How to Live in Brussels on a Student Budget
How to Live in Brussels on a Student Budget
Brussels is one of the more affordable capital cities in Western Europe — but student and intern budgets are tight everywhere. With a few local tricks, you can live well here without draining your account. Here's how.
Housing: your biggest lever
Rent is by far your largest cost, so this is where smart choices pay off most.
- Budget coliving beats a lonely studio on value: one all-in payment (rent + utilities + wifi + cleaning) with no furniture to buy and instant community. The cheapest operators — Ikoab, Colive, and Coloc Housing — start around €500–€650/month.
- Cheaper neighbourhoods: Schaerbeek and Forest offer real value a tram ride from the centre.
- Compare before you sign: our price comparison lays out every operator's range side by side.
See our full student housing guide for more.
Transport: get the young rate
- STIB/MIVB (metro/tram/bus) offers a heavily discounted annual pass for under-25s — a fraction of the adult price. If you're a student or young, this is a no-brainer.
- Trains (SNCB/NMBS): the Go Pass / Youth Multi gives under-26s 10 trips at a low flat rate — perfect for cheap day trips to Ghent or the coast.
- Villo! bike-share and walking are free-ish and Brussels is compact.
Food: eat well for less
- Cook with housemates. The single biggest food saving. Split a Sunday market shop at Gare du Midi and cook a group dinner — cheaper and more fun than eating alone.
- Lunch menus (plat du jour) get you a proper restaurant meal at half the dinner price.
- Cheap eats: a mitraillette or fries from a fritkot, a Turkish grill on Rue de Brabant, or African food in Matonge — all filling and under €10. See where locals eat.
- Supermarket tiers: Aldi and Lidl for basics, Colruyt for value, Delhaize/Carrefour for more choice.
Free & cheap fun
Brussels rewards the broke-but-curious:
- First Sunday of the month: many museums are free (see our museums guide). Build your culture calendar around it.
- Free festivals: Brussels Jazz Weekend, Fête de la Musique, and the Christmas market cost nothing to enjoy — see the events calendar.
- Parks: the Bois de la Cambre, Parc du Cinquantenaire, and the Ixelles ponds are free all year.
- Apéro at home: a house terrace beats a bar tab. Belgian supermarket beer is cheap and excellent.
Student discounts & admin
- Carry your student card — discounts apply at museums, cinemas, and some shops.
- Register your mutuelle (health insurance) — it reimburses much of your doctor visits.
- Look into student jobs (Belgium has a favourable student-work regime with reduced social contributions up to an annual hour cap) if your visa/status allows.
A realistic monthly budget
A rough student/intern month in Brussels might look like:
| Item | Approx. monthly |
|---|---|
| Budget coliving room (all-in) | €550–€700 |
| Groceries (cooking mostly) | €200–€250 |
| Transport (under-25 pass) | ~€12–€50 |
| Phone/SIM | €10–€20 |
| Fun (going out, trips) | €100–€200 |
| Total | ~€900–€1,200 |
Trim the "fun" line in lean months and it goes lower. All-in coliving keeps the big number predictable — no surprise utility bills.
The one move that matters most
Get the housing right. A well-chosen budget coliving room fixes your single biggest cost, kills surprise bills, and hands you a built-in social life so you're not spending money to fight loneliness. Everything else is small tweaks around that.
On a budget? Compare coliving prices, see student housing options, or take the matchmaker quiz.
Ready to find your coliving space in Brussels?