Brussels vs Chicago - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Brussels Chicago
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1869
$2613
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$4554
$6659
🏠 One person rent
$1085
$1594
🏘️ Family rent
$1927
$3123
🍽️ Food expenses
$557
$649
🚐 Transport expenses
$85.1
$210
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$3070
$5285
😷 Air quality
Good
Good
✈️ Airport proximity
11 km
15 km
🎓 Higher education
96
100
😀 Quality of life
89
96
🏙️ Population
189K
2.75M

The cost of living in Brussels is 28% less expensive than in Chicago. Cities ranked 2147th and 505th ($1869 vs $2613) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 1st and 455th 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 1.6 months in Brussels compared to 2 months in Chicago. Brussels ranked 1st best city to live in Belgium vs Chicago ranked 2nd in the United States, while ranked 148th and 16th among best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Brussels vs Chicago infographic

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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
$18
$17.5
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$74.3
$80.3
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$12
$10.6
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$5.38
$6.98
☕ Cappuccino
$3.91
$5.12
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.7
$2.87
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$968
$1958
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$834
$1297
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1848
$3908
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1555
$2652
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$169
$103
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$258
$158
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$55.2
$61.2
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
3.39%
6.64%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$4416
$3227
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3736
$2803
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.69
$2.52
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$53.2
$87.1
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$24
$15.1
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.88
$1.1
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.49
$1.04
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$2.62
$3.79
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.65
$4.74
🥚 Eggs, x12
$4.29
$3.8
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$15.7
$14.8
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$11.6
$12.5
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$18.2
$19.9
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.72
$5.27
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.97
$1.94
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.74
$5.02
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.94
$4.53
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.94
$2.42
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.79
$2.8
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.8
$1.53
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.11
$2.9
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$8.73
$15.1
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.52
$2.65
🚬 Cigarette pack
$8.76
$15.7
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$10.4
$9.23
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$4.75
$5.71
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.97
$3.85
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.87
$1.94
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$30.9
$73.1
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$13.9
$14.8
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$40.3
$78.7
💇 Haircut, simple
$23.8
$28.3
👖 Brand Jeans
$101
$61.8
👟 Brand Sneakers
$113
$99.6
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$978
$2675
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$23098
$15494

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
$1682
3.3 km or 2.1 mi Saint-Gilles
$1524
4 km or 2.5 mi Anderlecht
$1659
4.2 km or 2.6 mi Forest
$1652
4.5 km or 2.8 mi Woluwe-Saint-Lambert
$1593
6.2 km or 3.8 mi Watermael-Boitsfort
$1619
7.3 km or 4.6 mi Dilbeek
$1644
10 km or 6.3 mi Sint-Pieters-Leeuw
$1669
10 km or 6.4 mi Vilvoorde
$1599
11 km or 6.8 mi Tervuren
$1743
15 km or 9 mi Overijse
$1648
15 km or 9.1 mi Waterloo
$1825
15 km or 9.1 mi Halle
$1640
17 km or 11 mi Zemst
$1567
19 km or 12 mi Braine-l'Alleud
$1645
19 km or 12 mi Rixensart
$1613
21 km or 13 mi Mechelen
$1544
21 km or 13 mi Tubize
$1630
23 km or 14 mi Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve
$1619
23 km or 14 mi Wavre
$1553
23 km or 15 mi Herent
$1575
24 km or 15 mi Ninove
$1581
24 km or 15 mi Aalst
$1678
25 km or 15 mi Leuven
$1618
26 km or 16 mi Dendermonde
$1469
28 km or 17 mi Nivelles
$1563
31 km or 20 mi Braine-le-Comte
$1568
35 km or 22 mi Lier
$1533
35 km or 22 mi Geraardsbergen
$1484
36 km or 23 mi Heist-op-den-Berg
$1517
37 km or 23 mi Mortsel
$1539
37 km or 23 mi Aarschot
$1426
37 km or 23 mi Soignies
$1536
38 km or 23 mi Zottegem
$1536
38 km or 24 mi Lokeren
$1511
38 km or 24 mi Sint-Niklaas
$1413
40 km or 25 mi Gembloux
$1596
40 km or 25 mi Beveren
$1631
41 km or 26 mi Tienen
$1570
41 km or 26 mi Antwerp
$1650

Cities near Chicago

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 7 mi Cicero
$2476
14 km or 8.8 mi Berwyn
$2544
14 km or 8.9 mi Oak Park
$2446
16 km or 10 mi Elmwood Park
$2346
18 km or 11 mi Maywood
$2387
18 km or 11 mi Evanston
$2199
19 km or 12 mi Skokie
$2257
19 km or 12 mi Burbank
$2326
20 km or 12 mi Melrose Park
$2317
21 km or 13 mi Oak Lawn
$2300
22 km or 14 mi Morton Grove
$2290
22 km or 14 mi Niles
$2323
23 km or 14 mi Park Ridge
$2295
23 km or 14 mi Wilmette
$2245
25 km or 16 mi Blue Island
$2282
26 km or 16 mi Elmhurst
$2244
27 km or 17 mi Glenview
$2264
28 km or 17 mi Des Plaines
$2215
28 km or 18 mi Dolton
$2264
29 km or 18 mi Villa Park
$2204
30 km or 19 mi Harvey
$2258
30 km or 19 mi East Chicago
$2013
30 km or 19 mi Westmont
$2248
31 km or 19 mi Calumet
$2258
31 km or 20 mi South Holland
$2240
32 km or 20 mi Lombard
$2162
32 km or 20 mi Hammond
$2030
32 km or 20 mi Oak Forest
$2257
33 km or 20 mi Northbrook
$2253
33 km or 20 mi Mount Prospect
$2269
33 km or 20 mi Darien
$2250
33 km or 21 mi Elk Grove Village
$2267
34 km or 21 mi Downers Grove
$2264
35 km or 22 mi Orland Park
$2238
36 km or 22 mi Lansing
$2239
36 km or 22 mi Glen Ellyn
$2089
37 km or 23 mi Highland Park
$2221
37 km or 23 mi Munster
$2038
37 km or 23 mi Tinley Park
$2241
37 km or 23 mi Wheeling
$2240