Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mons and Brussels

For one person, living is cheaper in Mons: $1,893 a month against $2,594 in Brussels, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

91

Cost of Living Index in Mons
Learn more

Mons Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Brussels
Learn more

Brussels Living Index

Jump to prices

Mons

🇧🇪 Belgium

$1,893

/mo nomad

Brussels

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,594

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,893 in Mons versus $2,594 in Brussels.

Mons $1,893
Brussels $2,594

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,798 in Mons versus $3,876 in Brussels.

Mons $2,798
Brussels $3,876

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,704 in Mons versus $5,157 in Brussels.

Mons $3,704
Brussels $5,157

Living in Mons costs roughly 27% less than in Brussels, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mons 40% above, Brussels 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.03 €15.15

$22.12 €19.67

-23.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.4 €73.3

$89.8 €79.9

-8.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.05 €8.94

$15.07 €13.41

-33.31%

Cappuccino

$2.51 €2.23

$4.49 €4.00

-44.10%

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

$2.74 €2.44

$3.67 €3.27

-25.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 €1.51

$3.15 €2.80

-46.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.87 €3.44

$5.67 €5.04

-31.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 €3.83

$5.64 €5.01

-23.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.03

$1.35 €1.20

-14.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 €1.96

$2.77 €2.46

-20.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$2.78 €2.48

-20.86%

Eggs

$4.10 €3.64

$5.22 €4.65

-21.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.75

$17.44 €15.51

7.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.42 €11.05

$13.36 €11.88

-7.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.48 €17.33

$21.90 €19.48

-11.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.43

$3.03 €2.70

-9.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 €2.10

$2.42 €2.15

-2.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.31

$2.83 €2.52

-8.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.79 €2.48

$4.07 €3.62

-31.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.89

$2.56 €2.28

-16.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 €1.03

$2.24 €1.99

-48.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.84 €1.64

-28.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.95

$1.26 €1.12

-15.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.66 €8.59

$13.26 €11.80

-27.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.65 €5.02

$9.61 €8.55

-41.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 €1.69

$2.60 €2.31

-26.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 €1.61

$3.12 €2.78

-41.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 €2.71

$2.82 €2.50

7.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.67 €37.06

$61.6 €54.8

-32.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.95 €9.74

$2.91 €2.59

276.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.85 €2.54

$2.23 €1.98

27.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.21 €22.42

$40.47 €36.00

-37.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 €1.63

$2.06 €1.83

-11.17%

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

$35.7K €31.7K

$36.0K €32.0K

-0.82%

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

$33.5K €29.8K

$33.2K €29.6K

0.75%

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

$223 €198

$283 €252

-21.28%

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

$20.52 €18.25

$21.97 €19.54

-6.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.91 €40.84

$51.7 €46.01

-11.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.32 €23.41

$33.30 €29.62

-20.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.37 €16.34

$27.56 €24.51

-33.35%

Cinema Ticket

$12.18 €10.84

$16.33 €14.53

-25.41%

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

$552 €491

$1,569 €1,396

-64.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.0K €18.7K

$36.7K €32.6K

-42.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €94.7

$103 €91.9

2.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.28 €41.17

$45.60 €40.56

1.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.3

$109 €97.2

-0.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 €131

$146 €130

0.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$686 €610

$1,318 €1,172

-47.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 €630

$1,167 €1,038

-39.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,031 €917

$2,463 €2,191

-58.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$996 €886

$1,975 €1,756

-49.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,094 €3,641

$5,099 €4,535

-19.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,906 €2,585

$3,881 €3,453

-25.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,796 €2,487

$3,357 €2,986

-16.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.2

3.71

-13.75%

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

Last update for Mons: October 10, 2026

Last update for Brussels: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mons

$709 37.4%

Brussels

$1.2K 45% 64.7% $458

Groceries & Markets

Mons

$339 17.9%

Brussels

$392 15.1% 15.7% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mons

$290 15.3%

Brussels

$357 13.8% 23.3% $68

Eating Out

Mons

$242 12.8%

Brussels

$343 13.2% 41.6% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Mons

$184 9.7%

Brussels

$182 7% 0.9% $1.6

Getting Around

Mons

$79 4.2%

Brussels

$87 3.4% 10% $7.9

Sport & Entertainment

Mons

$51 2.7%

Brussels

$66 2.5% 30.1% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $686 in Mons and $1,318 in Brussels. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brussels pays 20% 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: $82.0 in Mons vs $90.0 in Brussels for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $339 vs $392 per month, with Mons cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Mons

🇧🇪 Brussels

🕒 Local time

17:51 5:51 PM

Same time as Mons

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

92,721

188,137 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mons Brussels 52 km

From you

Mons
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

Mons vs Brussels: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mons wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Brussels. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mons the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 20% 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: $686 in Mons versus $1,318 in Brussels. 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 Mons – a meal for two runs $82.0 versus $90.0 in Brussels. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,893 in Mons versus $2,594 in Brussels, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Mons but tight or insufficient in Brussels. The gap between the two cities makes Mons 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, Mons 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 Mons gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Brussels. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.