Brussels is the biggest city in Belgium, home to the EU Parliament and a major business hub of Europe, which means it’s expensive since the city caters to a lot of wealthy business people. Attractions are on the more expensive side, and everyday items like transportation and food can be a killer. So if you do visit, you might want to tailor your budget accordingly. With touring around the Brussels Opera House in mind, get on your Brussels airport shuttle pick up and enjoy the adventure.

Daily average cost of travel in Brussels: €71

·         Attractions: €10 (one paid attraction + any free sights)

·         Food: €30

·         Breakfast: €4

·         Lunch: €8

·         Dinner: €14

·         Treat (dessert/beer/wine): €3.50

·         Transportation: €2.10

·         Accommodation (Hostel): €27

Daily average cost of budget travel in Brussels: €48

·         Attractions: €10 (free walking tour + visit one of the free sights)

·         Food: €18

·         Breakfast: €0 (free hostel breakfast)

·         Lunch: €6 (street food or takeaway shop fare)

·         Dinner: €10 (make your own meal in the hostel or grab something cheap)

·         Beer: €2 (chill out at the park and have a cold one)

·         Transportation: €0 (walk)

·         Accommodation (Cheap Hostel): €20

Brussels attractions and museum prices

·         There aren’t many free attractions in Brussels, so expect to pay €8-€10 for each. Here are some helpful examples:

·         Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium: €8

·         Musical Instruments Museum: €8

·         Horta Museum: €8

·         Belgian Comic Strip Center: €10

·         Atomium/Mini-Europe: €11 (Atomium), €23.60 (Atomium/Mini-Europe)

·         Magritte Museum: €8

·         Moof Museum: €10

·         Royal Museum of Army and Military History: Free admission

·         Parlamentarium: Free admission

·         Walking Tour: Free (tip around €5) – €25

Food cost

The food near the city center is expensive, so you’ll have to actively seek out the best deals. Belgium is known around the world for its fries, waffles, and chocolate. Other traditional meals include grilled sandwiches (croquets), carbonade falamande (beef and beer stew), and moules frites (mussels and fries). The Grand-Place in Brussels’ city center has a number of eateries and cafés offering chocolate, beer, and other fare. Brasseries are basically a combination pub and restaurant, offering traditional fare alongside domestic and imported draught beer. You can also find cheap and filling food from department store cafeterias for a good price.

1. Budget breakfast: free to €7

Many hostels will offer a free simple breakfast that normally consists of cereal, bread/croissant, and maybe milk, coffee, tea, or juice. Hotel breakfasts tend to be overpriced, so skip those. Breakfast pastry from a local bakery runs between €1.5-€2.5. Belgian waffles run between €3-€8 and stands can be found throughout the city center, or the Maison Dandoy’s Tea Room which has more expensive offerings.

2. Budget lunch: €5-€12

Super budget travelers can make a super cheap lunch of bread, cheese, and fruit from any grocery store for a few euros. Takeaway meals run about €6. Kebabs from a stand start at €4.50 for just a sandwich and go up to €7 for fries and soda. Look out for friteries (also known as frietkot), popular Belgian takeaway stands, offering fries paired with grilled or fried meat. A cone of frites with sauce will cost around €2.60.

3. Budget dinner: €10-€20

A dish of moules frites (mussels and fries) ranges between €18-€25 and a serving of carbonade flamande (beef stew made with beer) is €14-€18. You should be able to find a traditional dinner at a restaurant in a less touristy part of town for around €12-€18.

Drinks and alcohol

·         A pint of standard beer is between €3.5-€4.50

·         At a grocery, a bottle of beer runs an average of €1.65 (seek out Belgium’s higher-end beers — they’re the best in the world)

·         Bottle of wine from the grocery: €7.00

·         Coffee: €2-€3

Transport cost

Transit fares are slightly more expensive when purchased inside the metro, tram, or bus. All transit systems run on the same ticket. MOBIB or MOBIB basic cards are chipped plastic cards, purchased from vending machines or on transit. Single-fare tickets can also be purchased. The Brussels Card includes unlimited transportation and entrance to multiple sights and museums for 24/48/72 hours (€22/€29/€35).

Single fare (for one hour):

·         1 JUMP fare (outside vehicle): €2.10

·         1 JUMP fare (inside vehicle): €2.50

·         5 JUMP fares: €8.00

·         10 JUMP fares: €14.00

Unlimited tickets:

·         24-hour JUMP fare: €7.50

·         48-hour JUMP fare: €14.00

·         72-hour JUMP fare: €18.00

Getting to/from the airport:

·         Airport transport, 1 journey ticket (purchased outside vehicle): €4.50

·         Airport transport, 1 journey ticket (purchased inside vehicle): €6.00

·         Taxi from Brussels city center to airport: Around €45

Hostel/Hotel accommodation

Hotel and hostel prices are on the expensive side in Brussels. Brussels doesn’t have very many hostels, so that pushes prices up.

1. Hostels: €18-€39 (Bed in a shared dorm room)

You should budget about 25€/night per person for a decent hostel — although many hostels raise their prices on the weekend. Remember, these prices are for a bed in a shared dorm room. If you want a private room, expect to pay 60€-100€ total (for two people).

2. Budget Hotels: €70-€150

A decent budget hotel in the city center will cost around €90-110/night. You can find cheaper hotels if you want to stay farther away from the center of the city or if you don’t mind staying in a junky place.

3. Rental Apartment: €40-€100/night

From my experience, rental apartments (Airbnb) tend to be much bigger and much nicer than similarly priced hotel rooms. Plus, you’ll get a kitchen so you can save more money by cooking your own meals. There are quite a few nice Airbnb options available in Brussels — you should be able to find a highly rated studio or 1-bedroom for around €50-€80/night. If you want to rent a room in someone’s place, expect to pay around €20-€50/night.

While tailoring your budget, make sure to add the Horta Museum in Brussels in your plan. Brussels airport shuttle bus awaits for you once you arrive, ready to take you on urban exploring.