.1% 37.3% $432

Groceries & Markets

Brussels

$391 15.2%

Waregem

$336 16.2% 14.1% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brussels

$353 13.7%

Waregem

$321 15.5% 9.1% $32

Eating Out

Brussels

$346 13.4%

Waregem

$354 17.1% 2.3% $8.1

Clothing & Footwear

Brussels

$182 7.1%

Waregem

$183 8.8% 0.4% $0.7

Getting Around

Brussels

$87 3.4%

Waregem

$83 4% 4.7% $4.1

Sport & Entertainment

Brussels

$64 2.5%

Waregem

$66 3.2% 2.9% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,393 in Brussels and $845 in Waregem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $91 in Brussels vs $139 in Waregem. Groceries flip the comparison at $391 vs $336, with Waregem cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Brussels

🇧🇪 Waregem

🕒 Local time

22:49 10:49 PM

Same time as Brussels

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

188,137 Capital

39,488

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brussels Waregem 65 km

From you

Brussels
Waregem

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 Waregem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Waregem wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Brussels. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Waregem the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $3,876 in Brussels and $3,107 in Waregem 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: $1,393 in Brussels versus $845 in Waregem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% 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 $91 versus $139 in Waregem. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Waregem 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 Waregem are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.