How Belgium compares across key indices
Cost of Living
81 vs NYC
100 = NYC
Safety Index
85/100
Healthcare
75/100
Quality of Life
164/200
How far your money goes in Belgium
Cost of Living
81
100 = NYC baseline
Rent Index
61
100 = NYC rent
Groceries
81
100 = NYC groceries
Restaurant Prices
85
100 = NYC dining
How safe residents feel in Belgium - based on surveys of people living there
Safety Index
85/100
Crime Index
25/100
Lower is better
0 point drop from day to night
Belgium has 223 modeled cities; this view starts with 40 curated or popular options. Monthly costs for a single person range from $1,612 in Saint-Gilles to $2,085 in Brussels. Gent leads on safety, scoring 85/100. Verviers ranks highest for quality of life at 163/200.
Saint-Gilles
$1,612/mo
Gent
85/100
Verviers
163/200
Brussels
85/100
| City | Monthly Cost | Safety | Quality of Life | Healthcare | Pollution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brussels | $2,085 | 81/100 | 159/200 | 85/100 | 29 |
| Antwerpen | $1,814 | 84/100 | 161/200 | 78/100 | 24 |
| Gent | $1,755 | 85/100 | 162/200 | 76/100 | 21 |
| Charleroi | $1,730 | 85/100 | 162/200 | 75/100 | 20 |
| Liège | $1,728 | 85/100 | 162/200 | 75/100 | 20 |
| Anderlecht | $1,712 | 85/100 | 162/200 | 74/100 | 19 |
| Schaerbeek | $1,696 | 85/100 | 162/200 | 74/100 | 18 |
| Brugge | $1,685 | 85/100 | 162/200 | 73/100 | 18 |
| Namur | $1,680 | 85/100 | 162/200 | 73/100 | 18 |
| Leuven | $1,673 | 85/100 | 162/200 | 73/100 | 17 |
| Molenbeek-Saint-Jean | $1,669 | 85/100 | 162/200 | 73/100 | 17 |
| Mons | $1,667 | 85/100 | 162/200 | 73/100 | 17 |
| Ixelles | $1,659 | 85/100 | 162/200 | 72/100 | 17 |
| Uccle | $1,655 | 85/100 | 162/200 | 72/100 | 16 |
| Deurne | $1,651 | 85/100 | 163/200 | 72/100 | 16 |
| Hasselt | $1,650 | 85/100 | 162/200 | 72/100 | 16 |
| Aalst | $1,650 | 85/100 | 163/200 | 72/100 | 16 |
| Mechelen | $1,650 | 85/100 | 163/200 | 72/100 | 16 |
| La Louvière | $1,648 | 85/100 | 163/200 | 72/100 | 16 |
| Kortrijk | $1,646 | 85/100 | 163/200 | 72/100 | 16 |
| Tournai | $1,641 | 85/100 | 163/200 | 72/100 | 16 |
| Ostend | $1,639 | 85/100 | 163/200 | 72/100 | 16 |
| Sint-Niklaas | $1,639 | 85/100 | 163/200 | 72/100 | 16 |
| Genk | $1,633 | 85/100 | 163/200 | 71/100 | 15 |
| Seraing | $1,628 | 85/100 | 163/200 | 71/100 | 15 |
| Woluwe-Saint-Lambert | $1,623 | 85/100 | 163/200 | 71/100 | 15 |
| Forest | $1,623 | 85/100 | 163/200 | 71/100 | 15 |
| Roeselare | $1,621 | 85/100 | 163/200 | 71/100 | 15 |
| Verviers | $1,617 | 85/100 | 163/200 | 71/100 | 15 |
| Jette | $1,616 | 85/100 | 163/200 | 71/100 | 15 |
| Mouscron | $1,616 | 85/100 | 163/200 | 71/100 | 15 |
| Saint-Gilles | $1,612 | 85/100 | 163/200 | 71/100 | 14 |
| Etterbeek | $1,612 | 85/100 | 163/200 | 71/100 | 14 |
| Borgerhout | $1,612 | 85/100 | 163/200 | 71/100 | 14 |
| Dendermonde | $1,612 | 85/100 | 163/200 | 71/100 | 14 |
| Beveren | $1,612 | 85/100 | 163/200 | 71/100 | 14 |
| Merksem | $1,612 | 85/100 | 163/200 | 71/100 | 14 |
| Turnhout | $1,612 | 85/100 | 163/200 | 71/100 | 14 |
| Berchem | $1,612 | 85/100 | 163/200 | 71/100 | 14 |
| Evere | $1,612 | 85/100 | 163/200 | 71/100 | 14 |
Freedom Abroad estimates are modeled for a single person including rent. Pollution: lower score = cleaner air. Click column headers to sort.
Compare Cities Side by Side
Detailed comparison of cost of living, safety, and quality of life
Verified school profiles for families comparing language model, grade range, credentials, and admissions next steps in Belgium. Tuition appears only when published in verified public sources.
28
Verified records
9
Cities covered
8
Credential signals
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Ages and grades
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Ages and grades
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Ages and grades
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Brussels
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Zaventem
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Ages and grades
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International curriculum
Tuition
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Ages and grades
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High school
Tuition
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Ages and grades
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Ages and grades
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Brussels
Ages and grades
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High school
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Flanders
Ages and grades
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Ages and grades
Ages vary by program
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Ages and grades
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Waterloo
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Shape
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Brussels
Ages and grades
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Tuition
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Ages and grades
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High school
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Ages and grades
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High school
Tuition
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School records are maintained from direct school pages, public credential directories, public registry claims, and carefully labeled directory/community sources. Admissions, seat availability, and tuition can change quickly, so Freedom Abroad treats unpublished costs as “Contact school” instead of estimating.
Healthcare system overview for Belgium
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Air quality, water, and environmental conditions in Belgium
Pollution Index
22/100
Lower is better
PM2.5
11.2ug/m3
Good
Based on 0 survey responses. Perception scores are 0–100 where higher is better unless noted.
Common questions about living in Belgium, answered with data
Belgium has a cost of living index of 81 relative to New York City (100). It is comparable in cost to most US cities. Monthly costs for a single person start around $1,673 in Leuven and reach $2,085 in Brussels.
Leuven is the most affordable city in Belgium in Freedom Abroad estimates, with estimated monthly costs of $1,673 for a single person including rent. Namur is the next most affordable at $1,680/mo.
Belgium has a safety index of 85/100, making it very safe for expats and travellers. Among cities with data, Gent scores highest on safety at 85/100.
Brugge ranks highest for quality of life in Belgium, scoring 162/200 in Freedom Abroad's modeled quality-of-life estimate. Monthly costs there run around $1,685/mo for a single person. For budget-conscious expats, Leuven offers the lowest monthly costs at $1,673/mo.
Belgium scores 75/100 in Freedom Abroad's modeled healthcare estimate, making it good by global standards. This estimate reflects open public indicators for health outcomes and system capacity.
Belgium has a pollution index of 22/100 (lower = cleaner). This is relatively clean by global standards, making it appealing for those prioritising air quality and outdoor lifestyle.
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Cost of living, safety, school, and quality-of-life figures on this page are Freedom Abroad estimates or verified public records modeled from open sources. Data sources
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