Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gent and Brugge

For one person, living is cheaper in Brugge: $2,117 a month against $2,224 in Gent, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

108

Cost of Living Index in Gent
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Gent Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Brugge
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Brugge Living Index

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Gent

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,224

/mo nomad

Brugge

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,117

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gent and in Brugge

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

A single person spends $2,224 per month in Gent vs $2,117 in Brugge, rent included.

Gent $2,224
Brugge $2,117

A couple spends around $3,455 per month in Gent vs $3,097 in Brugge, rent included.

Gent $3,455
Brugge $3,097

A family of three spends $4,686 per month in Gent vs $4,077 in Brugge, rent included.

Gent $4,686
Brugge $4,077

Gent costs about 5% more than Brugge, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Gent and Brugge sit above the global median – Gent by 65%, Brugge by 57%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.97 €19.54

$22.26 €19.80

-1.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$114 €101

$79.3 €70.5

43.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.65 €13.92

$11.35 €10.09

37.89%

Cappuccino

$4.31 €3.83

$4.36 €3.88

-1.15%

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

$3.35 €2.98

$2.89 €2.57

15.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 €2.62

$2.85 €2.53

3.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 €5.01

$5.35 €4.76

5.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 €5.03

$4.33 €3.85

30.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.07

$1.19 €1.06

1.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 €2.52

$1.93 €1.71

46.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 €1.89

$2.04 €1.82

4.41%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.54

$3.93 €3.50

1.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.55 €16.50

$11.55 €10.27

60.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.36 €11.00

$11.83 €10.52

4.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.82 €17.63

$19.28 €17.15

2.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 €2.48

$2.63 €2.34

6.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 €2.14

$2.10 €1.87

14.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.26

$2.13 €1.89

19.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.94 €2.61

$2.23 €1.99

31.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.89

$2.25 €2.00

-5.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 €1.73

$0.89 €0.80

119.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 €1.21

$1.52 €1.35

-9.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.87 €0.77

22.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.04 €11.60

$13.23 €11.77

-1.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.06 €8.06

$7.05 €6.27

28.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 €1.76

$1.09 €0.97

81.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 €2.19

$1.90 €1.69

30.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.28 €2.92

$3.12 €2.78

5.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.3 €52.8

$53.7 €47.77

10.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.25 €10.01

$3.29 €2.93

241.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.84 €2.53

$2.50 €2.22

13.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.5 €44.95

$25.26 €22.47

100.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.79

$1.97 €1.75

2.03%

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

$34.8K €31.0K

$35.0K €31.1K

-0.46%

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

$33.8K €30.0K

-0.00%

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

$219 €195

$214 €191

2.28%

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

$20.47 €18.21

$18.38 €16.35

11.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.05 €41.85

$52.8 €46.94

-10.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.69 €31.74

$43.18 €38.41

-17.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.07 €11.63

$13.49 €12.00

-3.11%

Cinema Ticket

$15.73 €14.00

$14.39 €12.80

9.31%

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

$567 €504

$592 €527

-4.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K €18.6K

$4,925 €4,381

324.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €96.9

$102 €91.1

6.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.10

$58.8 €52.3

-21.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €95.6

$88.5 €78.7

21.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 €134

$253 €225

-40.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,059

$919 €818

29.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$891 €792

$828 €737

7.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,800 €1,601

$1,282 €1,140

40.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,529 €1,360

$1,176 €1,046

30.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,213 €4,637

$2,650 €2,357

96.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,087 €2,746

$2,463 €2,191

25.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,680 €3,274

$2,551 €2,269

44.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.2

3.52

-9.09%

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

Last update for Gent: October 12, 2026

Last update for Brugge: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gent

$891 40.1%

Brugge

$828 39.1% 7% $62

Groceries & Markets

Gent

$357 16%

Brugge

$301 14.2% 15.7% $56

Eating Out

Gent

$339 15.2%

Brugge

$323 15.3% 4.7% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gent

$287 12.9%

Brugge

$285 13.5% 0.4% $1.3

Clothing & Footwear

Gent

$186 8.4%

Brugge

$226 10.7% 21.7% $40

Getting Around

Gent

$98 4.4%

Brugge

$82 3.9% 16.3% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Gent

$67 3%

Brugge

$72 3.4% 7.1% $4.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,190 in Gent versus $919 in Brugge. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 44% higher in Gent, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $114 in Gent versus $79.0 in Brugge. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $357 vs $301 – making Brugge the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Gent

🇧🇪 Brugge

🕒 Local time

14:12 2:12 PM

Same time as Gent

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

237,000

117,639

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Gent Brugge 39 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

Gent vs Brugge: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Gent is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,336 per month in Gent and $3,176 in Brugge. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Brugge, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,224 in Gent and $2,117 in Brugge. That's a gap of about 5%.

Public transport costs about 10% less in Brugge. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Brugge, where all-in costs run around $2,117, than in Gent at $2,224. In Brugge it covers expenses comfortably, while in Gent it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Brugge – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Brugge. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Gent makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.