Brussels vs Chicago - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Brussels Chicago
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2028
$2799
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$4874
$6454
🏠 One person rent
$1133
$1702
🏘️ Family rent
$1958
$2727
🍽️ Food expenses
$649
$702
🚐 Transport expenses
$97.4
$204
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$3458
$5210
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
11 km
15 km
🎓 Higher education
96
100
😀 Quality of life
91
97
🏙️ Population
196K
2.75M

The cost of living in Brussels is 28% less expensive than in Chicago. Cities ranked 1913th and 394th ($2028 vs $2799) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 1st and 338th in Belgium and the United States, respectively. Check Belgium vs the United States comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.7 months in Brussels compared to 1.9 months in Chicago. Brussels ranked 1st best city to live in Belgium vs Chicago ranked 2nd in the United States, while ranked 165th and 16th among best cities to live in the world.

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Prices in Brussels vs Chicago

Prices for goods and services in Brussels and Chicago are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Brussels Chicago
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$25.6
$19.2
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$77.4
$86.5
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$14.1
$12
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$6.38
$7.36
☕ Cappuccino
$4.55
$5.6
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$3.18
$2.99
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1090
$1993
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$879
$1414
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1983
$3215
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1587
$2313
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$155
$108
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$235
$168
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$57.3
$64.8
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
3.23%
6.77%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$4704
$3645
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3801
$2499
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.93
$2.48
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$63.9
$74.8
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$26.7
$17
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.95
$1.01
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.63
$1.08
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$2.66
$4.01
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.66
$4.93
🥚 Eggs, x12
$4.86
$5.3
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$16.2
$14.4
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.7
$14.3
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$19.7
$18.8
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.95
$5.04
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.58
$1.8
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.55
$4.11
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.7
$4.56
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.45
$2.37
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.5
$2.76
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.76
$1.79
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.57
$3.14
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$9.21
$16.7
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.34
$2.81
🚬 Cigarette pack
$13.2
$16.5
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$10.4
$12.8
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$5.07
$7
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$2.49
$3.84
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$3.32
$2.14
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$41.7
$68.2
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$15.2
$17.1
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$37.9
$135
💇 Haircut, simple
$28.8
$28.7
👖 Brand Jeans
$102
$61.8
👟 Brand Sneakers
$104
$94.8
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$1055
$2032
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$22658
$23423

Cost of living in other countries

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Brussels

Distance City Cost of living
3.2 km or 2 mi Schaerbeek
$1854
3.3 km or 2.1 mi Saint-Gilles
$1876
4 km or 2.5 mi Anderlecht
$1889
4.2 km or 2.6 mi Forest
$1931
4.5 km or 2.8 mi Woluwe-Saint-Lambert
$1758
6.2 km or 3.8 mi Watermael-Boitsfort
$1847
7.3 km or 4.6 mi Dilbeek
$1858
10 km or 6.3 mi Sint-Pieters-Leeuw
$1870
10 km or 6.4 mi Vilvoorde
$1732
11 km or 6.8 mi Tervuren
$1845
15 km or 9 mi Overijse
$1816
15 km or 9.1 mi Waterloo
$2025
15 km or 9.1 mi Halle
$1835
17 km or 11 mi Zemst
$1791
19 km or 12 mi Braine-l'Alleud
$1863
19 km or 12 mi Rixensart
$1787
21 km or 13 mi Mechelen
$1835
21 km or 13 mi Tubize
$1801
23 km or 14 mi Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve
$1806
23 km or 14 mi Wavre
$1745
23 km or 15 mi Herent
$1823
24 km or 15 mi Ninove
$1768
24 km or 15 mi Aalst
$1846
25 km or 15 mi Leuven
$1867
26 km or 16 mi Dendermonde
$1571
28 km or 17 mi Nivelles
$1648
31 km or 20 mi Braine-le-Comte
$1746
35 km or 22 mi Lier
$1737
35 km or 22 mi Geraardsbergen
$1657
36 km or 23 mi Heist-op-den-Berg
$1830
37 km or 23 mi Mortsel
$1696
37 km or 23 mi Aarschot
$1794
37 km or 23 mi Soignies
$1722
38 km or 23 mi Zottegem
$1724
38 km or 24 mi Lokeren
$1745
38 km or 24 mi Sint-Niklaas
$1671
40 km or 25 mi Gembloux
$1867
40 km or 25 mi Beveren
$1804
41 km or 26 mi Tienen
$1666
41 km or 26 mi Antwerp
$1818

Cities near Chicago

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 7 mi Cicero
$2384
14 km or 8.8 mi Berwyn
$2360
14 km or 8.9 mi Oak Park
$2396
16 km or 10 mi Elmwood Park
$2386
18 km or 11 mi Maywood
$2367
18 km or 11 mi Evanston
$2202
19 km or 12 mi Skokie
$2287
19 km or 12 mi Burbank
$2393
20 km or 12 mi Melrose Park
$2385
21 km or 13 mi Oak Lawn
$2399
22 km or 14 mi Morton Grove
$2366
22 km or 14 mi Niles
$2400
23 km or 14 mi Park Ridge
$2426
23 km or 14 mi Wilmette
$2288
25 km or 16 mi Blue Island
$2398
26 km or 16 mi Elmhurst
$2406
27 km or 17 mi Glenview
$2405
28 km or 17 mi Des Plaines
$2549
28 km or 18 mi Dolton
$2393
29 km or 18 mi Villa Park
$2413
30 km or 19 mi Harvey
$2395
30 km or 19 mi East Chicago
$2030
30 km or 19 mi Westmont
$2327
31 km or 19 mi Calumet
$2392
31 km or 20 mi South Holland
$2379
32 km or 20 mi Lombard
$2462
32 km or 20 mi Hammond
$2008
32 km or 20 mi Oak Forest
$2388
33 km or 20 mi Northbrook
$2399
33 km or 20 mi Mount Prospect
$2468
33 km or 20 mi Darien
$2363
33 km or 21 mi Elk Grove Village
$2495
34 km or 21 mi Downers Grove
$2268
35 km or 22 mi Orland Park
$2392
36 km or 22 mi Lansing
$2368
36 km or 22 mi Glen Ellyn
$2261
37 km or 23 mi Highland Park
$2392
37 km or 23 mi Munster
$1989
37 km or 23 mi Tinley Park
$2376
37 km or 23 mi Wheeling
$2426