Brussels vs Cologne - Cost of Living Comparison

Brussels Cologne
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1578
$1643
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$3906
$3959
🏠 One person rent
$885
$881
🏘️ Family rent
$1526
$1574
🍽️ Food expenses
$480
$416
🚐 Transport expenses
$84.4
$218
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$2881
$2585
😷 Air quality
Good
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
11 km
15 km
🎓 Higher education
97
91
😀 Quality of life
90
96
🏙️ Population
189K
1.07M

The cost of living in Brussels is 4% less expensive than in Cologne. Cities ranked 2591st and 2459th ($1578 vs $1643) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 3rd and 10th in Belgium and Germany, respectively. Check Belgium vs Germany comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.8 months in Brussels compared to 1.6 months in Cologne. Brussels ranked 1st best city to live in Belgium vs Cologne ranked 2nd in Germany, while ranked 128th and 13th among best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Brussels vs Cologne infographic

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Prices in Brussels vs Cologne

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

Brussels Cologne
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$14
$12.4
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$64.2
$49.3
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$9.91
$9.31
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$5.24
$4.1
☕ Cappuccino
$3.55
$3.11
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.57
$2.55
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$854
$893
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$692
$633
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1532
$1628
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1243
$1205
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$114
$164
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$178
$253
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$47.2
$31.8
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
1.79%
2.26%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$4253
$6134
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3593
$4812
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.68
$3.22
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$54.5
$106
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$22.9
$22
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$2
$2.02
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.13
$1.17
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.77
$1.86
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.68
$1.88
🥚 Eggs, x12
$4.05
$3.24
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$12.8
$11.8
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$10.7
$9.65
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$18.3
$15.9
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.35
$2.7
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.66
$1.66
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.55
$2.17
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.87
$2.4
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.42
$1.92
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.26
$1.38
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.71
$0.41
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.16
$1.79
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$8.26
$6.65
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.09
$0.84
🚬 Cigarette pack
$8.35
$7.8
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$10.4
$8.1
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$4.12
$2.13
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.86
$1.56
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.48
$1.74
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$34.1
$35.6
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$12.3
$11.9
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$37.1
$50.2
💇 Haircut, simple
$23.9
$17.5
👖 Brand Jeans
$90.2
$89.1
👟 Brand Sneakers
$93.6
$93.6
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$921
$733
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$24215
$12429

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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
$1413
3.3 km or 2.1 mi Saint-Gilles
$1345
4 km or 2.5 mi Anderlecht
$1410
4.2 km or 2.6 mi Forest
$1438
4.5 km or 2.8 mi Woluwe-Saint-Lambert
$1371
6.2 km or 3.8 mi Watermael-Boitsfort
$1407
7.3 km or 4.6 mi Dilbeek
$1414
10 km or 6.3 mi Sint-Pieters-Leeuw
$1457
10 km or 6.4 mi Vilvoorde
$1454
11 km or 6.8 mi Tervuren
$1708
15 km or 9 mi Overijse
$1407
15 km or 9.1 mi Waterloo
$1448
15 km or 9.1 mi Halle
$1408
17 km or 11 mi Zemst
$1390
19 km or 12 mi Braine-l'Alleud
$1479
19 km or 12 mi Rixensart
$1405
21 km or 13 mi Mechelen
$1425
21 km or 13 mi Tubize
$1443
23 km or 14 mi Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve
$1410
23 km or 14 mi Wavre
$1391
23 km or 15 mi Herent
$1312
24 km or 15 mi Ninove
$1408
24 km or 15 mi Aalst
$1418
25 km or 15 mi Leuven
$1551
26 km or 16 mi Dendermonde
$1372
28 km or 17 mi Nivelles
$1389
31 km or 20 mi Braine-le-Comte
$1406
35 km or 22 mi Lier
$1403
35 km or 22 mi Geraardsbergen
$1252
36 km or 23 mi Heist-op-den-Berg
$1389
37 km or 23 mi Mortsel
$1556
37 km or 23 mi Aarschot
$1351
37 km or 23 mi Soignies
$1408
38 km or 23 mi Zottegem
$1401
38 km or 24 mi Lokeren
$1449
38 km or 24 mi Sint-Niklaas
$1466
40 km or 25 mi Gembloux
$1338
40 km or 25 mi Beveren
$1558
41 km or 26 mi Tienen
$1505
41 km or 26 mi Antwerp
$1537

Cities near Cologne

Distance City Cost of living
9.2 km or 5.7 mi Hurth
$1301
10 km or 6.4 mi Leverkusen
$1665
10 km or 6.4 mi Frechen
$1299
13 km or 7.9 mi Bruhl
$1249
13 km or 7.9 mi Pulheim
$1303
14 km or 8.4 mi Wesseling
$1298
14 km or 8.5 mi Bergisch Gladbach
$1259
15 km or 9.3 mi Niederkassel
$1303
16 km or 10 mi Rosrath
$1298
18 km or 11 mi Monheim am Rhein
$1304
19 km or 12 mi Dormagen
$1304
19 km or 12 mi Erftstadt
$1299
19 km or 12 mi Langenfeld
$1299
20 km or 12 mi Troisdorf
$1305
20 km or 12 mi Leichlingen
$1299
20 km or 12 mi Kerpen
$1297
21 km or 13 mi Bornheim
$1301
21 km or 13 mi Lohmar
$1300
22 km or 14 mi Bergheim
$1214
23 km or 15 mi Siegburg
$1300
24 km or 15 mi Overath
$1301
25 km or 16 mi Sankt Augustin
$1299
25 km or 16 mi Bonn
$1517
26 km or 16 mi Hilden
$1299
26 km or 16 mi Solingen
$1177
27 km or 17 mi Elsdorf
$1301
28 km or 17 mi Wermelskirchen
$1298
28 km or 17 mi Haan
$1299
28 km or 18 mi Bedburg
$1301
29 km or 18 mi Hennef
$1303
31 km or 19 mi Grevenbroich
$1303
31 km or 19 mi Remscheid
$1184
31 km or 20 mi Erkrath
$1305
33 km or 20 mi Konigswinter
$1300
34 km or 21 mi Euskirchen
$1303
34 km or 21 mi Neuss
$1332
34 km or 21 mi Mettmann
$1300
35 km or 21 mi Zulpich
$1303
35 km or 21 mi Meckenheim
$1302
35 km or 22 mi Dusseldorf
$1632