Moving to New York from Belgium
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Belgium to New York — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Belgium to New York, you would find that New York is 32.6% more expensive than Belgium overall. A €67,000 salary in Belgium would need to be roughly $99,500 in New York to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is New York cheaper than Belgium?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 6.3% less
Groceries
pay 35.0% more
Transportation
pay 7.9% less
Housing
pay 82.7% more
Childcare
pay 57.8% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 33.1% 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.
What salary do you need in New York?
What does your salary buy?
€67,000 → $99,500
To maintain the same standard of living in New York
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 New York cost about 32% more than cities in Belgium.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to New York
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Belgium to New York, based on official data.
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
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Belgium to New York.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Belgium performs better than New York across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Belgium performs better than New York 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
New York generally does better on employment & economy, though Belgium leads in poverty rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Belgium performs better than New York across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), World Health Organization (2024), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in New York vs Belgium
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Brussels | New York City |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 45°/34°F (7°/1°C) | 43°/30°F (6°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 63°/47°F (17°/8°C) | 70°/54°F (21°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 70°/54°F (21°/13°C) | 81°/66°F (27°/19°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 50°/40°F (10°/4°C) | 54°/41°F (12°/5°C) |
View all months
| Month | Brussels | New York City |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°/33°F (5.6°/0.7°C) | 38°/27°F (3.5°/-2.8°C) |
| Feb | 44°/33°F (6.4°/0.6°C) | 42°/29°F (5.3°/-1.7°C) |
| Mar | 50°/37°F (9.9°/2.9°C) | 50°/35°F (9.8°/1.8°C) |
| Apr | 56°/41°F (13.1°/4.8°C) | 61°/45°F (16.2°/7.1°C) |
| May | 64°/48°F (17.7°/8.9°C) | 71°/54°F (21.6°/12.2°C) |
| Jun | 68°/53°F (20.0°/11.5°C) | 79°/64°F (26.3°/17.6°C) |
| Jul | 72°/56°F (22.4°/13.6°C) | 84°/69°F (28.9°/20.4°C) |
| Aug | 72°/56°F (22.5°/13.4°C) | 83°/68°F (28.1°/19.9°C) |
| Sep | 66°/51°F (18.7°/10.8°C) | 75°/61°F (24.0°/16.0°C) |
| Oct | 58°/46°F (14.4°/7.6°C) | 64°/50°F (17.7°/10.0°C) |
| Nov | 48°/39°F (9.1°/3.7°C) | 54°/42°F (12.1°/5.3°C) |
| Dec | 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C) | 43°/32°F (6.1°/0.0°C) |
Data:
Institut Royal Météorologique,
National Weather Service
Can you move from Belgium to New York?
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 New York than Belgium?
No — New York is on average about 33% more expensive than Belgium. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to New York?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $24,875 in New York on a €67,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from New York?
Usually fine from major cities in New York. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
How is healthcare in New York compared to Belgium?
Belgium performs better than New York across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in New York compared to Belgium?
The average high temperature in New York City is 62°F, compared to 57°F in Brussels. New York City receives around 49.9 in of rainfall per year, while Brussels gets 32.3 in.
What language do they speak in New York?
The official language in New York is English. In Belgium, the official languages are Dutch, French and German.
