Hello,
Before moving to Belgium, it is important to investigate the cost of living in the country.
As we did in 2015, we give you the opportunity to share your experience and tell us more about products and services average recorded prices in your town/city/area.
Don't hesitate to let us know if the cost of living in Belgium has decreased or increased in the past few years.
Thanks to your help, would-be expatriates will have the opportunity to refine and better prepare their expatriation project.
> How much does it cost to rent an apartment/house in Belgium?
> How much do you pay for your public transport tickets (bus, subway, train, tram)?
> Staple food: what do people eat and how much do they pay for basic food like bread, rice or pasta?
>What is your monthly grocery budget?
> How much does it cost to see a physician/doctor/specialist in Belgium ?
> What is your children's schooling monthly budget?
> How much does it cost to fill up your car's fuel tank?
> How much do you pay for electricity/gas/water etc.?
> How much do you pay for your Internet/phone subscription?
> How much do you pay for your lunch pack on weekdays?
> How much do you pay for an espresso coffee?
> How much do you pay for a cinema ticket?
> How much does a gym membership cost in Belgium?
Thank you everyone!
Priscilla
Cost of living in Belgium - 2017
I find this website NUMBEO quite accurate for cost of living in Brussels especially because each item has price range so you can assess best and worst case options.
Well, here it goes:
City: Brussels
Number of people: Family of 4.
> How much does it cost to rent an apartment/house in Belgium?
Rent: 950 euros/month - Charges: 175 euros/month - Parking: 100 euros/month.
P.S: Charges i pay, includes water.
> How much do you pay for your public transport tickets (bus, subway, train, tram)?
50 euros/month (but uses car mostly)
> Staple food: what do people eat and how much do they pay for basic food like bread, rice or pasta?
Bread: 15 euros/month - Pasta: 10 euros/month - Rice: 25 euros/month
>What is your monthly grocery budget?
Budget: 300 euros / month
> How much does it cost to see a physician/doctor/specialist in Belgium ?
Family doctor: 20 euros per appointment.
Generalist: 38 euros per appointment.
Specialist: between 50 euros to 100 euros per appointment.
> What is your children's schooling monthly budget?
Schooling: 150 euros per month.
> How much does it cost to fill up your car's fuel tank?
Fuel: 140 euros / month
> How much do you pay for electricity/gas/water etc.?
Energy: 120 euros / month (electricity and gas) - water --> see 1st answer.
> How much do you pay for your Internet/phone subscription?
50 euros for just internet (fiber)
> How much do you pay for your lunch pack on weekdays?
50 euros.
> How much do you pay for an espresso coffee?
I dont drink espresso coffee, my coffee with creamer and sugar cost: 15 euros/month.
> How much do you pay for a cinema ticket?
12 euros per ticket
> How much does a gym membership cost in Belgium?
25 euros per month.
Quite accurate!
Living in the region of Liège, here is my estimate of the cost of living:
> What do you pay for a rental in Belgium? 600 € (charges included) for a house with two bedrooms
> What are the rates for public transport? +/- 60 € per month
> What are the basic foods and how much do they cost (bread, rice, pasta ...)? As soon as you shop smartly, you can save money. It is necessary to take advantage of discount stores such as ALDI-LIDL-COLRUYT ... Borders will always tell you that shopping is cheaper on the other side of the border, it is possible but ...
> What monthly budget do you spend on food? +/- 500 € for three adults and two children
> How much does a consultation with a GP / specialist in Belgium cost? Since Belgium applies a different system from France, there is always a "tier-payant" charge for the patient. This is why almost all Belgians take a complementary mutual. The cost of this supplement is much lower than that of France. This site gives an overview of the system http://www.belgique-infos.be/
> What is the monthly budget for your children's schooling? Two children (12 years and 2 years) about 100 €
> How much does one gasoline cost?
Super 95 - E10 = 1.4870 € / l
Super 98 = 1.5490 € / l
Diesel = 1.3330 € / l
LPG = 0.5430 € / l
> What is the cost of electricity or gas? It is difficult to estimate because no one has the same consumption. With an all electric house, I turn to 200 € / month. And there are so many different suppliers with various offers. The easiest is to look at this site http://www.monenergie.be/
> How much do you pay for your Internet and telephone subscription? Professional internet-TV-set package 65 € / month
> How much do you spend on lunch during your meal break during the week? Nothing since I consume the rest of the dinner the day before ...
> What is the price of an espresso coffee? From 2 € to 2.5 € depending on the establishment
> How much does a cinema place cost? 18 € in the kinepolis
> What is the price of a subscription to a sports club in Belgium? Basic-fit 240 € / year
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