Moving to Belgium from Latvia

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Latvia to Belgium, you would find that Belgium is 56.1% more expensive than Latvia overall. A €65,700 salary in Latvia would need to be roughly €92,986 in Belgium to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Dutch, French and German.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

€65,700 €92,986

To maintain the same standard of living in Belgium

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 81.9% more

Groceries

pay 55.2% more

Transportation

pay 64.8% more

Housing

pay 2.1 times more

Childcare

pay 23.8% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 41.3% more

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.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

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

Moved in 2023
294

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

Who's moving to Belgium?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

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

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

LV
3.6
BE
1.1
Feel safe walking at night United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

of residents who feel safe walking alone at night

LV
75%
BE
62%

Belgium generally does better on safety, though Latvia leads in feel safe walking at night.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

LV
$3,034
BE
$7,489
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

LV
33.8
BE
63.9

Belgium generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Latvia leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

LV
40.0
BE
15.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

LV
3.6t
BE
7.3t

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

LV
26.4
BE
43.5
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

LV
1.1%
BE
51.9%

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

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

LV
6.5%
BE
5.5%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

LV
$37,800
BE
$63,600

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

LV
75.9 yrs
BE
81.9 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

LV
4.8
BE
3.2

Belgium performs significantly better than Latvia across all family life metrics.

Data: State Revenue Service, Latvia, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Riga Rain: 24.9 in/yr (633 mm)
50° / 36°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Riga Brussels
Jan–Mar 31°/20°F (0°/-7°C) 45°/34°F (7°/1°C)
Apr–Jun 60°/42°F (15°/6°C) 63°/47°F (17°/8°C)
Jul–Sep 67°/51°F (20°/11°C) 70°/54°F (21°/13°C)
Oct–Dec 41°/31°F (5°/0°C) 50°/40°F (10°/4°C)
View all months
Month Riga Brussels
Jan 28°/18°F (-2.3°/-7.8°C) 42°/33°F (5.6°/0.7°C)
Feb 29°/18°F (-1.7°/-7.6°C) 44°/33°F (6.4°/0.6°C)
Mar 37°/24°F (2.7°/-4.7°C) 50°/37°F (9.9°/2.9°C)
Apr 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.0°C) 56°/41°F (13.1°/4.8°C)
May 61°/43°F (16.2°/5.9°C) 64°/48°F (17.7°/8.9°C)
Jun 68°/50°F (20.1°/10.0°C) 68°/53°F (20.0°/11.5°C)
Jul 71°/54°F (21.7°/12.3°C) 72°/56°F (22.4°/13.6°C)
Aug 70°/53°F (21.0°/11.8°C) 72°/56°F (22.5°/13.4°C)
Sep 61°/46°F (16.3°/8.0°C) 66°/51°F (18.7°/10.8°C)
Oct 51°/39°F (10.4°/4.0°C) 58°/46°F (14.4°/7.6°C)
Nov 39°/31°F (3.9°/-0.5°C) 48°/39°F (9.1°/3.7°C)
Dec 33°/24°F (0.3°/-4.4°C) 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C)

Data: Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre, Institut Royal Météorologique Institut Royal Météorologique

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Latvia 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.

Latvia passport

Latvia passport holder visiting Belgium

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

Belgium passport holder visiting Latvia

Visa Free
Belgium passport holders can enter Latvia 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 Belgium than Latvia?

Day-to-day costs in Belgium run about 42% higher than Latvia 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 €65,700 comparable salary, that's around €23,246 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 Latvia and Belgium.

Is Belgium safe for expats?

Belgium generally does better on safety, though Latvia leads in feel safe walking at night. The homicide rate in Belgium is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.6 in Latvia. About 62% of people in Belgium feel safe walking alone at night.

How is healthcare in Belgium compared to Latvia?

Belgium generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Latvia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 63.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Belgium, compared to 33.8 in Latvia. Belgium scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Latvia: 75).

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

The average high temperature in Brussels is 57°F, compared to 50°F in Riga. Brussels receives around 32.3 in of rainfall per year, while Riga gets 24.9 in.

What language do they speak in Belgium?

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

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At a Glance

LV BE
Population 1,842,226 11,847,338
Currency Euro (€) Euro (€)
Languages Latvian Dutch, French, German
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +371 +32
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112