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Brussels vs Vienna cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ง๐ช Brussels
๐ฆ๐น Vienna
At a glance
- Where Vienna is clearly cheaper: Studio rent (month) (21%โ), SIM card (20%โ), Local meal (16%โ)
- Where Brussels is clearly cheaper: Transit (34%โ), Entry ticket (33%โ), Coffee (25%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: safety โ Brussels 3 vs Vienna 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Brussels | Vienna | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฌ 19$22.1 | โฌ 16$18.6 | Vienna โ16% |
| Street food1 item | โฌ 5$5.81 | โฌ 5$5.81 | similar |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฌ 37$43 | โฌ 35$40.7 | Vienna โ5% |
| Coffeeone cup | โฌ 3.6$4.19 | โฌ 4.8$5.58 | Brussels โ25% |
| Beerone bottle | โฌ 4.8$5.58 | โฌ 5.5$6.4 | Brussels โ13% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โฌ 11$12.8 | โฌ 12$14 | Brussels โ8% |
| Bottled water | โฌ 1.2$1.4 | โฌ 1.2$1.4 | similar |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โฌ 2.2$2.56 | โฌ 2.5$2.91 | Brussels โ12% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โฌ 14$16.3 | โฌ 15$17.4 | Brussels โ7% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฌ 9$10.5 | โฌ 8$9.3 | Vienna โ11% |
| Transitone ride | โฌ 2.1$2.44 | โฌ 3.2$3.72 | Brussels โ34% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฌ 15$17.4 | โฌ 18$20.9 | Brussels โ17% |
| Hotel night3-star | โฌ 120$140 | โฌ 125$145 | similar |
| Studio rent (month) | โฌ 1,200$1,395 | โฌ 950$1,105 | Vienna โ21% |
| Laundry | โฌ 3.5$4.07 | โฌ 4$4.65 | Brussels โ12% |
| SIM card1 week data | โฌ 15$17.4 | โฌ 12$14 | Vienna โ20% |
| Haircutcut | โฌ 25$29.1 | โฌ 22$25.6 | Vienna โ12% |
| Massage1 hour | โฌ 60$69.8 | โฌ 70$81.4 | Brussels โ14% |
| Half-day tourper person | โฌ 35$40.7 | โฌ 45$52.3 | Brussels โ22% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โฌ 16$18.6 | โฌ 24$27.9 | Brussels โ33% |
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, Brussels or Vienna?
Vienna is 7% cheaper than Brussels. Daily budget $303 vs $302; a month $5,628 vs $4,819.
Which is easier to travel, Brussels or Vienna?
About the same: Brussels 2.0/5, Vienna 1.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Brussels and Vienna?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Brussels is about $5,628 and Vienna about $4,819 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.