Belgium is one of the best countries to visit in Europe, and many people even move to the country as a result of visiting. Contact online >>
Belgium is one of the best countries to visit in Europe, and many people even move to the country as a result of visiting.
If you are considering moving to Belgium, you may want to learn a bit more about the living cost in Belgium.
It’s particularly important in today’s world post-pandemic where there is a cost of living crisis in most countries.
Without further ado, let’s get into it.
Naturally, the living cost in Belgium varies depending on where you choose to live. Living in an apartment in central Brussels is going to have a different cost to living in an apartment in Flanders.
To give a fair reflection, I will give an average across the whole of Belgium, and where possible, give averages for specific regions where there are huge discrepancies, such as housing.
I’ve broken the living cost in Belgium down into lots of categories ranging from utilities to gym memberships. It covers pretty much everything most people would consider the “essentials”.
Speaking overall though, a family of four’s estimated monthly costs (without rent) are approximately €3,000.
A single person without rent will likely spend approximately €850 on the cost of living each month.
But let’s break that down a bit further…
Across the whole of Belgium, the average price for a house in Belgium was €281,705 in 2021. It continued to rise throughout the first half of 2022 but unfortunately, I can’t find any data. But in better news, the cost of housing is expected to go down slightly throughout 2023.
If you are renting, here are the average prices for a 1-bedroom apartment in the city centre in the most popular cities in Belgium.
As you can see, living outside the capital makes it considerably cheaper. Brussels is more than worth visiting, but is it worth paying extra to live there? That’s up to you. Personally, I think living in Liege for Liege waffles would also be a pretty good selling point haha.
If you are debating between buying and renting, it probably depends on how long you intend to stay in Belgium. I would only suggest buying if you plan to stay for at least 6-7 years, otherwise, it’s not worth it and you’re better just renting.
But don’t worry if you have negative opinions about renting, it’s much better in Belgium than in the likes of the US or the UK. Tenants have much more freedom and can redecorate and improve the property in a much easier fashion. And lease agreements are usually longer too.
Of course, there’s no universal answer to how much you will spend on utilities. It depends on how careful or relaxed you are to turn on the heating, or how many devices you leave charging overnight etc.
But on average, the cost of utilities in Belgium will be between €150-250 each month. There are slight discrepancies depending on where you live, but only €20 or so a month- nothing huge.
For reference, I am counting electricity, water, and gas as utility bills. And some rent will include these utilities, but do the Maths beforehand. For some leases, it would work out cheaper to pay utilities for yourself.
Home Insurance isn’t too expensive in Belgium, which is good news. You can expect to pay around €150 a year, so it doesn’t work out too bad when you break it down monthly, especially since it is a requirement for most mortgage lenders.
The €150 estimate I provided includes pretty much everything from buildings and contents. You can use this Belgian Home insurance calculator to find a personalised estimate for you.
Of course, one of the key elements of the living cost in Belgium is food. The most popular supermarket chain in Belgium is Carrefour. Prices are pretty in-line with the rest of Europe. For example, a litre of milk will cost €1, a loaf of bread will cost just under €2, and a 12-box of eggs will cost just under €3.
How much you would spend on food depends on how you like to eat. If you buy the big brands, compared to the supermarket’s own brands, you will spend more. Of course, it’s personal preference, but it will have a big impact on the price of food.
So that’s why I’ve put a huge range in this for how much people spend on food each month. You can expect to spend anywhere from €400-800 a month on food. I’m only counting this as food bought for the household, and not on restaurants or takeaway food like these 2 examples below.
Everyone wants to have a bit of fun every now and again right? So I’ve factored in the cost of some activities in Belgium which you might want to do once or twice a month. Here are some examples 🙂
And you want some entertainment at home too of course. So here are the prices of some streaming services in Belgium.
Unfortunately, it’s pretty hard to get public transport for a good price in Belgium, or at least on a monthly pass anyway. There are 3 different bus companies in Belgium, for example, and each covers a different route. There’s no one universal company.
If you prefer to drive for yourself, the cost of a car in Belgium depends obviously on so many factors. So much so that I can’t even give an estimate. A 15-year-old Skoda is going to cost a lot less than a 1-year-old Range Rover.
Healthcare in Belgium is paid for through health insurance. If you are employed in Belgium, 13% of your income will go to social contributions, of which healthcare is one.
For those who are self-employed, unfortunately, it’s a bit more, coming in at around 20% for public health insurance.
Regardless, it’s a necessity and a must-pay. Health is wealth and it’s better to be safe than sorry.
If you are heading to university, tuition fees depend on where you come from. If you are an EU student, your fees are under €1000 on average, which is exceptional. Unfortunately, non-EU students can pay anywhere up to over €10,000 a year.
It’s important to stay fit, especially in Belgium where you are constantly surrounded by delicious chocolate and waffles. For a fitness club or gym membership, the average price would be just under €30 a month for an adult.
The price of a phone itself is pretty universal, iPhones for example cost the same pretty much everywhere. For SIM cards, you can get unlimited data, calls, texts etc. every month, for €25 in and around.
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