The Cost of Living in Belgium for Expatriates: Understanding, Calculating, Anticipating

Published on January 17, 2026 and written by Cyril Jarnias

Moving to Belgium appeals to many expats: decent salaries, quality public services, a renowned healthcare system, a central location in Europe… But all this comes at a price. Belgium ranks among the most expensive European countries, even if it remains more affordable than London, Amsterdam, or major Swiss cities.

This guide is based on recent statistical data to provide an overview, particularly for Brussels, Antwerp, and Ghent, while remaining readable for someone discovering the country.

Overview: Belgium, an expensive country… but not out of reach

Belgium is one of the countries with a high cost of living. Available figures converge: the cost of living is about 1.5 times higher than the global average and the country is ranked among the 25 most expensive destinations worldwide. In Europe, it is in the top tier: the 13th most expensive country on the continent.

For an expat, a few concrete benchmarks help put things in perspective.

Typical monthly budgets

Cross-referenced statistical sources allow us to identify consistent ranges.

Profile	Estimated Monthly Budget in Belgium (incl. rent)	Comment
Single person (Belgium, all cities)	€1,750 – €2,030	“Comfortable” level according to sources, with modest rent
Single person in Brussels	€2,100 – €2,800	Capital and most expensive city
Family of four (Belgium)	€4,000 – €4,550	Average budget for a decent standard of living
Family of four in Brussels	€4,000 – €5,650	High variability linked to housing and schooling

Looking at average per-person spending nationwide, Belgian statistics indicate about €20,121 per year, or €1,677 monthly in 2025 (all inclusive). This figure incorporates regional differences: around €1,692 in Flanders, €1,628 in Wallonia, €1,738 in the Brussels-Capital Region.

Belgium vs. neighboring countries

For context, it’s useful to compare Belgium to other major expat destinations in Europe.

Country / City	Estimated Monthly Cost Family of 4	Estimated Monthly Cost Single Person	Comment
Belgium	€4,518	€1,760	Reference
Germany	€5,048	€1,880	Slightly more expensive
Netherlands	€5,589	€2,352	Significantly more expensive, especially Amsterdam
United Kingdom	€5,338	€2,210	More expensive, especially London
United States (with rent)	€6,419	—	Overall more expensive when including housing

On a capital city scale, Brussels remains significantly more affordable than London, Amsterdam, or New York: the cost of living is estimated to be about 33% lower than London and over 50% lower than New York, while still being higher than Warsaw or Bucharest.

The main lines of an expat budget

Behind the national averages lies a fairly stable spending structure. In 2025, for an average resident, the monthly budget breaks down roughly as follows:

For an urban expat, especially in Brussels, these amounts easily increase a notch, as housing, international schools, or certain private services significantly inflate the bill.

Housing: a tight market, especially in Brussels

Housing is the item that most varies the budget between cities. Belgium as a whole is not cheap, but the big difference lies between Brussels on one side, and medium-sized cities or less central municipalities on the other.

Rent levels in major cities

Recent data gives the following order of magnitude for a one-bedroom apartment.

City	1 Bedroom City Center	1 Bedroom Outside Center	3 Bedrooms City Center	3 Bedrooms Outside Center
Brussels	≈ €1,095–1,200	≈ €917–930	≈ €1,985–2,000	≈ €1,536–1,600
Antwerp	≈ €890–901	≈ €755	≈ €1,425	≈ €1,122
Ghent	≈ €865–920	≈ €739	≈ €1,317	≈ €1,149
Belgium Average	≈ €827	≈ €704	≈ €1,241	≈ €1,036

Brussels is clearly the most expensive, with an average rent for all sizes combined around €1,350–1,415 per month. The national average, across all regions, hovers around €949 monthly.

The gap is also visible in the overall cost of living: a single person will spend on average around €2,104 per month in Brussels, €1,953 in Antwerp, €1,806 in Ghent, compared to only €1,226 in Namur or €1,282 in Charleroi.

Brussels neighborhoods: from luxury to affordable

Brussels is a patchwork of very different municipalities. For an expat, the choice of neighborhood heavily impacts the budget.

The trends are not favorable for newcomers: in Brussels, rents increased by nearly 8.6% in 2023, another 5% in 2024, which is over 14% in five years and about 36% over ten years. Forecasts point to annual increases of 3 to 5% until 2026.

Shared housing, studios, furnished rentals: choosing according to your profile

Many expats, especially young professionals or students, bypass the price of large apartments by opting for other solutions.

To this are added the constraints of the Belgian market: the classic residential lease runs from 3 to 9 years, with a three-month notice period for the tenant, a security deposit of up to three months’ rent for an unfurnished property, and the obligation to register the lease. These elements don’t increase the cost to the owner but require anticipating the length of stay.

Real estate purchase: expensive in the city, more modest elsewhere

For those considering a purchase in the medium term, prices per square meter give an order of magnitude.

Location	Average Price per m² Apartment City Center	Average Price per m² Apartment Outside Center
Brussels	≈ €4,200–4,430	≈ €3,820–3,880
Antwerp	≈ €4,190	≈ €3,150
Belgium (average)	≈ €4,193	≈ €3,215

Nationwide, the square meter is estimated at around €3,050 for an apartment, €2,037 for a house in 2025. Terraced or semi-detached houses trade around €259,500, four-facade houses rather towards €370–395,000.

A purchase involves significant additional costs: registration fees of around 10% (with an exemption on a first portion), 21% VAT for a very recent property, notary fees that can go up to 4%, and agency commission often between 3 and 5%.

Utilities and energy: a heavy expense item

Long neglected in basic budgets, housing utilities have increased sharply. Belgium is now among the European countries where energy is among the most expensive.

For a standard 85 m² apartment (electricity, heating, water, waste), the average monthly bill is around €199 nationally, but the common range is from €150 to €300 depending on the home’s size, insulation, household composition, and city.

Figures for major cities are instructive:

City	Basic Utilities 85 m² / Month
Brussels	about €220–240
Antwerp	about €180–240
Ghent	about €178–220
Liège	about €200–260

Unit prices confirm this level: towards the end of 2023, a kilowatt-hour of gas cost about €0.084, electricity nearly €0.28, above the European average for electricity.

To these utilities add internet access: a fixed connection with at least 60 Mbps and unlimited data is billed around €50 per month, sometimes a bit less in a bundle with TV. Belgium is also known for high internet and telecom tariffs compared to its neighbors.

For a single person, a simple rule of thumb is to budget €120–200 per month for energy + €40–60 for internet/phone. For a family, it’s closer to €250–300 for energy utilities + €50–70 for communication.

Food: a hefty grocery bill, restaurants not cheap

Food often constitutes the largest expense item for a Belgian household, ahead of housing in some statistics, especially if eating out is included.

Groceries: €250–400 per person per month

Expenditure studies show that a typical resident spends about €235 per month on food and non-alcoholic beverages. In practice, budgets vary widely.

For an expat, a realistic benchmark is:

– €250–400 per month for a single person,

– €500–800 for a couple,

– €800–1,200 for a family of four.

The structure of a typical basket gives an idea of the products that weigh the most: about 20% of the budget for meat, 18% for bread and cereals, nearly 12% for milk, cheese, and eggs.

The major chains are well known: Carrefour, Delhaize, Colruyt, Albert Heijn, with discounters like Aldi and Lidl, and organic shops such as Bio‑Planet. Many Belgians living near borders don’t hesitate to shop in France, Germany, or the Netherlands to benefit from slightly lower prices, with estimates indicating that groceries in Brussels are on average 10% more expensive than in these neighboring countries.

Restaurants: a bill that adds up quickly

Dining out quickly adds to the monthly bill. The order of magnitude is fairly homogeneous across the country.

For an expat who often lunches out, the “restaurants” line can easily exceed €200 monthly, especially if you multiply coffees and outings with colleagues.

Transportation: dense network, reasonable costs… except for the car

Regarding transportation, Belgium is rather well positioned relative to its standard of living. The country has a dense rail and urban network covering most needs, allowing many expats to do without a car daily, especially in the city.

Public transport: €49–55 for a monthly pass

In practice, a good portion of residents get by with a standard monthly subscription: around €49 for urban and regional networks, around €55 for a full STIB pass in Brussels after recent indexations.

A single city ticket commonly costs between €2.10 and €2.50, often valid for one hour with unlimited transfers (metro, tram, bus). In Brussels, combined ticket systems like Brupass allow travel on urban networks and suburban trains around the capital for a slightly higher price.

Ultimately, budget studies estimate the average monthly transportation expenditure at about €170 per person, with an important nuance: it rises to €210 in Wallonia, more car-dependent, but is limited to €126 in Brussels, where public transport is denser and car use more restrictive.

Car: a combination of taxes, insurance, and gas

Belgium ranks high in Europe for the cost of car ownership. Recent studies place this expense around €1,100–1,200 per year for an average owner, but this figure doesn’t necessarily reflect the daily life of an expat who drives more or opts for a newer vehicle.

– compulsory liability insurance at €60–125 per month,

– an annual circulation tax whose amount varies by region and engine power,

– fuel around €1.70–1.85 per liter for gasoline or diesel,

– maintenance and repairs, around €200–400 per year,

– city parking, charged €1–3 per hour or €80–150 per month for a resident permit in very sought-after neighborhoods.

Conversely, Belgian highways are free, facilitating intercity or cross-border travel.

For an urban expat, the equation is often simple: a public transport pass for €49–55 and a bike or bike-share system cost much less than a car, not to mention the stress of traffic and parking.

Healthcare system: very high standard, real costs to anticipate

Belgium is regularly ranked among European countries with one of the best healthcare systems. For an expat, this translates to broad coverage… provided they register properly and understand the reimbursement mechanism.

Compulsory public insurance

Anyone residing in Belgium must join a mutual insurance fund (mutualité/ziekenfonds) within 90 days of arrival. This obligation stems from a framework law that established compulsory health insurance; failure to register can lead to fines of up to €2,500 and the obligation to pay for healthcare in full.

In addition to these deductions, each member pays a modest annual contribution to their mutual fund, around €64 per year (i.e., a little over €5 per month), sometimes with a reduced rate for certain profiles.

What is reimbursed… and what is out-of-pocket

The compulsory insurance covers the essentials of basic care: visits to the GP, basic dental care, specialist consultations, hospitalizations, certain medications, maternity, emergencies, etc. But it operates on a partial reimbursement basis: rarely 100% of costs, more often 50 to 75%.

Concretely, a visit to a general practitioner billed around €27–30 will result in an out-of-pocket expense of about €5–6 for the patient, if the doctor applies the agreed-upon rates. For a specialist whose consultation is billed €50 or more, the typical personal contribution is around €12.

The average health budget figures speak volumes: households spend about €82 per person per month on healthcare (excluding social salaries), and insurers largely supplement this via reimbursements.

Value of private supplementary insurance

For an expat, two situations often arise:

– A waiting period: new members may face a delay of several months before being fully covered by the mutual fund. Private international insurance is then highly recommended.

– A need for increased comfort: private hospital room, coverage for certain dental care or alternative medicine, coverage abroad, reduction of co-payments.

Basic private contracts start around €10–20 per month. A more comprehensive plan, including hospitalization in a single room, extended dental care, or international coverage, easily rises to €30–70 monthly. The majority of Belgians have at least hospitalization insurance, sometimes provided by the employer.

Taxation and salaries: decent net, strong tax pressure

The cost of living in Belgium cannot be understood without discussing salaries and tax. The country has one of the heaviest income tax burdens in Europe, but in return, the social safety net and quality of public services remain high.

Progressive tax scale

Income is taxed according to a progressive scale with four brackets:

– 25% on the first bracket,

– 40% on the next bracket,

– 45% on the middle bracket,

– 50% on everything exceeding a threshold around €48–50,000 annually (regularly adjusted threshold).

To this are added:

In practice, for an expat executive earning around €4,000 gross per month (just under €50,000 annually), the net salary after tax and deductions often falls between €2,200 and €2,600 per month, depending on family situation and benefits (company car, group insurance, etc.).

The average gross salary is around €3,800–3,830 monthly, the average net around €2,430–2,460 per month. The legal minimum wage now exceeds €2,100 gross, for a net around €1,600.

Specifics for expats: special regimes and double taxation

Belgium has established a special tax regime for certain “inpatriate” workers and researchers, offering net allowances exempted up to a fraction of salary (up to 30%, and soon 35% without a cap in some cases) to compensate for the additional costs of expatriation. Not all expats are eligible, as strict conditions apply (minimum salary, no prior residence in Belgium, etc.), but for those who benefit, it significantly improves disposable income.

Education and childcare: free in public, very expensive in international schools

For expat families, school and childcare are often decisive expense items. The good news: public education is of decent quality and free, and preschool is accessible from age 2.5. The bad news: international schools, often favored for children who regularly move countries, cost a small fortune.

Childcare: from very affordable to premium

Public daycare centers use a fee scale indexed on income: a day of care can cost less than €3 for a modest household, up to nearly €40 per day for the highest incomes. Ultimately, the monthly bill for a public daycare often varies between €60 and €750 for full-time.

In the private sector, a daycare spot easily reaches €600–800 per month. Other solutions exist:

In Brussels, private nursery structures charge around €568 per month on average, but some international schools offer much more expensive nursery sections.

Schooling: public free, international very costly

Public schools, managed by the linguistic communities, are state-funded. They do not charge tuition fees, only ancillary costs (materials, trips, meals), which remain in the order of a few hundred euros per year per child.

Subsidized private schools charge modest amounts (about €650 per year). In contrast, international schools, particularly numerous in Brussels, follow foreign or international curricula (IB, British, American, European programs) and operate without public subsidies.

The fee scales are impressive:

To this are frequently added non-refundable application fees (from €50 to over €1,000), “capital” or “development” contributions, school transport, cafeteria, paid extracurricular activities, etc. Companies employing high-level expats sometimes cover these costs in the package.

Universities: relatively affordable

In higher education, Belgium is a good deal for student expats compared to other Anglo-Saxon countries. In public universities, tuition fees for European students are around €980–1,100 per year. For non-EU students, fees vary more, generally between €2,500 and €7,500 per year depending on the program.

Business schools and private universities, however, have higher rates, between €10,000 and over €20,000 annually for some master’s programs.

Telecoms, internet, and media: more expensive than you think

Expats are often surprised by the cost of telecommunications in Belgium. A standalone fixed internet connection starts at around €23–30 per month, but most complete packages (high-speed internet and television) are rather between €40 and €90 monthly.

A simple formula for a household is to plan: a balanced budget that accounts for fixed and variable expenses, while ensuring savings for unforeseen events.

In total, the monthly “communication” budget per person comes out around €49 on average, a bit more in Brussels.

Leisure, sports, outings: comfort has a price

One of Belgium’s attractions for expats is its quality of life: dense cultural offerings, gastronomy, bars, festivals, amusement parks, sports clubs, etc. All items that shouldn’t be neglected in the budget.

In practice, we find price levels comparable to other Western European countries:

– movie ticket at €12–14,

– museum entry between €10 and €15,

– amusement park between €30 and €50 per day,

– large gym like Basic‑Fit around €20 per month, premium gyms at €100–180,

– concerts between €30 and €70 per ticket, sporting events €20–100.

For someone who regularly goes to the movies, museums, restaurants, and is a gym member, a leisure budget of €150–250 per month is not excessive.

Regional differences: Brussels, Flanders, Wallonia

Beyond specific prices, the “spending profile” varies from region to region.

In reality, an expat with a comfortable salary and a Brussels-based position will often aim for housing in the Brussels region (center, upscale municipalities, or affluent suburbs like Uccle), placing their budget in the upper national range.

Who pays how much? Sample budgets

To make these figures more concrete, it’s useful to put them in perspective with some typical expat profiles.

Young single professional in Brussels

Assume an employee in the services sector or European institutions, with a net income of €2,500 per month.

A plausible budget, without extravagance but comfortable, could look like this:

– rent for a studio or 1-bedroom outside hypercenter: €900–1,000,

– utilities and energy: €150–180,

– internet + mobile: €60–70,

– groceries: €280–320,

– restaurants / cafes: €150–200,

– public transport (pass): €49–55,

– leisure, sports, cultural outings: €150–200,

– healthcare (excluding social contributions, small co-pays, private insurance): €30–50,

– miscellaneous / clothes / unforeseen: €150–200.

Family of four on the outskirts of Brussels

Take a couple of expats with two children, only one member working full-time with a net around €4,000 (or two salaries totaling this amount). If the children attend an international school in Brussels, the scale changes completely.

In this scenario, the simple total of housing + groceries + schooling already far exceeds €5,500 per month. Without partial coverage of school fees by the employer, the overall bill can become difficult to sustain.

Conversely, a family placing their children in the public system and living in a medium-sized city like Namur or Mons can maintain a very decent standard of living with an overall budget around €3,500–4,000 monthly.

Inflation and outlook: a cost of living under pressure

During 2023–2025, Belgium experienced high inflation, like most of its neighbors. The annual rate reached 4.4% in 2024, before being projected to slow to 2.9% in 2025 and 1.9% in 2026. The impact on the cost of living is already visible: in three years, average annual per-person expenditures have gone from about €18,300 to a projection of over €20,000.

For an expat negotiating a contract, these elements argue for: competitive remuneration, attractive social benefits, appropriate health coverage, coverage of relocation expenses, administrative support, and a good work-life balance.

– asking for remuneration aligned with qualified local salaries (average net salaries being around €2,400–2,500, an experienced professional often positions above €3,000–3,500 net),

– discussing coverage of international school fees, supplementary health insurance, and possibly a housing budget,

– factoring into calculations that current expenses will continue to evolve, even if inflation is expected to slow.

In summary: a high cost of living, but consistent with the level of services

Belgium is neither a low-cost destination nor an “off-ground” country like Switzerland or Luxembourg. The cost of living is high, especially in Brussels and certain sought-after municipalities, and some items – international school, spacious housing, energy, telecoms – really weigh on an expat’s budget.

In return, purchasing power remains decent for those with a qualified local salary, thanks to:

For a well-informed expat, the key is therefore to calibrate your project with full knowledge: choose your city and neighborhood according to your income, decide between local public school and international institution, avoid total dependence on a car if possible, optimize your health coverage and tax situation.

With these parameters correctly anticipated, Belgium offers an attractive compromise: a cost of living that is indeed not negligible, but a level of services and quality of life that, for many, justifies the investment.