Moving to California from Belgium
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Belgium to California — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Belgium to California, you would find that California is 30.8% more expensive than Belgium overall. A €65,577 salary in Belgium would need to be roughly $87,923 in California to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Sacramento averages 74°F vs 57°F in Brussels, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Belgium to California.
What does your salary buy?
€65,577 → $87,923
To maintain the same standard of living in California
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 11.6% less
Groceries
pay 40.7% more
Transportation
pay 10.0% less
Housing
pay 83.0% more
Childcare
pay 2.1 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 27.2% more
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 Belgium to California, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Belgium to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
120.30,733
Belgium
Key Indicator Comparison
How Belgium and California stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Belgium performs better than California across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
California performs significantly better than Belgium across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
California performs significantly better than Belgium across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Belgium performs better than California across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Brussels | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 45°/34°F (7°/1°C) | 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 63°/47°F (17°/8°C) | 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 70°/54°F (21°/13°C) | 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 50°/40°F (10°/4°C) | 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Brussels | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°/33°F (5.6°/0.7°C) | 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) |
| Feb | 44°/33°F (6.4°/0.6°C) | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) |
| Mar | 50°/37°F (9.9°/2.9°C) | 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) |
| Apr | 56°/41°F (13.1°/4.8°C) | 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) |
| May | 64°/48°F (17.7°/8.9°C) | 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) |
| Jun | 68°/53°F (20.0°/11.5°C) | 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) |
| Jul | 72°/56°F (22.4°/13.6°C) | 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) |
| Aug | 72°/56°F (22.5°/13.4°C) | 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) |
| Sep | 66°/51°F (18.7°/10.8°C) | 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) |
| Oct | 58°/46°F (14.4°/7.6°C) | 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) |
| Nov | 48°/39°F (9.1°/3.7°C) | 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) |
| Dec | 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C) | 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) |
Data:
Institut Royal Météorologique,
National Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Belgium and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
Belgium passport holder visiting United States
Electronic Travel Authorisation
United States passport holder visiting Belgium
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in California than Belgium?
Day-to-day costs in California run about 17% higher than Belgium on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to California?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €65,577 comparable salary, that's around $21,981 in California for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from California?
Working remotely from California's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Belgium and California.
How is healthcare in California compared to Belgium?
Belgium performs better than California across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in California compared to Belgium?
The average high temperature in Sacramento is 74°F, compared to 57°F in Brussels. Sacramento receives around 18.5 in of rainfall per year, while Brussels gets 32.3 in.
What language do they speak in California?
The official language in California is English. In Belgium, the official languages are Dutch, French and German.
