Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mortsel and Brussels

For one person, living is cheaper in Mortsel: $2,145 a month against $2,584 in Brussels, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in Mortsel
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Mortsel Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Brussels
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Brussels Living Index

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Mortsel

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,145

/mo nomad

Brussels

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,584

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,145 in Mortsel versus $2,584 in Brussels.

Mortsel $2,145
Brussels $2,584

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,187 in Mortsel versus $3,923 in Brussels.

Mortsel $3,187
Brussels $3,923

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,229 in Mortsel versus $5,262 in Brussels.

Mortsel $4,229
Brussels $5,262

Living in Mortsel costs roughly 17% less than in Brussels, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mortsel 58% above, Brussels 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.62 €20.32

$22.51 €20.22

0.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.3 €86.5

$91.2 €81.9

5.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.55 €12.17

$15.19 €13.65

-10.80%

Cappuccino

$4.25 €3.81

$4.55 €4.08

-6.59%

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

$3.47 €3.11

$3.63 €3.26

-4.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 €2.58

$3.02 €2.71

-4.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.55 €4.99

$5.69 €5.11

-2.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 €5.13

$5.55 €4.98

2.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.22

$1.35 €1.21

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 €2.59

$2.76 €2.48

4.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 €2.01

$2.84 €2.55

-21.48%

Eggs

$3.94 €3.54

$5.19 €4.66

-24.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.51 €14.83

$17.84 €16.03

-7.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.10 €10.87

$13.04 €11.71

-7.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.81 €20.49

$21.85 €19.63

4.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 €2.52

$3.13 €2.81

-10.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.13

$2.42 €2.18

-2.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.33

$2.81 €2.53

-7.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.56

$4.03 €3.62

-29.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 €1.96

$2.46 €2.21

-11.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.66

$2.18 €1.96

-15.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.22

$1.86 €1.67

-27.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 €0.99

$1.22 €1.10

-9.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.33 €11.97

$13.60 €12.22

-1.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.64 €7.76

$9.57 €8.59

-9.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.79

$2.70 €2.43

-26.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 €2.06

$3.00 €2.70

-23.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.72

$2.76 €2.48

9.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 €50.5

$61.6 €55.4

-8.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 €4.89

$2.95 €2.65

84.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.75 €2.47

$2.24 €2.01

22.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.23 €40.63

$40.78 €36.63

10.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.89

$2.06 €1.85

1.94%

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

$35.5K €31.9K

$34.8K €31.3K

2.00%

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

$36.4K €32.7K

$35.7K €32.0K

2.02%

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

$220 €198

$280 €252

-21.37%

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

$20.70 €18.59

$21.20 €19.04

-2.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.54 €42.70

$52.0 €46.72

-8.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.18 €36.99

$32.34 €29.05

27.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.40 €18.32

$27.74 €24.92

-26.46%

Cinema Ticket

$15.81 €14.20

$15.88 €14.27

-0.44%

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

$569 €511

$1,596 €1,434

-64.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.6K €19.4K

$36.2K €32.5K

-40.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 €102

$101 €90.9

12.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.83 €42.96

$46.78 €42.03

2.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €95.7

$114 €102

-6.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 €134

$143 €129

3.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$931 €836

$1,393 €1,251

-33.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$813 €730

$1,160 €1,042

-29.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,379 €1,239

$2,518 €2,262

-45.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 €1,029

$2,076 €1,865

-44.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,305 €3,867

$4,877 €4,381

-11.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,739 €2,460

$3,718 €3,340

-26.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,361 €2,121

$3,392 €3,047

-30.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

3.71

-5.66%

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

Last update for Mortsel: 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

Mortsel

$813 37.9%

Brussels

$1.2K 44.9% 42.7% $347

Groceries & Markets

Mortsel

$359 16.7%

Brussels

$391 15.2% 9% $32

Eating Out

Mortsel

$337 15.7%

Brussels

$346 13.4% 2.8% $9.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mortsel

$288 13.5%

Brussels

$353 13.7% 22.5% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Mortsel

$187 8.7%

Brussels

$182 7.1% 2.8% $5.3

Getting Around

Mortsel

$88 4.1%

Brussels

$87 3.4% 0.9% $0.8

Sport & Entertainment

Mortsel

$73 3.4%

Brussels

$64 2.5% 12% $8.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $931 in Mortsel and $1,393 in Brussels. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brussels pays 44% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $96 in Mortsel vs $91 in Brussels. Groceries flip the comparison at $359 vs $391, with Mortsel cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Mortsel

🇧🇪 Brussels

🕒 Local time

00:45 12:45 AM

Same time as Mortsel

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,525

188,137 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Mortsel Brussels 37 km

From you

Mortsel
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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

Mortsel vs Brussels: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mortsel wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Brussels. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Mortsel the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Mortsel. 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: $931 in Mortsel versus $1,393 in Brussels. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% 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 $96 in Mortsel. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,145 in Mortsel versus $2,584 in Brussels, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Mortsel but tight or insufficient in Brussels. The gap between the two cities makes Mortsel 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, Mortsel and Brussels are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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