Brussels – the European Union capital – is a wonderful place for young professionals seeking work experience. It offers a versatile pool of opportunities for people with different skills, knowledge and language abilities. The city has a lot to offer to anyone willing to embrace it and dive deep into the Belgian world. As an EU hub, the city attracts thousands of expats seeking jobs and jump-starting their careers. I am one of those people.
Having lived in the Netherlands for eight years, I expected prices in Brussels to be similar.
I was surprised when I discovered that in some cases Belgium is cheaper than the Netherlands.
However, it is important to do research before moving and explore the cost of living in the city. This post will break down the cost of living in Brussels and include key points to take into considerations such as groceries, housing, and transportation.
Groceries
Grocery prices in Brussels depend a great deal on which supermarket you visit. German and French chains are the most prevalent, For instance, if you decide to buy groceries from the French Carrefour Express, then it is highly likely you would be paying more than picking Carrefour Market or the Belgium-based Colruyt chain, for example. Carrefour Express is a convenience store which is always pricier than Carrefour Market, which is a normal supermarket. You pay for convenience. The French chain Delhaize tends to carry more delicacies but tends to be pricy.
In addition, Carrefour Express is usually open on Sundays when almost no Belgian enterprises work. To add to this, there are other foreign supermarkets (e.g. Turkish, Asian, etc.) which are open on Sundays.
Concerning pricing for a single person, 200-to-250 euros per week may be enough if you’re on a tight budget. You can do your groceries at Colruyt, or at the German giants Aldi or Lidl and not spend too much money. Your monthly expenses, however, will also depend on your diet.
If you are vegetarian, you’re going to spend less money because meat (particularly beef) and fish are expensive.
Dining out and entertainment
Depending on the location of the restaurant where you would like to dine in, the prices will be different. Of course, the tourist traps in the Grand Place and city centre will be much more expensive than restaurants in neighbourhoods such as Schaarbeek or Ixelles. For instance, eating out for two people can cost between 50 and 100 euros depending not only on the location of the restaurant but also on the type of food.
Depending on what you drink, the price will either go up or down. Cocktails are always pricier than beer/wine, so cocktail lovers should know that indulging in this, will have an impact on their wallet. Beer is generally the same price or even cheaper than soft drinks.
Regarding entertainment, I think museums are a bit less expensive in Brussels than in the Netherlands For instance, the admission fee for the Museum of Comic Art is 13 euros per person for adults. Similarly, the ticket price for Autoworld is 15 euros for an adult. I would say that museum tickets range between 10 and 20 euro while to enter museums in Amsterdam or Den Haag, the price could go way above 20 euro, especially for special shows such as last year’s Vermeer show at the Rijksmuseum.
Going to the movie theatre to watch a movie, or seeing a play, in Brussels costs about 13 euros. The play we attended was in English and therefore cost 20 euros, but I think it was worth it. In its essence, these types of cultural events are not for everyone but if you’re into that kind of things, there are some really interesting exhibitions and opportunities to explore culture in Brussels for a reasonable price. Moreover, there are often free things going on around the city such as an exhibition in the city centre focusing on Art Nouveau that is open to the public.
Travel Expenses
Public transport in Brussels is rather accessible in terms of pricing, and it is reliable. If you take the metro, you’ll rarely have to sit in traffic jams. However, if you have a car, there is a whole different picture. Paying for a one-month subscription is about 50 euros and it will give you access to all lines within the Brussels region.
If you have a car and you would like to use it, you have to consider the prices of fuel. In Belgium, you have to pay 1.59 euro for gasoline and 1.66 euros for diesel which is more expensive than Luxembourg where you pay 1.51 euro for gasoline and 1.45 euro for diesel but cheaper than Denmark (1.97 for diesel and 1.75 for gasoline), according to Cargopedia.
If you would like to use a bike in Brussels specifically, I think the best thing to do is to have an electric bike or a bike with gears. Brussels has too many hills to bike without a battery or gears.
Now, the train in Belgium is quite cheap, and going on day trips is extremely accessible because during the weekends you can benefit from purchasing tickets with a 50-percent discount. In my opinion, this is a way to encourage people to use less their cars and take the train more.
See my post here about getting a MOBIB public transport card.
Housing
Prices can differ depending on which Brussels neighbourhood you live in. For example, depending on your preferred area, you could pay between 1,000 euros and 1,500 euros for a one-bedroom apartment. Now, depending on the number of bedrooms, the price will go up.
It is also important to know that the renting price will depend on the neighbourhood. One-bedroom apartment in Ixelles or Etterbeek may cost 1,200 euros while in other parts of Brussels, it may be even 900 euros. With regard to renting a single room between 10 and 20 square meters, the rent can vary from 300 to 600 euros.
It’s important to note that most rental contracts in Belgium require a deposit of two to three months’ rent, and additional costs such as insurance and property taxes may apply.
Utilities
The basic utilities that include electricity, heating, cooling and water are approximately 100 euro for two people. In addition, if you would like to purchase a mobile phone monthly plan with calls and Internet, that could be approximately 15-20 euros depending on the mobile provider you pick. I have been using Mobile Vikings and I have unlimited calls and 15 gigabytes of Internet for 15 euros per month.
Of course, the Internet is super important, especially if you work from home and the price is about 50 euros.
To sum up, living in Brussels offers a unique blend of cultural activities and professional aspects. While the cost of living can be high in some respects such as housing, there are ways of managing expenses by shopping wisely and managing entertainment expenses.
Groceries and utilities can be affordable if you know which stores and providers to pick, and public transport is a reliable and economical way to navigate through the city.
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Read more about Brussels here in Dispatches’ archives.
Polya Pencheva
Polya Plamenova Pencheva is a young Bulgarian journalist based in Brussels, Belgium. Polya holds a Master's degree in journalism from Rijksuniversiteit Groningen and loves writing and telling the untold stories of interesting people. You can find her dining at cute café, shopping at markets, scouting second-hand shops or just chillin' at home with something great to read.
