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 68.6% more expensive than Latvia overall. A €67,000 salary in Latvia would need to be roughly €113,000 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?

€67,000 → €113,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Belgium

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 78.7% more

Groceries

pay 41.5% more

Transportation

pay 31.3% more

Housing

pay 2.3 times more

Childcare

pay 67.7% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 20.6% 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.

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 Belgium cost about 43% more than cities in Latvia.

Latvia

Riga ★ 43%
Liepaja 40%
Jelgava 33%

Belgium

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

Compare cities head-to-head

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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 World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

LV
2.5
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 World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

LV
34.0
BE
35.7

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 World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

LV
25.8
BE
44.2
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

LV
1.0%
BE
52.8%

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

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

LV
6.6%
BE
5.9%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

LV
$26,312
BE
$60,750

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

LV
76.4 yrs
BE
82.3 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

LV
2.2
BE
3.1

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

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

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 69% 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 €67,000 comparable salary, that's around €28,250 in Belgium for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Belgium?

With 44.2 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 2.5 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 35.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Belgium, compared to 34.0 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 1,847,785 11,941,781
Currency Euro (€) Euro (€)
Languages Latvian Dutch, French, German
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +371 +32
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112