Cost of Living: New York vs Belgium (Brussels)
How expensive is Belgium compared with New York City? The national price level of everyday spending versus the New York metro area, and the salary — in US dollars and EUR — that buys the same standard of living.
Salary converter
Before taxes. Income tax, sales tax and benefits differ a lot between places and aren’t included.
The numbers
- Cities
- Brussels
- Price level vs US average
- 87.2 (New York metro: 112.6)
- Exchange rate (2025 avg.)
- 1 USD = 0.885 EUR
- Purchasing-power parity
- 1 USD of US-average spending ≈ 0.772 EUR
- Source
- World Bank, PPP conversion factor for private consumption ÷ exchange rate (2025); New York: BEA 2024
⚠️ This is Belgium’s national average. Major cities — especially Brussels — are usually more expensive, mostly because of rent, so treat this as a lower bound for big-city living.
Frequently asked questions
Is Belgium cheaper than New York?
Yes. Belgium is 23% cheaper than the New York metro area overall (index 77, New York = 100).
What salary in Belgium equals $100,000 in New York?
About $77,474 a year (about €68,562 at purchasing-power parity) buys the same standard of living in Belgium as $100,000 in the New York metro area, before taxes.
Is Brussels more expensive than Belgium’s national average?
Usually, yes. The comparison here uses Belgium’s national average price level; large cities such as Brussels typically cost more than the national figure, especially for rent.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank price levels of household consumption for 2025 (purchasing power parity conversion factor divided by the market exchange rate), compared with BEA’s 2024 figure for the New York metro area.