Cost of Living in Brussels?

Question

HI all, I will be moving to brussels shortly on a 3 yr business stay. Could some locals or other expats discuss some of your expenses. I will be a low level employee of a large accounting firm, so I am concerned about my costs. What can I expect to pay in rent for a nice apt in a nice area that is near to gym, stores etc. I figure if im going to meet people, id like to live in a busier place, im only 24.

Yes it is very helpful, thankyou. The company will provide me with a compnay car, so car insurance is covered. I wonder if I will even need cable tv since I only speak English. I am a bit of a tv nut, when im at home that is. Should I look into other tv options?? Or I can use my laptop. How much will wireless cost?

Answer 1

Hello!

Welcome to Brussels! I hope you're going to have a pleasant stay here...
I've been living here for 5 years now and enjoying every hour of it.
Brussels is quite inexpensive compared to other european capitals. Especially when it comes to rent and nightlife.

Most appartments with one bedroom will cost about 700 euros or more a month, but you can easily find something less expensive if you look around a little. Aim for something around 500 euros...
You can find something around 200-300 euros if you are willing to share a bathroom or kitchen with somebody else.
Areas where a lot of expats live, like Luxembourg, Schumann, le Sablon... will be more expensive. The rent, the gym, going out... everything except groceries really.

I'm living in Ixelles, a nice, very diverse neighborhood just outside of the city center and I love it. There's a lot of young people living here, I'm close to everything (public transportation is very very good), there's a park (there's quite a lot of them in Brussels), a great cultural centre, lots of shops...
The city center is good too. And there's a lot of young people in Schaarbeek.
I'm 23 and still studying so I don't have a lot of money to spend. I share a house with some people and pay 250 euros, charges included.
I spend about 20 to 30 euros a week on groceries. The rest of my money goes to going out... :-)
A regular beer costs only 1 euro 60, a special beer (from monasteries) will be around 3 euros. (<= try them all, we have over 500 varieties!) Most places don't charge entrance fees. Going to the theater or the cinema costs somewhere in between 5 euros and 9 euros. To concerts, somewhere in between 0 and 25 euros.
A bus ticket is 1.50, but you can get 10 for 10 euros.
If you want to have dinner somewhere you'll pay (drinks included):
-around 5 euros in a snackbar
-around 10-15 euros in a brasserie/tavern
-around 20-30 euros in a nice restaurant
-around 40-50 euros in a fancy restaurant

To me the best places to go for a drink are in the Bourse-area, but it all depends on what you like...

If you have questions, ask them here or send me a mail.

Cheers!

Answer 2

First of you will be welcome in Brussels. In case you have any questions about Belgium, the best site to post questions is www.xpats.be (Q&A section). This is the best xpat site in Europe I think.

If you are not on a xpat contract the taxes will take away 45% of your gross salary.


Anyway, there are 19 communes in Brussels and the cost of rent differs depending which commune you choose to live in. I would say in average 500-600 EUR rent + ca 100 EUR charges should be enough for a 1 bedroom flat in a middle level commune like (Evere or Scharbeeck). Before you rent the house make sure how the rush hour traffic looks to and from your office. Because a traffic on weekend can be very deceiving.

The costs I mention below will depend on your lifestyle of course.

We are a young couple and we spend around 60-75 EUR/week for groceries. (mainly going to Carrefour).

120 EUR/year for cable TV
50 EUR/month telephone
1000 EUR/year having a car (insurance + tax)
100 EUR/month fuel
30 EUR/month electricity
50-60 EUR/month gym
100-150 EUR/year (speeding tickets, parking tickets,...)

2-2,5 EUR cup of coffee in a cafe or bar
20-25 EUR a dinner in a restaurant (without drinks)
3-5 EUR having a snack in the city center

I hope this is helpful.

Additional info: Flemish channels in Belgium show movies and some shows with subtitles and BBC 1 and 2 and CNN come from the cable. I can recommend installing a satellite. It would cost around 100-150 EUR. ADSL broadband connection costs around 30-35 EUR/month.