Cost of Living Comparison Between Spain and Belgium Cost of Living Comparison Between Spain and Belgium

Name: Belgium
Address: BE

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,644 in Spain versus $2,057 in Belgium.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,400 in Spain versus $3,063 in Belgium.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,155 in Spain versus $4,068 in Belgium.

Living in Spain costs about 20% less than in Belgium on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Spain 23% above, Belgium 54% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in Spain: monthly costs span $1,115 to $3,300, compared to $1,740–$2,517 in Belgium. City choice carries more weight in Spain.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.01 €13.70

$23.30 €19.94

-31.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.0 €50.5

$91.9 €78.7

-35.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.26 €8.79

$12.14 €10.40

-15.49%

Cappuccino

$2.29 €1.96

$4.05 €3.47

-43.46%

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

$2.59 €2.22

$3.15 €2.70

-17.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 €1.55

$3.01 €2.57

-39.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.53 €3.02

$5.23 €4.48

-32.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 €3.44

$4.76 €4.07

-15.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.26 €1.08

-1.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 €1.30

$2.50 €2.14

-39.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 €1.37

$2.37 €2.03

-32.49%

Eggs

$2.98 €2.55

$3.93 €3.36

-24.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.49 €12.41

$14.91 €12.76

-2.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 €7.16

$12.27 €10.50

-31.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.94 €13.65

$19.20 €16.43

-16.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$2.77 €2.37

-8.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 €1.79

$2.36 €2.02

-11.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.06 €1.76

$2.67 €2.29

-22.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.26

$3.05 €2.61

-13.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.58

$2.35 €2.01

-21.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 €1.64

$1.86 €1.59

2.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 €1.14

$1.49 €1.27

-10.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.68

$1.05 €0.90

-23.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.43 €5.50

$12.36 €10.58

-47.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.82 €4.99

$9.44 €8.08

-38.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.95 €1.67

-36.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.81

$2.27 €1.94

-7.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.97 €2.54

-42.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.64 €29.65

$57.2 €48.93

-39.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.94

$6.82 €5.84

-32.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 €1.15

$2.58 €2.21

-47.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.00 €23.11

$43.77 €37.47

-38.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.57

$1.91 €1.63

-3.66%

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

$38.3K €32.8K

$33.1K €28.3K

15.84%

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

$31.2K €26.7K

$32.4K €27.8K

-3.80%

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

$151 €129

$224 €192

-32.62%

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

$20.30 €17.38

$23.72 €20.31

-14.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.21 €28.43

$57.3 €49.07

-42.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.38 €40.56

$37.54 €32.13

26.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.74 €13.47

$22.07 €18.89

-28.68%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$15.23 €13.03

-40.51%

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

$523 €447

$664 €568

-21.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,978 €8,541

$15.5K €13.3K

-35.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €75.1

$103 €88.4

-15.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.32 €31.94

$46.30 €39.63

-19.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 €76.0

$111 €95.1

-20.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 €91.0

$143 €122

-25.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 €901

$988 €846

6.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$809 €692

$867 €742

-6.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 €1,433

$1,503 €1,287

11.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 €1,038

$1,293 €1,107

-6.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,487 €3,841

$4,526 €3,874

-0.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,733 €2,339

$3,263 €2,793

-16.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,111 €1,807

$3,042 €2,604

-30.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.51

3.64

-3.57%

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

Last update for Spain: April 25, 2026

Last update for Belgium: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $899 in Spain, $913 in Belgium. Capital cities: $1,595 in Madrid vs $1,329 in Brussels.

National salary averages: $2,010 in Spain, $2,897 in Belgium. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 75% more in Belgium.

Public transport is 64% more expensive in Belgium.

Salaries are 44% higher in Belgium, giving Belgium stronger purchasing power.

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

Spain vs Belgium: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,129 per month in Belgium and $2,208 in Spain, there's a 4% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Belgium is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Spain beats Belgium across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Belgium, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In Spain, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. Belgium wins on affordability; Spain may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.