Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mechelen and Brussels

For one person, living is cheaper in Mechelen: $2,050 a month against $2,594 in Brussels, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Mechelen
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Mechelen Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Brussels
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Brussels Living Index

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Mechelen

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,050

/mo nomad

Brussels

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,594

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,050 in Mechelen versus $2,594 in Brussels.

Mechelen $2,050
Brussels $2,594

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,141 in Mechelen versus $3,876 in Brussels.

Mechelen $3,141
Brussels $3,876

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,232 in Mechelen versus $5,157 in Brussels.

Mechelen $4,232
Brussels $5,157

Living in Mechelen costs roughly 21% less than in Brussels, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mechelen 52% above, Brussels 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.22 €19.77

$22.12 €19.67

0.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 €94.2

$89.8 €79.9

17.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 €11.74

$15.07 €13.41

-12.41%

Cappuccino

$4.16 €3.70

$4.49 €4.00

-7.35%

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

$3.49 €3.11

$3.67 €3.27

-4.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 €2.62

$3.15 €2.80

-6.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.55 €4.94

$5.67 €5.04

-2.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.57 €4.95

$5.64 €5.01

-1.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.07

$1.35 €1.20

-11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 €2.48

$2.77 €2.46

0.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 €1.89

$2.78 €2.48

-23.38%

Eggs

$3.62 €3.22

$5.22 €4.65

-30.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.00 €15.13

$17.44 €15.51

-2.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.76 €10.46

$13.36 €11.88

-11.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.68 €17.51

$21.90 €19.48

-10.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.42

$3.03 €2.70

-9.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.15

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 €2.22

$2.83 €2.52

-11.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 €2.49

$4.07 €3.62

-31.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.86

$2.56 €2.28

-17.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.66

$2.24 €1.99

-16.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.21

$1.84 €1.64

-26.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 €0.90

$1.26 €1.12

-19.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.15 €11.70

$13.26 €11.80

-0.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.84 €7.86

$9.61 €8.55

-8.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 €1.53

$2.60 €2.31

-33.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.93

$3.12 €2.78

-30.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.41 €3.03

$2.82 €2.50

20.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.1 €48.97

$61.6 €54.8

-10.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.44 €4.84

$2.91 €2.59

86.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 €2.33

$2.23 €1.98

17.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.75 €38.92

$40.47 €36.00

8.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.80

$2.06 €1.83

-1.94%

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

$35.3K €31.4K

$36.0K €32.0K

-1.81%

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

$34.0K €30.3K

$33.2K €29.6K

2.39%

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

$204 €181

$283 €252

-28.11%

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

$21.82 €19.40

$21.97 €19.54

-0.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.94 €41.75

$51.7 €46.01

-9.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.65 €26.37

$33.30 €29.62

-10.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.64 €12.14

$27.56 €24.51

-50.51%

Cinema Ticket

$14.95 €13.29

$16.33 €14.53

-8.45%

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

$554 €493

$1,569 €1,396

-64.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K €19.0K

$36.7K €32.6K

-41.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €93.9

$103 €91.9

2.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.11 €43.68

$45.60 €40.56

7.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €96.8

$109 €97.2

-0.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 €131

$146 €130

0.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 €825

$1,318 €1,172

-29.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 €686

$1,167 €1,038

-33.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,436 €1,278

$2,463 €2,191

-41.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 €1,073

$1,975 €1,756

-38.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,998 €4,445

$5,099 €4,535

-1.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,620 €3,220

$3,881 €3,453

-6.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,172 €1,932

$3,357 €2,986

-35.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

3.71

-6.74%

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

Last update for Mechelen: October 12, 2026

Last update for Brussels: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mechelen

$771 37.6%

Brussels

$1.2K 45% 51.3% $396

Groceries & Markets

Mechelen

$342 16.7%

Brussels

$392 15.1% 14.7% $50

Eating Out

Mechelen

$332 16.2%

Brussels

$343 13.2% 3.3% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mechelen

$272 13.3%

Brussels

$357 13.8% 31.1% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Mechelen

$185 9%

Brussels

$182 7% 1.6% $2.9

Getting Around

Mechelen

$87 4.3%

Brussels

$87 3.4% 0.4% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

Mechelen

$60 2.9%

Brussels

$66 2.5% 10.8% $6.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $927 in Mechelen and $1,318 in Brussels. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brussels pays 55% 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: $106 in Mechelen vs $90.0 in Brussels. Groceries flip the comparison at $342 vs $392, with Mechelen cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Mechelen

🇧🇪 Brussels

🕒 Local time

00:36 12:36 AM

Same time as Mechelen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

80,000

188,137 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Mechelen Brussels 22 km

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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

Mechelen vs Brussels: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mechelen wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Brussels. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mechelen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 55% lower in Brussels. 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: $927 in Mechelen versus $1,318 in Brussels. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Brussels. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Mechelen – a meal for two runs $106 versus $90.0 in Brussels. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,050 in Mechelen versus $2,594 in Brussels, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Mechelen but tight or insufficient in Brussels. The gap between the two cities makes Mechelen 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, Mechelen and Brussels 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 Mechelen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Brussels. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.