Living in Brussels: cost of living, rent and salary
Updated 3 October 2026
In Brussels, a one-bedroom home costs about €1,090 a month. To keep the lifestyle of someone living in London, you need about €2,000 net a month. Here is the rent by type of home, the month’s budget line by line, and the sources.
Work out my budget in Brussels
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 3 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.
Rent in Brussels
A one-bedroom home in Brussels costs about 39% more than the median of the 9 other cities tracked in the country.
| Type of home | Outside sought-after areas |
|---|---|
| Studio | €880 |
| 1 bedroom | €1,090 |
| 2 bedrooms | €1,480 |
| 3-bedroom house | €2,110 |
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).
A month’s budget in Brussels, line by line
For a single person renting a one-bedroom home and keeping the average habits of a household in London, here is what each line would cost in Brussels.
| Item | London | Brussels | Brussels (EUR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | £2,550 | £930 | €1,090 |
| Housing tax | £50 | £0 | €0 |
| Electricity, water, gas | £100 | £110 | €130 |
| Groceries | £200 | £220 | €250 |
| Restaurants and outings | £110 | £130 | €150 |
| Transport | £100 | £60 | €70 |
| Health | £40 | £0 | €0 |
| Phone and internet | £50 | £90 | €100 |
| Sport | £60 | £50 | €60 |
| Clothes | £60 | £70 | €80 |
| Hairdresser and beauty | £40 | £30 | €40 |
| Trips back to London | £0 | £20 | €20 |
| Total per month | £3,350 | £1,710 | €2,000 |
Estimate: lines without an answer take the official average of the departure city, then the destination’s prices. The calculator starts from your real amounts.
Visa, healthcare, school, electricity
These rules are the same across the country: find them on the page Living in Belgium.
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.
Is it expensive to live in Brussels?
In London, a single person spends about £3,350 a month; with the same life in Brussels, it would be about £1,710 (−49%).
Work out my budget in Brussels