Moving to Greece from Belgium

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Belgium to Greece, you would find that Greece is 29.4% cheaper than Belgium overall. A €67,000 salary in Belgium would need to be roughly €47,300 in Greece to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Greek. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Athens averages 72°F vs 57°F in Brussels, making it significantly warmer.

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Is Greece cheaper than Belgium?

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 32.2% less

Groceries

pay 20.3% less

Transportation

pay 12.1% less

Housing

pay 38.8% less

Childcare

pay 63.8% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 12.8% 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.

What salary do you need in Greece?

What does your salary buy?

€67,000 → €47,300

To maintain the same standard of living in Greece

Calculate with your salary →

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 Greece cost about 22% less than cities in Belgium.

Belgium

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

Greece

Xanthi 43%
Kavala 42%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

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

Living there in 2020
5,225 ↑ 2% vs 2015

people born in Belgium live in Greece · UN DESA

Who's moving to Greece?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Belgium and Greece 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
GR
0.8
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

BE
4.6
GR
7.3

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

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

BE
$7,489
GR
$3,454
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

BE
35.7
GR
65.8

Greece generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Belgium leads in health coverage index.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

BE
15.0
GR
23.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

BE
7.3t
GR
5.0t

Belgium generally does better on environment, though Greece leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

BE
44.2
GR
44.7
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

BE
52.8%
GR
20.3%

Belgium generally does better on infrastructure, though Greece leads in broadband per 100 people.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

BE
5.9%
GR
8.5%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

BE
$60,750
GR
$26,948

Belgium generally does better on employment & economy, though Greece 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
GR
81.8 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

BE
3.1
GR
3.2

Belgium performs better than Greece across all family life metrics.

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

Weather in Greece vs Belgium

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Athens Rain: 16.3 in/yr (414 mm)
72° / 54°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Brussels Athens
Jan–Mar 45°/34°F (7°/1°C) 57°/42°F (14°/6°C)
Apr–Jun 63°/47°F (17°/8°C) 78°/57°F (26°/14°C)
Jul–Sep 70°/54°F (21°/13°C) 90°/67°F (32°/20°C)
Oct–Dec 50°/40°F (10°/4°C) 65°/50°F (18°/10°C)
View all months
Month Brussels Athens
Jan 42°/33°F (5.6°/0.7°C) 54°/41°F (12.5°/5.2°C)
Feb 44°/33°F (6.4°/0.6°C) 56°/42°F (13.5°/5.4°C)
Mar 50°/37°F (9.9°/2.9°C) 60°/44°F (15.7°/6.7°C)
Apr 56°/41°F (13.1°/4.8°C) 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.6°C)
May 64°/48°F (17.7°/8.9°C) 79°/57°F (26.0°/13.9°C)
Jun 68°/53°F (20.0°/11.5°C) 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.2°C)
Jul 72°/56°F (22.4°/13.6°C) 92°/69°F (33.5°/20.8°C)
Aug 72°/56°F (22.5°/13.4°C) 92°/69°F (33.2°/20.7°C)
Sep 66°/51°F (18.7°/10.8°C) 85°/63°F (29.2°/17.3°C)
Oct 58°/46°F (14.4°/7.6°C) 74°/56°F (23.3°/13.4°C)
Nov 48°/39°F (9.1°/3.7°C) 65°/50°F (18.1°/9.8°C)
Dec 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C) 57°/44°F (14.1°/6.8°C)

Data: Institut Royal Météorologique Institut Royal Météorologique, Hellenic National Meteorological Service Hellenic National Meteorological Service

Can you move from Belgium to Greece?

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

Belgium passport

Belgium passport holder visiting Greece

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

Greece passport holder visiting Belgium

Visa Free
Greece 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 Greece than Belgium?

Generally yes: Greece runs about 29% cheaper than Belgium on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

How much money do I need to move to Greece?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €67,000 comparable salary, that's around €11,825 in Greece for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Greece?

With 44.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Greece 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 Greece.

Is Greece safe for expats?

Belgium generally does better on safety, though Greece leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Greece is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Belgium.

How is healthcare in Greece compared to Belgium?

Greece generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Belgium leads in health coverage index. There are 65.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Greece, compared to 35.7 in Belgium. Greece scores 77 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Belgium: 86).

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

The average high temperature in Athens is 72°F, compared to 57°F in Brussels. Athens receives around 16.3 in of rainfall per year, while Brussels gets 32.3 in.

What language do they speak in Greece?

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

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At a Glance

BE GR
Population 11,941,781 10,413,962
Currency Euro (€) Euro (€)
Languages Dutch, French, German Greek
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +32 +30
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112