3150 gross salary fair enough to live in Brugge area for a couple?

phipiemar wrote:

It could always be better. But lot of families live with it.

For a first job, conditions are honest. Even if you have six years of experience, prove it first. And after few months, try to renegotiate your contract.

Wooot! i got a reply! Thank you alot phipie! Really appreciated your answer!

Well i am considering this, i don't want more than i worth, but at the same time i don't want also throw away my experience i accomplished all these years. I want a fair enough offer.  This is the second offer i got after a short negotiation we had. They say it is anyhow above the market's standards this salary in Belgium and especially in West Flanders. Which i read different data everywhere.

Anyhow can you make me a favour and give me some examples about an average amount per month for:
electricity, gas, water, super market for a couple expenses?

Thank you 

Currylover wrote:

It depends on your housing but you could get a 2 bed and all bill, so long as you are careful with use (like 18 degrees in Winter) and so long as the housing is well insulated, all in and quite nice for around 800 euro a month, with water/gas/electricity making up around 100 euro. It does really depend on your consumption though. All I can say is I have a bigger house and my total combined utility bills for a large family for 200 euro per month.

Thank you Currylover so much! You provided me really useful informations as well! 

Kdargo wrote:

In my case,  2 bedrooms, 100 square meter flat, with bad energetic efficiency ¬450 kWh/mc - 93 eur/month for energy, 30 for water, 39 internet
Temperature is 22C average in the winter.
Energetic efficiency is relevant here, good ones going from 150 kWh/mc

Thank you alot Kdargo! Do you have any clue about the whole proccedure to find a house? They say it takes some time the whole proccedure of finding a house to rent, because landlord choose the tenant between several candidates. Is that right?

Kdargo wrote:

Generally speaking, I noticed that the demand tend to be bigger than offer.  That's why owners can be picky.  And they prefer couples over singles (and some owners are more relaxed renting to Belgians ). 
In the end, all the expats I know  here managed to get a flat, so it's not mission impossible.

Don't be surprised to be rejected under some made up pretense simply because you are a strange and scary foreigner from another EU country.
Your net salary will be very tight, but possible to live on especially since you can reduce your tax by claiming your unemployed husband as your dependent. Check with your payroll office if they are counting him as such.
As others stated, utilities are around 100/month. 65Eur from your employer will cover home internet and two phones. Unless you are calling Greece or other foreign EU country then you pay extra fees.
Finding flat is matter of luck. Some landlords would keep empty flats on the market for 6 to 8 months waiting for some special tenant while losing money. I cannot explain that, but it is a fact of life in Belgium. Be prepared to make a case for yourself or write some assay in order to secure the apartment. Make sure you visited the building and talked to at least one neighbor. My friend got stuck with a severe alcoholic as a neighbor and had to loose his deposit just to move from that place. Rental laws favor landlords in Belgium, be aware of that.
Anecdotally, I had a Greek co-worker in Belgium who quit and returned to Greece because she could not take it any longer over here....