Brussels vs Chicago - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Brussels Chicago
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2030
$2851
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$4894
$6527
🏠 One person rent
$1166
$1714
🏘️ Family rent
$1999
$2737
🍽️ Food expenses
$628
$704
🚐 Transport expenses
$88
$212
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$3313
$5090
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
11 km
15 km
🎓 Higher education
96
100
😀 Quality of life
91
95
🏙️ Population
196K
2.75M

The cost of living in Brussels is 29% less expensive than in Chicago. Cities ranked 1939th and 358th ($2030 vs $2851) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 1st and 300th 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 1.8 months in Chicago. Brussels ranked 1st best city to live in Belgium vs Chicago ranked 3rd in the United States, while ranked 121st and 18th among best cities to live in the world.

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the estimated difference in money purchasing power

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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
$21.2
$19.6
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$80
$84.3
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$13.7
$12.7
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$5.64
$7.35
☕ Cappuccino
$4.38
$6.06
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$3.4
$2.85
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1112
$2011
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$903
$1414
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2002
$3203
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1605
$2316
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$169
$117
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$262
$180
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$52.2
$63.3
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
3.77%
6.32%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$5037
$3899
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$4002
$2568
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.91
$2.51
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$63.5
$82.6
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$21.4
$16.5
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$2.06
$1.12
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.51
$1.2
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$2.7
$3.67
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.56
$4.62
🥚 Eggs, x12
$4.8
$5.11
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.7
$14.2
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.7
$14.5
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$21.4
$19.1
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.04
$4.78
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.5
$1.86
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.71
$3.96
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.7
$5.01
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.5
$2.39
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.28
$2.63
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.81
$1.79
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.5
$3.71
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$9.36
$16
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.55
$3.02
🚬 Cigarette pack
$13.8
$17.4
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$10.5
$11.6
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$5.04
$7.05
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$2.49
$4.22
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$3.3
$2.31
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$39.1
$74.6
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$15.3
$17
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$38
$177
💇 Haircut, simple
$28.2
$32.8
👖 Brand Jeans
$102
$62.9
👟 Brand Sneakers
$106
$105
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$1423
$1582
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$19621
$27880

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
$1896
3.3 km or 2.1 mi Saint-Gilles
$1895
4 km or 2.5 mi Anderlecht
$1926
4.2 km or 2.6 mi Forest
$1969
4.5 km or 2.8 mi Woluwe-Saint-Lambert
$1837
6.2 km or 3.8 mi Watermael-Boitsfort
$1870
7.3 km or 4.6 mi Dilbeek
$1861
10 km or 6.3 mi Sint-Pieters-Leeuw
$1866
10 km or 6.4 mi Vilvoorde
$1844
11 km or 6.8 mi Tervuren
$1874
15 km or 9 mi Overijse
$1832
15 km or 9.1 mi Waterloo
$1993
15 km or 9.1 mi Halle
$1843
17 km or 11 mi Zemst
$1833
19 km or 12 mi Braine-l'Alleud
$1888
19 km or 12 mi Rixensart
$1793
21 km or 13 mi Mechelen
$1848
21 km or 13 mi Tubize
$1819
23 km or 14 mi Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve
$1813
23 km or 14 mi Wavre
$1769
23 km or 15 mi Herent
$1845
24 km or 15 mi Ninove
$1799
24 km or 15 mi Aalst
$1881
25 km or 15 mi Leuven
$1895
26 km or 16 mi Dendermonde
$1769
28 km or 17 mi Nivelles
$1703
31 km or 20 mi Braine-le-Comte
$1781
35 km or 22 mi Lier
$1743
35 km or 22 mi Geraardsbergen
$1686
36 km or 23 mi Heist-op-den-Berg
$1757
37 km or 23 mi Mortsel
$1688
37 km or 23 mi Aarschot
$1799
37 km or 23 mi Soignies
$1746
38 km or 23 mi Zottegem
$1753
38 km or 24 mi Lokeren
$1742
38 km or 24 mi Sint-Niklaas
$1799
40 km or 25 mi Gembloux
$1939
40 km or 25 mi Beveren
$1829
41 km or 26 mi Tienen
$1727
41 km or 26 mi Antwerp
$1834

Cities near Chicago

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 7 mi Cicero
$2444
14 km or 8.8 mi Berwyn
$2399
14 km or 8.9 mi Oak Park
$2440
16 km or 10 mi Elmwood Park
$2425
18 km or 11 mi Maywood
$2423
18 km or 11 mi Evanston
$2232
19 km or 12 mi Skokie
$2309
19 km or 12 mi Burbank
$2454
20 km or 12 mi Melrose Park
$2430
21 km or 13 mi Oak Lawn
$2463
22 km or 14 mi Morton Grove
$2376
22 km or 14 mi Niles
$2394
23 km or 14 mi Park Ridge
$2461
23 km or 14 mi Wilmette
$2323
25 km or 16 mi Blue Island
$2444
26 km or 16 mi Elmhurst
$2483
27 km or 17 mi Glenview
$2436
28 km or 17 mi Des Plaines
$2569
28 km or 18 mi Dolton
$2436
29 km or 18 mi Villa Park
$2508
30 km or 19 mi Harvey
$2425
30 km or 19 mi East Chicago
$1751
30 km or 19 mi Westmont
$2440
31 km or 19 mi Calumet
$2443
31 km or 20 mi South Holland
$2439
32 km or 20 mi Lombard
$2580
32 km or 20 mi Hammond
$1761
32 km or 20 mi Oak Forest
$2429
33 km or 20 mi Northbrook
$2400
33 km or 20 mi Mount Prospect
$2508
33 km or 20 mi Darien
$2463
33 km or 21 mi Elk Grove Village
$2543
34 km or 21 mi Downers Grove
$2418
35 km or 22 mi Orland Park
$2438
36 km or 22 mi Lansing
$2425
36 km or 22 mi Glen Ellyn
$2406
37 km or 23 mi Highland Park
$2418
37 km or 23 mi Munster
$1784
37 km or 23 mi Tinley Park
$2423
37 km or 23 mi Wheeling
$2453