Moving to Belgium from Australia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Australia to Belgium — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Australia to Belgium, you would find that Belgium is 6.3% more expensive than Australia overall. A A$107,450 salary in Australia would need to be roughly €67,567 in Belgium to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Dutch, French and German. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Brussels averages 57°F vs 67°F in Canberra, making it significantly cooler.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Australia to Belgium.
What does your salary buy?
A$107,450 → €67,567
To maintain the same standard of living in Belgium
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 27.0% more
Groceries
pay 0.7% less
Transportation
pay 25.1% more
Housing
pay 3.3% less
Childcare
pay 15.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 14.7% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Australia to Belgium, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Australia to Belgium · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How Australia and Belgium stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Australia performs better than Belgium across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Belgium generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Australia leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Australia generally does better on environment, though Belgium leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Australia generally does better on infrastructure, though Belgium leads in broadband per 100 people.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Australia generally does better on employment & economy, though Belgium leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Australia generally does better on family life, though Belgium leads in education spending.
Data: Australian Taxation Office, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Canberra | Brussels |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) | 45°/34°F (7°/1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) | 63°/47°F (17°/8°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) | 70°/54°F (21°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) | 50°/40°F (10°/4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Canberra | Brussels |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) | 42°/33°F (5.6°/0.7°C) |
| Feb | 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) | 44°/33°F (6.4°/0.6°C) |
| Mar | 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) | 50°/37°F (9.9°/2.9°C) |
| Apr | 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) | 56°/41°F (13.1°/4.8°C) |
| May | 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) | 64°/48°F (17.7°/8.9°C) |
| Jun | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) | 68°/53°F (20.0°/11.5°C) |
| Jul | 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) | 72°/56°F (22.4°/13.6°C) |
| Aug | 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) | 72°/56°F (22.5°/13.4°C) |
| Sep | 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) | 66°/51°F (18.7°/10.8°C) |
| Oct | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) | 58°/46°F (14.4°/7.6°C) |
| Nov | 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) | 48°/39°F (9.1°/3.7°C) |
| Dec | 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C) | 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C) |
Bureau of Meteorology
Institut Royal MétéorologiqueVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Australia and Belgium. To live, work, or study long-term in Belgium, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Belgium's immigration authority.
Australia passport holder visiting Belgium
Visa Free
Belgium passport holder visiting Australia
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Belgium than Australia?
Day-to-day costs in Belgium run about 3% higher than Australia on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Belgium?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a A$107,450 comparable salary, that's around €16,892 in Belgium for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Belgium?
With 43.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Belgium can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Australia and Belgium.
Is Belgium safe for expats?
Australia performs better than Belgium across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Belgium is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Australia.
How is healthcare in Belgium compared to Australia?
Belgium generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Australia leads in health coverage index. There are 63.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Belgium, compared to 39.8 in Australia. Belgium scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Australia: 87).
What's the weather like in Belgium compared to Australia?
The average high temperature in Brussels is 57°F, compared to 67°F in Canberra. Brussels receives around 32.3 in of rainfall per year, while Canberra gets 24.8 in.
What language do they speak in Belgium?
The official languages in Belgium are Dutch, French and German. In Australia, the official language is English.
