Living in Belgium: cost of living, rents and the salary you need

Updated 2 October 2026

How much do you need to earn to live in Belgium? Here are rents in the main cities, the minimum wage, healthcare, residence permits and moving costs, with the official source of every figure. For your own case, the calculator starts from your real budget, in your city, and moves it to Belgium.

Work out my budget in Belgium

Example: the same life, elsewhere

A single person living in London in a one-bedroom home, with the average spending of a similar household, spends about £3,350 a month. To keep the same life in Brussels, they would need about €2,000 net a month locally (−49%), i.e. 0.9 times the Belgian minimum wage.

For a couple with two children in a two-bedroom home (state school), it would take about €3,450 net a month in Brussels, i.e. 1.5 times the Belgian minimum wage.

Calculated on 2 October 2026 with the official averages of London and the destination’s prices. Yours depends on your city, home and habits: the calculator works it out in a few minutes, no sign-up.

Rents in Belgium

City	Studio	1 bedroom	2 bedrooms	3-bedroom house
Brussels	€880	€1,090	€1,480	€2,110
Ixelles	€960	€1,180	€1,610	€2,290
Antwerp	€730	€900	€1,060	€1,310
Ghent	€720	€890	€1,050	€1,200
Liège	€510	€660	€780	€870
Charleroi	€510	€620	€730	€800
Bruges	€670	€780	€920	€960
Namur	€620	€780	€920	€930
Leuven	€790	€1,010	€1,190	€1,400
Mons	€580	€720	€850	€930

Monthly rent in EUR, outside the most sought-after areas. Studio 28 m², 1 bedroom 45 m², 2 bedrooms 65 m², house 95 m² where rent is known per m². Federia and CIB rental barometers with Korfine: rents of new leases signed through an estate agent in the first half of 2026, by municipality and type of home, updated with the Eurostat rent index (August 2026).

Wages

The Belgian minimum wage is €2,230 net a month (€2,230 gross).

The work bonus cancels the employee’s social security contributions at this wage level; income tax withheld at source is not deducted.

Average wage: €4,080 gross a month.

Median wage: €3,730 gross a month.

Healthcare

Join a health insurance fund as soon as you arrive: with a job, cover is included in your salary contributions; without a job, you register as a resident.

In the example above: with a job, public health insurance is deducted from your salary: nothing more to pay.

Visa and residence permit

Outside Europe, apply for the D visa at the embassy together with the Immigration Office fee, then register with the town hall on arrival. Europeans simply register with the town hall.

Cost: €400 per person (€250 per child).

D visa and Immigration Office fee.

There is no visa to live on income from abroad: you need a local job, unless your nationality is exempt.

Moving in and everyday life

Deposit: 2 to 3 months’ rent, depending on the region
Agency fees: No fees for the tenant
School: Free state school
Electricity: €0.35 per kWh
Home cleaning: €10 an hour

Frequently asked questions

What salary do you need to live in Brussels?

For a single person keeping the same life as in London: about €2,000 net a month, i.e. 0.9 times the Belgian minimum wage.

How much is rent in Brussels?

About €1,090 a month for a one-bedroom home and €1,480 for a two-bedroom home, according to Federia and CIB rental barometers with Korfine.

Do you need a residence permit to live in Belgium?

Outside Europe, apply for the D visa at the embassy together with the Immigration Office fee, then register with the town hall on arrival. Europeans simply register with the town hall. Cost: €400 per person (€250 per child).