Moving to Estonia from Belgium

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Belgium to Estonia — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Belgium to Estonia, you would find that Estonia is 32.2% cheaper than Belgium overall. A €67,000 salary in Belgium would need to be roughly €45,500 in Estonia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Estonian.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Belgium to Estonia.

What does your salary buy?

€67,000 → €45,500

To maintain the same standard of living in Estonia

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 24.7% less

Groceries

pay 31.0% less

Transportation

pay 26.6% less

Housing

pay 41.1% less

Childcare

pay 60.1% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 7.4% less

See full cost of living breakdown

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Cost of living by city

Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).

On average, cities in Estonia cost about 20% less than cities in Belgium.

Belgium

Brugge 56%
Hasselt 55%
Mons 53%
Charleroi 52%

Estonia

Narva 40%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Belgium to Estonia, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
58 ↓ 17% vs 2022

people moved from Belgium to Estonia · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Estonia?

Top countries of origin for Estonia's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Belgium and Estonia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

BE
1.1
EE
1.5
Feel safe walking at night United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

of residents who feel safe walking alone at night

BE
62%
EE
75%

Estonia generally does better on safety, though Belgium leads in homicide rate.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

BE
$7,489
EE
$3,741
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

BE
35.7
EE
34.7

Estonia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Belgium leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

BE
15.0
EE
13.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

BE
7.3t
EE
7.8t

Belgium generally does better on environment, though Estonia leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

BE
44.2
EE
35.4
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

BE
52.8%
EE
13.1%

Belgium generally does better on infrastructure, though Estonia leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

BE
5.9%
EE
8.3%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

BE
$60,750
EE
$34,418

Belgium generally does better on employment & economy, though Estonia leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

BE
82.3 yrs
EE
79.3 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

BE
3.1
EE
1.5

Belgium generally does better on family life, though Estonia leads in infant mortality.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Service Public Fédéral Finances (2016), Estonian Tax and Customs Board (2016). How we calculate this

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Brussels Rain: 32.3 in/yr (820 mm)
57° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

Tallinn Rain: 27.3 in/yr (693 mm)
48° / 36°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Brussels Tallinn
Jan–Mar 45°/34°F (7°/1°C) 31°/21°F (0°/-6°C)
Apr–Jun 63°/47°F (17°/8°C) 57°/41°F (14°/5°C)
Jul–Sep 70°/54°F (21°/13°C) 65°/51°F (19°/10°C)
Oct–Dec 50°/40°F (10°/4°C) 40°/31°F (4°/-1°C)
View all months
Month Brussels Tallinn
Jan 42°/33°F (5.6°/0.7°C) 29°/20°F (-1.4°/-6.6°C)
Feb 44°/33°F (6.4°/0.6°C) 29°/18°F (-1.8°/-7.5°C)
Mar 50°/37°F (9.9°/2.9°C) 36°/24°F (2.0°/-4.3°C)
Apr 56°/41°F (13.1°/4.8°C) 47°/32°F (8.2°/0.1°C)
May 64°/48°F (17.7°/8.9°C) 59°/41°F (14.9°/5.0°C)
Jun 68°/53°F (20.0°/11.5°C) 66°/49°F (19.1°/9.7°C)
Jul 72°/56°F (22.4°/13.6°C) 70°/54°F (21.2°/12.1°C)
Aug 72°/56°F (22.5°/13.4°C) 68°/53°F (19.9°/11.6°C)
Sep 66°/51°F (18.7°/10.8°C) 58°/45°F (14.5°/7.2°C)
Oct 58°/46°F (14.4°/7.6°C) 48°/38°F (9.1°/3.3°C)
Nov 48°/39°F (9.1°/3.7°C) 38°/30°F (3.3°/-1.2°C)
Dec 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C) 33°/24°F (0.3°/-4.6°C)

Data: Institut Royal Météorologique Institut Royal Météorologique, Estonian Meteorological and Hydrological Institute Estonian Meteorological and Hydrological Institute

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Belgium and Estonia. To live, work, or study long-term in Estonia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Estonia's immigration authority.

Belgium passport

Belgium passport holder visiting Estonia

Visa Free
Belgium passport holders can enter Estonia without a visa.
Estonia passport

Estonia passport holder visiting Belgium

Visa Free
Estonia passport holders can enter Belgium without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Estonia than Belgium?

Generally yes: Estonia runs about 32% cheaper than Belgium on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

How much money do I need to move to Estonia?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €67,000 comparable salary, that's around €11,375 in Estonia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Estonia?

With 35.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Estonia can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Belgium and Estonia.

Is Estonia safe for expats?

Estonia generally does better on safety, though Belgium leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Estonia is 1.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Belgium. About 75% of people in Estonia feel safe walking alone at night.

How is healthcare in Estonia compared to Belgium?

Estonia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Belgium leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 34.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Estonia, compared to 35.7 in Belgium. Estonia scores 79 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Belgium: 86).

What's the weather like in Estonia compared to Belgium?

The average high temperature in Tallinn is 48°F, compared to 57°F in Brussels. Tallinn receives around 27.3 in of rainfall per year, while Brussels gets 32.3 in.

What language do they speak in Estonia?

The official language in Estonia is Estonian. In Belgium, the official languages are Dutch, French and German.

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At a Glance

BE EE
Population 11,941,781 1,366,475
Currency Euro (€) Euro (€)
Languages Dutch, French, German Estonian
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +32 +372
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112