🇧🇪 Belgium · A realistic 2026 budget for newcomers — rent, food, transport, and what a month actually costs.
Wondering how far your salary goes in Liège? 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 (Carré, Saint-Léonard, Guillemins)EUR 600–850 / month
One-bed flat, outer districts and neighbouring communesEUR 500–700 / month
Student room under a permis de locationEUR 320–480 / month, charges usually included
Utilities and internet, one personEUR 150–240 / month
Groceries, one personEUR 280–380 / month
Boulets à la liégeoise with frites — the restaurant plateEUR 16–22
Coffee in a café off the Place du MarchéEUR 2.60–3.30
TEC annual network passEUR 300–400 / year, often reimbursed by employers
Good to know
Population
≈197,000 in the commune of Liège — the largest city in Wallonia — set in an agglomeration of many separate communes including Seraing, Herstal and Ans
Languages
French. Walloon survives in expressions, place names and the August festivities rather than as a daily language. English is markedly less widespread than in the Flemish cities
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 with a continental edge — colder winters and warmer summers than the coast, and enough relief around the Meuse valley for real weather differences within the city
Region
Wallonia — Walloon work permits with higher salary floors than Flanders, a free compulsory integration pathway, the Walloon lease decree, and no low emission zone anywhere in the region
Communal tax surcharge
8.0% for assessment year 2026 — the highest of Belgium's major cities, against 6.5% in Ghent and 4.9% in the City of Brussels
Some of this may be out of date.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 Liège checklist so nothing setup-related catches you off guard.
Plan your move to Liège
A free, AI-personalized plan — the language, culture, and setup steps timed to your move date.