Aside from the abundant gastronomical delights, Belgium boasts excellent housing, health care, education and infrastructure. Belgium continues to score highly compared to other countries when it comes to "quality of life" with impressive rates of high productivity and low poverty.
Even if the cost of living is considered high, it remains lower than the UK. Belgium competes with France for Michelin stars, illustrating its modern ‘haute cuisine' and its nightlife certainly has the edge over other European cities, with cafés and nightclubs open into the wee hours of the morning.
Recent studies show that a typical Belgian spends around €35.50 a month on personal items. Monthly consumption of food, drinks, household supplies, utility services, petrol (1.52 € a liter), dining expenses and health, amounts on average to €1,200-1500 a month.
As an example, a regular 1 liter pack of milk is 0.90 €, a 1.5 liter of bottled water 0.95 €, a loaf of fresh bread costs 2.00 €, a dozen eggs is 3.00 € and 1kg of fresh cheese costs 12.00€. Local beer costs 1.50 €, a bottle of wine is 9.00 € and a pack of cigarettes costs 5.50 €.
House accommodations and Real Estate
Rented accommodation usually costs around €400-€650 per month excluding utility bills, which on average can go up to €45-€55 per month (electricity, gas, water, garbage). A 100 minute call costs 10.00 € and Internet service costs (2 Mbps ADSL flat) 35.00 €.
A one-bedroom property in the city centre costs around 800.00 € dropping to 650.00 € in the outskirts. A two-bedroom property within the city costs 1,350.00 €. The cost per square meter to buy an apartment within the city is approximately 2,400.00 €. Of course, living outside the heart of the city saves many hundreds of Euros.
Expats are free to own properties in Belgium, as there are no restrictions on Foreign Ownership. House prices vary depending on the location and size of the property. A villa can go for around USD $250,000, a flat/apartment for around $87,500 and a townhouse for $190,000.
Key locations for buying properties include the capital, Brussels (home of most government employees), Antwerp (the largest city) and Ixelles. For more information on buying property in Belgium, please contact a Real Estate Agent or visit the Belgium Governments website: www.diplobel.fgov.be
Note than property tax must be paid and is based on the deemed rental value of the property as set out in the provisions of the "Cadastal Register." National rates are between 1.25-2.5%. Municipal and provincial surcharges also apply.
Transportation
A one-way train ticket costs around 1.30€ and a monthly pass is 42.00 €. Concession fares are available for young people and senior citizens. Antwerp, Brussels, Gent and Charleroi are fully equipped with reliable trams for commuters.
Taxi fares cost 13.50 € (5km). For taxi rides, an agreement on price can be made in advance with the driver, by booking on the phone or whilst in the taxi stands. In
Belgium, you do not flag down a taxi in the street.
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