Moving to Belgium from Netherlands
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Netherlands to Belgium — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Netherlands to Belgium, you would find that Belgium is 15.9% cheaper than Netherlands overall. A €67,000 salary in Netherlands would need to be roughly €56,300 in Belgium to maintain the same lifestyle.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Belgium cheaper than Netherlands?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 6.3% less
Groceries
pay 2.9% less
Transportation
pay 24.5% less
Housing
pay 27.9% less
Childcare
pay 5.7% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 10.8% less
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 Belgium?
What does your salary buy?
€67,000 → €56,300
To maintain the same standard of living in Belgium
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 Belgium cost about 17% less than cities in Netherlands.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Netherlands to Belgium, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Netherlands to Belgium · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How Netherlands and Belgium stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Netherlands performs better than Belgium across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Netherlands generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Belgium leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Netherlands performs better than Belgium across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Netherlands generally does better on infrastructure, though Belgium leads in broadband per 100 people.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Netherlands generally does better on employment & economy, though Belgium leads in poverty rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Belgium performs significantly better than Netherlands across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Tax and Customs Administration - Belastingdienst (2016), Service Public Fédéral Finances (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Belgium vs Netherlands
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Amsterdam | Brussels |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 45°/34°F (7°/1°C) | 45°/34°F (7°/1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) | 63°/47°F (17°/8°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 69°/53°F (21°/12°C) | 70°/54°F (21°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 50°/40°F (10°/4°C) | 50°/40°F (10°/4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Amsterdam | Brussels |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°/33°F (5.4°/0.5°C) | 42°/33°F (5.6°/0.7°C) |
| Feb | 43°/32°F (6.0°/0.2°C) | 44°/33°F (6.4°/0.6°C) |
| Mar | 49°/36°F (9.2°/2.4°C) | 50°/37°F (9.9°/2.9°C) |
| Apr | 54°/39°F (12.4°/4.0°C) | 56°/41°F (13.1°/4.8°C) |
| May | 63°/46°F (17.1°/7.8°C) | 64°/48°F (17.7°/8.9°C) |
| Jun | 67°/51°F (19.2°/10.4°C) | 68°/53°F (20.0°/11.5°C) |
| Jul | 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.5°C) | 72°/56°F (22.4°/13.6°C) |
| Aug | 71°/54°F (21.8°/12.3°C) | 72°/56°F (22.5°/13.4°C) |
| Sep | 65°/50°F (18.4°/10.2°C) | 66°/51°F (18.7°/10.8°C) |
| Oct | 57°/45°F (14.1°/7.0°C) | 58°/46°F (14.4°/7.6°C) |
| Nov | 49°/39°F (9.2°/3.9°C) | 48°/39°F (9.1°/3.7°C) |
| Dec | 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C) | 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C) |
Data:
Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute,
Institut Royal Météorologique
Can you move from Netherlands to Belgium?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Netherlands 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.
Netherlands passport holder visiting Belgium
Visa Free
Belgium passport holder visiting Netherlands
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 Belgium than Netherlands?
Generally yes: Belgium runs about 16% cheaper than Netherlands on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
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 €14,075 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 Netherlands and Belgium.
Is Belgium safe for expats?
Netherlands performs better than Belgium across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Belgium is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Netherlands.
How is healthcare in Belgium compared to Netherlands?
Netherlands generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Belgium leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 35.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Belgium, compared to 38.8 in Netherlands. Belgium scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Netherlands: 85).
What's the weather like in Belgium compared to Netherlands?
The average high temperature in Brussels is 57°F, compared to 56°F in Amsterdam. Brussels receives around 32.3 in of rainfall per year, while Amsterdam gets 30.7 in.
What language do they speak in Belgium?
The official languages in Belgium are Dutch, French and German. In Netherlands, the official language is Dutch.
