Brussels vs Essen - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Brussels Essen
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2030
$1519
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$4894
$3766
🏠 One person rent
$1166
$642
🏘️ Family rent
$1999
$1100
🍽️ Food expenses
$628
$537
🚐 Transport expenses
$88
$181
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$3313
$3165
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
11 km
25 km
🎓 Higher education
96
96
😀 Quality of life
91
95
🏙️ Population
196K
587K

The cost of living in Brussels is 34% more expensive than in Essen. Cities ranked 1939th and 3925th ($2030 vs $1519) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 1st and 521st in Belgium and Germany, respectively. Check Belgium vs Germany comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.6 months in Brussels compared to 2.1 months in Essen. Brussels ranked 1st best city to live in Belgium vs Essen ranked 3rd in Germany, while ranked 121st and 23rd 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 Essen

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

Brussels Essen
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$21.2
$16.8
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$80
$72.5
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$13.7
$11.8
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$5.64
$5.63
☕ Cappuccino
$4.38
$3.91
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$3.4
$2.88
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1112
$571
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$903
$434
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2002
$1047
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1605
$794
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$169
$141
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$262
$217
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$52.2
$39.1
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
3.77%
3.95%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$5037
$4896
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$4002
$3071
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.91
$4.17
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$63.5
$69.4
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$21.4
$31.1
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$2.06
$1.96
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.51
$1.31
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$2.7
$1.98
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.56
$2.8
🥚 Eggs, x12
$4.8
$3.68
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.7
$15.1
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.7
$10.6
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$21.4
$25.1
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.04
$3.15
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.5
$2.19
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.71
$2.29
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.7
$3.68
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.5
$1.42
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.28
$1.31
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.81
$0.81
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.5
$2.05
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$9.36
$6.13
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.55
$1.05
🚬 Cigarette pack
$13.8
$9.41
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$10.5
$11.6
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$5.04
$2.72
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$2.49
$1.56
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$3.3
$1.58
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$39.1
$36.4
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$15.3
$15.1
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$38
$88.4
💇 Haircut, simple
$28.2
$15.3
👖 Brand Jeans
$102
$97.9
👟 Brand Sneakers
$106
$108
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$1423
$483
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$19621
$9789

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 Essen

Distance City Cost of living
9.5 km or 5.9 mi Gelsenkirchen
$1506
9.6 km or 6 mi Mulheim
$1575
10 km or 6.3 mi Bottrop
$1468
11 km or 7.1 mi Oberhausen
$1636
12 km or 7.8 mi Velbert
$1580
13 km or 8.3 mi Hattingen
$1552
14 km or 8.4 mi Gladbeck
$1538
14 km or 8.8 mi Heiligenhaus
$1588
15 km or 9 mi Bochum
$1548
18 km or 11 mi Herne
$1624
18 km or 11 mi Duisburg
$1507
19 km or 12 mi Herten
$1565
19 km or 12 mi Wulfrath
$1605
19 km or 12 mi Sprockhovel
$1565
20 km or 13 mi Ratingen
$1637
22 km or 14 mi Witten
$1559
23 km or 14 mi Recklinghausen
$1580
23 km or 14 mi Mettmann
$1629
23 km or 14 mi Dinslaken
$1551
24 km or 15 mi Dorsten
$1557
24 km or 15 mi Castrop-Rauxel
$1534
24 km or 15 mi Wuppertal
$1547
25 km or 16 mi Marl
$1568
26 km or 16 mi Erkrath
$1653
27 km or 17 mi Schwelm
$1589
27 km or 17 mi Oer-Erkenschwick
$1565
27 km or 17 mi Moers
$1544
27 km or 17 mi Wetter
$1545
28 km or 17 mi Gevelsberg
$1559
28 km or 18 mi Voerde
$1566
28 km or 18 mi Ennepetal
$1572
29 km or 18 mi Haan
$1662
30 km or 18 mi Dusseldorf
$1913
30 km or 18 mi Herdecke
$1528
30 km or 19 mi Rheinberg
$1559
31 km or 20 mi Hilden
$1673
32 km or 20 mi Neukirchen-Vluyn
$1564
32 km or 20 mi Waltrop
$1533
32 km or 20 mi Solingen
$1698
32 km or 20 mi Datteln
$1538