Bruges at a glance
- Bruges ranks 2nd of 6 priced cities in Belgium on cost: $1,842 a month in essentials, 4% above Liege, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $2,589 covers that 1.4×.
- 105.4 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at arrondissement level.
- PM2.5 averages 10.1 µg/m³ a year, 2× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 6 Belgium cities we track, so every row says whether Bruges is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $1,842 | $1,842 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $884 | $884 | same |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,066 | $1,066 | same |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $187 | $187 | same |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $426 | $426 | same |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $285 | $285 | same |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $60 | $60 | same |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $2,589 | $2,725 | $137 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $1,554 | $1,554 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,984 | $1,984 | same |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Bruges, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $20.28 | $20.28 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $81.13 | $85.22 | $4.09 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $12.83 | $12.83 | same |
| Cappuccino, regular | $3.91 | $3.91 | same |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $5.07 | $5.36 | $0.29 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $5.07 | $5.07 | same |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $3.01 | $3.21 | $0.21 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $2.82 | $2.82 | same |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.29 | $1.29 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $2.66 | $2.71 | $0.05 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $2.65 | $2.65 | same |
| Eggs, 12 | $4.66 | $4.66 | same |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $15.02 | $16.05 | $1.03 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $11.56 | $11.56 | same |
| Apples, 1 kg | $2.85 | $2.95 | $0.10 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $2.33 | $2.37 | $0.04 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $3.83 | $3.83 | same |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $2.49 | $2.50 | $0.00 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $2.15 | $2.15 | same |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $1.12 | $1.12 | same |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $2.71 | $2.79 | $0.08 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $60.11 | $60.11 | same |
| Taxi start | $2.76 | $2.85 | $0.09 |
| Taxi, 1 km | $1.95 | $2.01 | $0.06 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.95 | $1.95 | same |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $233.28 | $233.28 | same |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $51.99 | $51.99 | same |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $20.94 | $21.61 | $0.67 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $33.26 | $35.53 | $2.27 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $14.19 | $14.44 | $0.25 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Bruges has 105.4 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (arrondissement level). That is the highest of the 6 Belgium cities we track. Belgium's national figure is 101.7, so Bruges runs 4 above the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Bruges ranks against every city we track
Bruges sits ahead of 82% of the 999 cities we track on local salary. On salary against local costs it is ahead of 74% of 991. Its weakest measure is cost of living, ahead of only 15% of 998.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Bruges sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Bruges on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Bruges beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Bruges in the research deskOr unlock the Belgium deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: Olivier Depaep, Unsplash License.
Data updated