Brussels has the cheapest average monthly rent compared to neighbouring capital cities. But how does it compare when looking at other cost-of-living indicators?
Deutsche Bank recently published its annual Mapping the World's Prices report. The data, which compares quality of life and rental costs for 69 cities, comes mostly from the crowdsourcing website Numbeo.
Using this same data, how do neighbouring capital cities compare to Brussels on the cost of living? We look at comparisons to London, Paris, Amsterdam, Luxembourg and Berlin to see which city is the most affordable. The data compares 2019 to 2024.
The most expensive place for basic utilities (electricity, heating, water, and rubbish) in 2024 was Berlin. However, these costs have increased the most in Brussels, up 81% since 2019.
The average monthly cost of basic utilities in Brussels in 2019 was €129.94, in 2024 it had increased to €234.70.
While in Brussels the cost of basic utilities has increased the most, across the six cities it is one of the lowest and is still cheaper than the cost in Berlin back in 2019.
But Brussels remains the cheapest city of the six to rent a 1-bedroom in the city centre, at €1114.72. The highest is London at €2151.79.
In Brussels, the price has increased 32% since 2019, when it was just €844.31, but it has increased the most (38%) in Berlin.
Have net salaries kept pace with these changes? Since 2019, the average monthly net wage has increased the fastest in London, going from €2387.61 to €3467.55 in 2024.
Brussels had the lowest average net salary of the six, coming in at €2766.03 a month in 2024. It has also increased the slowest at 20% between 2019 to 2024.
Only in Paris and Luxembourg have net salary increases outpaced the rise in the cost of basic utilities. This is the source of the cost-of-living crisis that has gripped Europe since the Covid-19 pandemic, where wages have failed to keep pace with basic utilities and other costs.
Perhaps in response, some cities have adjusted the cost of travel. A monthly travel pass is down 10% in Amsterdam and 28% in Berlin. Public transport in Luxembourg is also now free compared to 2019.
Assuming you rent, Numbeo notes that you would need to earn €1157.89 more (net) in London to maintain the same standard of living you can have in Brussels. This is based on the average net monthly salary of €2,939 for Brussels as of August 2025.
Meanwhile, earning the average net monthly salary in Amsterdam, Luxembourg, or Berlin would see you having a higher standard of living than Brussels.
In one area, London beats out the rest - the cost of a "McMeal" would have set you back €8.20 in 2024. Even in 2019, none of the other capital cities could beat that price.
