Fruit and vegetables and supermarket brand products are significantly cheaper in Belgium than in neighbouring countries according to a study from Belgium's Price Observatory that was commissioned by economy minister Pierre-Yves Dermagne (Francophone socialist/PS). However, Belgians pay a lot more for branded products.
In Belgium you can expect to eat quite cheap. I never pay over 20 EUR for a 3-course lunch or a decent dinner. Just walk the extra 250m from the city center, and be assured to pay less and get less touristy options.
If you're a budget traveler, you can expect to spend around $50 to $80 per day in Belgium, including accommodation, meals, transportation, and activities. On the other hand, a mid-range traveler might spend approximately $100 to $150 per day.
Mind you, in most town centres (especially Brussels) you will pay about 12 to 15 euro, but the quality is ALWAYS excellent! A regular beer will cost you about 1,80 euro, a special beer (trappist f.i.) around 2,80 euro. A perfectly decent glass of wine should be around 2,50-3,00 euro.
COST OF LIVING IN BELGIUM 2023 | With detailed prices
What drink is special to Belgium?
Jenever. If you like gin, chances are you'll like jenever. Unlike gin which can be distilled using a number of raw materials, this unique Belgian spirit is made by distilling grains such as corn, malted barley or rye. The alcohol is then flavoured with juniper berries and various other herbs and spices.
Genever. also known as jenever, is the national spirit of Belgium from which gin evolved. But there are also many other spirits like Elixir d'Anvers and Spa, the famous Chouffe Coffee, the Peket, Stassen Cider, Café Ardennais....
The study shows that groceries and dry goods can cost 44.36% less in France than in Belgium. On the other hand, body care products and perfumery can cost 43.45% less in Belgium than in the Netherlands.
Moules frites is Belgium's national dish. Traditionally cooked by steaming mussels in a rich sauce made from butter, garlic, shallots, white wine and parsley (and sometimes a splash of cream), a piping hot bowl of moules always goes down a treat.
Belgium is famous for waffles, fries, chocolates, and beer. You can have waffles at any time of the day; breakfast, lnch dinner. Enjoy the crispy fries to go along with Belgian beer.
Outside the country, Belgium is best known for its chocolate, waffles, fries and beer. Though Belgium has many distinctive national dishes, many internationally popular foods like hamburgers and spaghetti bolognese are also popular in Belgium, and most of what Belgians eat is also eaten in neighbouring countries.
The three cheapest municipalities in Belgium are Colfontaine, Quaregnon and Boussu, all in the suburbs of Mons. Mons itself is the 50th cheapest nationwide.
You can use the euro in 20 EU countries: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain.
Many shops and restaurants in Brussels accept credit cards, but not all. It is, therefore, recommended that you either ask before you order or ensure you have enough in cash to cover the bill.
US citizens do not have to apply for the Belgium Schengen Visa or any other country in the Schengen Area, including Switzerland. This means that you enjoy a visa-free Belgium travel experience. Although US citizens enjoy visa-free travel to Belgium, please make sure you follow the 90/180-day rule.
However, you might find that not all the products on your shopping list are available at Lidl. That's why it's actually fairly common to shop in multiple grocery stores in Belgium in one day to find the best deal! Next to Lidl, the cheapest supermarkets in Belgium include Aldi and Colruyt.
Which European country is the cheapest for luxury shopping?
Luxury goods are often the lowest priced in the UK, German and France, so we can totally see why! Plus, with 90% of luxury goods manufactured in Europe (usually France or Italy), the items aren't shipped to faraway destinations, hence the lower costs.
Charming any time of year, Brussels' arcades and shopping streets offer top designer boutiques, whimsical gifts, or that perfect vintage treasure. Brussels may be known for diamonds, but you can find everything here: designer fashions, trendy vintage clothes, housewares, gifts for gourmets, and so much more.
Nonetheless, jenever is so beloved in its homeland that it's the national drink of both Holland and Belgium. In October of each year, the town of Hasselt, Belgium, holds Jenever Feesten, a massive celebration of the drink. Hasselt is a Flemish town in the province of Limburg near the Dutch border.
One in three young Belgians (34%) between 18 and 24 years old admit that they have drunk more alcohol than they initially intended, a study by Belgian wine and spirits federation Vinum Et Spiritus shows.
Belgium, Denmark and Germany set 16 years as the minimum age for purchasing beverages containing less than 1.2 % of distilled alcohol and 18 years for buying spirits (more than 1.2 % of distilled alcohol). Sweden set the minimum age for purchasing beverages with more than 3.5 % of alcohol at 20 years.
