The Cost of Living in Belgium

You get the best dark chocolate in Belgium. The European country is famous for its architecture and environment. You will see a mix of cultures in Belgium, and it will make you feel at home. Belgium is one of the few European countries that offer very low tuition fees for international students. 

The Belgian government and Academy of Research and Higher Education have made a rule that fees for international students shouldn’t exceed five times the fees of EU students. It goes to as high as 4700 euros.

Here is a breakup of monthly costs that a student has to go through as an international student:

Rent

Belgium is a big country, so the rent differs accordingly. If you live in student accommodation, you will be charged between 300 to 600 euros a month. Student accommodations are very cheap in Belgium, so you end up saving a lot of money. 

If you rent an apartment, remember that most homes don’t have a living room. So it is only a bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom. A shared apartment will cost you around 300 to 400 euros. Electricity and gas are included in it.

Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash/Copyright 2022

Food

Monthly grocery costs per person are around 150 euros. Total food costs might go up to 300 euros monthly if you eat out frequently. Some of the cheapest supermarkets to buy groceries are Red Market, Lidl, Aldi, and Colruyt.

Transport

The train is the cheapest way of traveling in the country. Students can avail themselves of a monthly train pass that costs 20 euros. Taxi is pretty costly in Belgium, going up to 25 euros for a 40-minute ride.

Study material

Since you don’t need to buy stationery every month, this cost varies. However, on average, it can cost you 30 euros a month. You don’t need to buy textbooks or anything because the university professors provide everything and you always go to the library to find references.