🇧🇪 Belgium · A realistic 2026 budget for newcomers — rent, food, transport, and what a month actually costs.
Wondering how far your salary goes in Ghent? Here’s what everyday life costs, in local prices — the numbers that matter when you’re deciding to move or negotiating a package.
What things cost
One-bed flat, central (Patershol, Prinsenhof, around the Kouter)EUR 850–1,150 / month
Student kot, room with shared kitchenEUR 400–600 / month, charges usually included
Utilities and internet, one personEUR 150–240 / month
Groceries, one personEUR 290–400 / month
Dagschotel — the lunchtime plate in an ordinary brown barEUR 16–24
Coffee in a city-centre caféEUR 3.00–3.60
De Lijn annual network passEUR 300–400 / year, often reimbursed by employers
Good to know
Population
≈272,000 in the municipality — Flanders' second city — with tens of thousands of university and college students on top of that during term
Languages
Dutch, with a strong local accent. English is spoken almost universally in a city this student-heavy; French is understood but is not the administrative language
Currency
Euro (EUR)
Time zone
CET (GMT+1), CEST (GMT+2) from late March to late October
Power plug
Type E, 230 V — the socket has a protruding earth pin, so some German and Dutch Schuko plugs sit awkwardly
Climate
Temperate maritime — grey and damp for much of the year, mild winters, warm rather than hot summers
Region
Flanders — which means Flemish work permits, compulsory civic integration, the Flemish Housing Rental Decree and a Flemish low emission zone, all different from Brussels
Communal tax surcharge
6.5% for assessment year 2026 — the lowest of the big Flemish cities, against 7.0% in Antwerp and 6.9% in Bruges
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.
A note on budgeting
Rent is usually the swing factor — location and whether bills are included move the number most. Build your estimate from the rent band above, add a monthly living figure, and keep a buffer for one-off setup costs (deposits, a residence permit, a local SIM, first-month transport). Globe Quest turns this into a personalized Ghent checklist so nothing setup-related catches you off guard.
Plan your move to Ghent
A free, AI-personalized plan — the language, culture, and setup steps timed to your move date.