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Bruges vs Ghent cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ง๐ช Bruges
๐ง๐ช Ghent
At a glance
- Where Ghent is clearly cheaper: Bottled water (47%โ), Half-day tour (25%โ), Convenience store (18%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Bruges 2 vs Ghent 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Bruges | Ghent | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฌ 20$23.3 | โฌ 18$20.9 | Ghent โ10% |
| Street food1 item | โฌ 4.5$5.23 | โฌ 5$5.81 | Bruges โ10% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฌ 35$40.7 | โฌ 38$44.2 | Bruges โ8% |
| Coffeeone cup | โฌ 4$4.65 | โฌ 3.5$4.07 | Ghent โ12% |
| Beerone bottle | โฌ 5$5.81 | โฌ 5$5.81 | similar |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โฌ 11$12.8 | โฌ 10$11.6 | Ghent โ9% |
| Bottled water | โฌ 1.5$1.74 | โฌ 0.8$0.93 | Ghent โ47% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โฌ 2.2$2.56 | โฌ 1.8$2.09 | Ghent โ18% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โฌ 18$20.9 | โฌ 15$17.4 | Ghent โ17% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฌ 11$12.8 | โฌ 10$11.6 | Ghent โ9% |
| Transitone ride | โฌ 3$3.49 | โฌ 3$3.49 | similar |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฌ 16$18.6 | โฌ 15$17.4 | Ghent โ6% |
| Hotel night3-star | โฌ 140$163 | โฌ 120$140 | Ghent โ14% |
| Studio rent (month) | โฌ 780$907 | โฌ 900$1,047 | Bruges โ13% |
| Laundry | โฌ 8$9.3 | โฌ 9$10.5 | Bruges โ11% |
| SIM card1 week data | โฌ 15$17.4 | โฌ 15$17.4 | similar |
| Haircutcut | โฌ 22$25.6 | โฌ 25$29.1 | Bruges โ12% |
| Massage1 hour | โฌ 65$75.6 | โฌ 70$81.4 | Bruges โ7% |
| Half-day tourper person | โฌ 40$46.5 | โฌ 30$34.9 | Ghent โ25% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โฌ 15$17.4 | โฌ 15$17.4 | similar |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Bruges or Ghent?
Bruges and Ghent cost about the same. Daily budget $340 vs $305; a month $5,079 vs $5,241.
Which is easier to travel, Bruges or Ghent?
About the same: Bruges 1.6/5, Ghent 1.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Bruges and Ghent?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Bruges is about $5,079 and Ghent about $5,241 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.