Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Diest and Brussels

For one person, living is cheaper in Diest: $2,088 a month against $2,602 in Brussels, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Diest
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Diest Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Brussels
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Brussels Living Index

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Diest

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,088

/mo nomad

Brussels

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,602

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Diest and in Brussels

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Diest and in Brussels actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,088 in Diest versus $2,602 in Brussels.

Diest $2,088
Brussels $2,602

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,070 in Diest versus $3,932 in Brussels.

Diest $3,070
Brussels $3,932

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,052 in Diest versus $5,262 in Brussels.

Diest $4,052
Brussels $5,262

Living in Diest costs roughly 20% less than in Brussels, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Diest 54% above, Brussels 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.93 €19.53

$22.69 €20.21

-3.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 €75.7

$89.6 €79.8

-5.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.89 €10.59

$15.03 €13.39

-20.89%

Cappuccino

$3.54 €3.15

$4.60 €4.09

-23.04%

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

$2.94 €2.62

$3.71 €3.30

-20.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 €2.50

$3.13 €2.79

-10.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.38 €4.79

$6.05 €5.39

-11.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 €3.87

$5.46 €4.86

-20.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.12

$1.34 €1.19

-5.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 €2.43

$2.78 €2.48

-1.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 €2.00

$2.70 €2.40

-16.67%

Eggs

$3.93 €3.50

$5.30 €4.72

-25.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.20 €13.54

$17.33 €15.43

-12.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.87 €10.57

$13.28 €11.83

-10.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.91 €16.84

$22.09 €19.68

-14.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 €2.48

$3.01 €2.68

-7.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 €2.01

$2.47 €2.20

-8.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.32

$2.78 €2.48

-6.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.93 €2.61

$4.25 €3.79

-31.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 €1.94

$2.48 €2.21

-12.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 €1.54

$2.23 €1.99

-22.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.36

$1.84 €1.64

-17.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 €0.91

$1.29 €1.15

-20.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.13 €11.69

$13.17 €11.73

-0.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.44 €7.52

$10.02 €8.93

-15.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.74

$2.63 €2.35

-25.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.82

$2.98 €2.65

-31.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 €2.74

$2.72 €2.43

12.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.4 €48.47

$62.7 €55.8

-13.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 €5.07

$2.90 €2.58

96.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.47 €2.20

$2.61 €2.33

-5.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.18 €26.89

$40.46 €36.04

-25.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.84

$2.17 €1.93

-4.61%

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

$36.0K €32.1K

0.02%

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

$36.1K €32.1K

$35.7K €31.8K

1.02%

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

$209 €186

$296 €264

-29.59%

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

$20.59 €18.34

$20.97 €18.68

-1.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 €45.77

$52.2 €46.51

-1.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.60 €32.60

$32.81 €29.23

11.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.94 €17.76

$27.86 €24.82

-28.43%

Cinema Ticket

$14.29 €12.73

$16.07 €14.31

-11.08%

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

$781 €696

$1,623 €1,446

-51.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.3K €17.2K

$30.9K €27.6K

-37.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €91.9

$106 €94.3

-2.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.33 €43.05

$46.71 €41.61

3.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.8

$115 €102

-7.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 €131

$146 €130

0.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$938 €836

$1,359 €1,211

-30.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$825 €735

$1,148 €1,023

-28.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,367 €1,217

$2,561 €2,281

-46.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,168 €1,040

$2,039 €1,816

-42.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,180 €3,723

$5,047 €4,496

-17.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,949 €2,627

$3,701 €3,297

-20.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,138 €1,905

$3,373 €3,005

-36.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.53

3.71

-4.85%

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

Last update for Diest: November 2, 2026

Last update for Brussels: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Diest

$825 39.5%

Brussels

$1.1K 44.1% 39.1% $323

Groceries & Markets

Diest

$338 16.2%

Brussels

$394 15.1% 16.6% $56

Eating Out

Diest

$312 15%

Brussels

$350 13.5% 12.2% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Diest

$281 13.4%

Brussels

$369 14.2% 31.7% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Diest

$182 8.7%

Brussels

$186 7.2% 2.1% $3.8

Getting Around

Diest

$85 4.1%

Brussels

$90 3.4% 5.7% $4.8

Sport & Entertainment

Diest

$65 3.1%

Brussels

$65 2.5% 0.4% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $938 in Diest and $1,359 in Brussels. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brussels pays 58% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Diest vs $90 in Brussels for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $338 vs $394 per month, with Diest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Diest

🇧🇪 Brussels

🕒 Local time

23:34 11:34 PM

Same time as Diest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,516

188,137 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Diest Brussels 52 km

From you

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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

Diest vs Brussels: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 37% lower in Diest. 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: $938 in Diest versus $1,359 in Brussels. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Brussels. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Diest – a meal for two runs $85 versus $90 in Brussels. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Diest is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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

Expats usually find Diest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Brussels. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.