How expensive is Brussels compared to the rest of Belgium?

Brussels ranks #143 out of 577 cities globally. It is 7.3% more expensive than the Belgium average, based on 4 cities. The rent index is 32.4 and local purchasing power is 120.2.

What is the average rent in Brussels?

A 1-bedroom apartment in Brussels city centre costs approximately EUR 1,188 per month. Outside the centre, rent drops to EUR 1,024 (saving 14%). A 3-bedroom apartment in the centre costs around EUR 2,189.

Is Brussels affordable to live in?

Brussels is expensive by global standards. Groceries are expensive, restaurants are average, and local purchasing power is weak. Workers in Belgium earning EUR 50,000 gross take home approximately EUR 2,685 per month after tax.

🇧🇪 Belgium · 2026

Kosten van Levensonderhoud in Brussels

7.3% boven het Belgium-gemiddelde

Gerangschikt op #143 van 577 steden · Duurder dan 75.2% van de steden wereldwijd

+7.3%

Kosten van Levensonderhoud

+21.8%

Huur

+8.7%

Boodschappen

-11.1%

Koopkracht

Vergeleken met het Belgium-gemiddelde · Belgium-ranking bekijken →

Huurprijzen in Brussels

Appartement	Stadscentrum	Buiten het Centrum	Je Bespaart
1-Kamer	EUR 1,188/mo ≈ $1,345	EUR 1,024/mo ≈ $1,159	14%
3-Kamer	EUR 2,189/mo ≈ $2,478	EUR 1,786/mo ≈ $2,021	18%

Numbeo · 2026-10-02

Multi-Source Comparison

★★ Medium Confidence

Brussels has a cost of living index of 50.1 (New York = 100, rent included), the average of 4 of 4 data sources.

50.1

Index

Sources

7.6

Gap between sources

Source Values (NYC = 100)

Numbeo

54.3

Expatistan

51.0

LivingCost

48.2

ShouldIMove price index

46.7

ShouldIMove price index: our own basket of real item prices plus rent.

Eurostat Validation (EU27 = 100) Gov. Data

Eurostat

114.7

Based on 117 country PLI x 1 city factor

View all 577 cities | Data last updated: 2026-03-18

Kostenindexen

Kosten van Levensonderhoud

+7.3% Average

Huur

+21.8% Very expensive

Boodschappen

+8.7% Expensive

Restaurants

-0.9% Average

Koopkracht

-11.1% Weak

Wonen in Brussels: Wat te Verwachten

Brussels is expensive naar wereldwijde maatstaven (positie #143 van 577 steden). 7.3% duurder dan het Belgium-gemiddelde, gebaseerd op 4 steden.

Boodschappen zijn expensive, terwijl uit eten average is. Restaurants biedt de beste waarde, terwijl Rent het duurst is.

Werknemers in Belgium met EUR 50,000 bruto ontvangen EUR 2,685/maand netto na belasting (effectief tarief: 35.6%%). Bekijk de volledige Belgium belastingcalculator →