Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hasselt and Brussels

For one person, living is cheaper in Hasselt: $2,021 a month against $2,584 in Brussels, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

98

Cost of Living Index in Hasselt
Learn more

Hasselt Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Brussels
Learn more

Brussels Living Index

Jump to prices

Hasselt

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,021

/mo nomad

Brussels

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,584

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hasselt 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 Hasselt and in Brussels actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,021 in Hasselt versus $2,584 in Brussels.

Hasselt $2,021
Brussels $2,584

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,042 in Hasselt versus $3,923 in Brussels.

Hasselt $3,042
Brussels $3,923

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,063 in Hasselt versus $5,262 in Brussels.

Hasselt $4,063
Brussels $5,262

Living in Hasselt costs roughly 22% less than in Brussels, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hasselt 49% above, Brussels 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.32 €20.05

$22.51 €20.22

-0.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.7 €87.8

$91.2 €81.9

7.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.60 €12.22

$15.19 €13.65

-10.47%

Cappuccino

$3.80 €3.41

$4.55 €4.08

-16.48%

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

$3.51 €3.16

$3.63 €3.26

-3.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 €2.92

$3.02 €2.71

7.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.43 €4.87

$5.69 €5.11

-4.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 €4.63

$5.55 €4.98

-7.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 €1.21

$1.35 €1.21

-0.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 €2.17

$2.76 €2.48

-12.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 €2.04

$2.84 €2.55

-19.72%

Eggs

$3.23 €2.91

$5.19 €4.66

-37.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.01 €7.19

$17.84 €16.03

-55.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.71 €10.52

$13.04 €11.71

-10.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.25 €19.98

$21.85 €19.63

1.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 €1.82

$3.13 €2.81

-35.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.49

$2.42 €2.18

-31.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.35

$2.81 €2.53

-7.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 €2.42

$4.03 €3.62

-33.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.66

$2.46 €2.21

-24.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 €1.23

$2.18 €1.96

-37.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 €0.90

$1.86 €1.67

-46.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 €0.97

$1.22 €1.10

-11.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.64 €11.36

$13.60 €12.22

-7.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.84 €7.94

$9.57 €8.59

-7.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.45

$2.70 €2.43

-40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.84

$3.00 €2.70

-31.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.83

$2.76 €2.48

14.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.27 €28.99

$61.6 €55.4

-47.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.71 €5.13

$2.95 €2.65

93.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 €2.35

$2.24 €2.01

16.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.45 €32.74

$40.78 €36.63

-10.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 €1.77

$2.06 €1.85

-3.88%

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

$34.9K €31.4K

$34.8K €31.3K

0.39%

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

$33.8K €30.4K

$35.7K €32.0K

-5.26%

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

$212 €191

$280 €252

-24.27%

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

$19.34 €17.37

$21.20 €19.04

-8.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.00 €42.22

$52.0 €46.72

-9.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.97 €25.12

$32.34 €29.05

-13.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.18 €8.25

$27.74 €24.92

-66.91%

Cinema Ticket

$15.00 €13.47

$15.88 €14.27

-5.54%

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

$1,664 €1,494

$1,596 €1,434

4.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.0K €29.7K

$36.2K €32.5K

-8.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 €104

$101 €90.9

14.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.3 €47.87

$46.78 €42.03

13.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €95.3

$114 €102

-6.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €120

$143 €129

-6.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$906 €814

$1,393 €1,251

-34.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$800 €719

$1,160 €1,042

-31.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,457 €1,308

$2,518 €2,262

-42.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,095

$2,076 €1,865

-41.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,588 €4,122

$4,877 €4,381

-5.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,398 €2,154

$3,718 €3,340

-35.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,045 €2,735

$3,392 €3,047

-10.24%

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 Hasselt: October 24, 2026

Last update for Brussels: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hasselt

$800 39.6%

Brussels

$1.2K 44.9% 45% $360

Eating Out

Hasselt

$329 16.3%

Brussels

$346 13.4% 5.1% $17

Groceries & Markets

Hasselt

$308 15.2%

Brussels

$391 15.2% 27.1% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hasselt

$278 13.8%

Brussels

$353 13.7% 26.9% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Hasselt

$184 9.1%

Brussels

$182 7.1% 0.9% $1.7

Getting Around

Hasselt

$64 3.2%

Brussels

$87 3.4% 36.4% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Hasselt

$58 2.9%

Brussels

$64 2.5% 10.6% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $906 in Hasselt and $1,393 in Brussels. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brussels pays 11% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $98 in Hasselt vs $91 in Brussels. Groceries flip the comparison at $308 vs $391, with Hasselt cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Hasselt

🇧🇪 Brussels

🕒 Local time

22:07 10:07 PM

Same time as Hasselt

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,694

188,137 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hasselt Brussels 70 km

From you

Hasselt
Brussels

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

Hasselt vs Brussels: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hasselt wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Brussels. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Hasselt the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Hasselt. 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: $906 in Hasselt versus $1,393 in Brussels. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% 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 $98 in Hasselt. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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

It comes down to priorities – Hasselt wins on affordability, Brussels on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.