The most international city of its size in Europe: you can build a career and a social life entirely in English. Great beer, food and rail connections; grey weather and patchy urban upkeep are the flip side.
What it costs to live in Brussels
Rent here sits close to the national baseline for Belgium, at roughly EUR 950 a month for a one-bed. Across the 60 EU cities we profile, that lands Brussels in the middle of the range.
Against a typical net salary in Belgium of about EUR 2,300, that is roughly 41% of take-home pay going on rent alone. City wages usually run above the national figure, so treat this as the cautious end.
What the economy runs on
EU institutions, lobbying, consulting, NGOs.
The combination that makes Brussels work for a lot of people is a country that is comfortable with remote and freelance workers paired with rent that does not dominate the budget.
How far English gets you
English carries you a long way in Brussels, through work, restaurants and most services, though tax forms, rental contracts and municipal admin still arrive in Dutch and French.
On our scores Brussels rates 78/100 for English against 70/100 for Belgium as a whole, the usual gap between a city with international employers and the country around it. There is a fuller breakdown on the English in Belgium page.
What day-to-day life leans on
Healthcare is a genuine draw, with Belgium at 82/100, and a capital or major city is normally where the best-equipped hospitals sit.
Safety scores lower than the EU norm here, at 72/100 for Belgium, which in practice tends to mean petty crime and neighbourhood variation rather than anything dramatic.
Worth weighing
High taxes and a chaotic housing/admin split across communes.
Brussels is the most expensive of the cities we cover in Belgium, so it is worth pricing the alternatives before you commit: Antwerp (about EUR 860 a month).
City picked, country still open? See the full Belgium overview including cost of living, safety, healthcare and the path to residence, or compare Belgium with other EU countries.