Belgium captivates visitors with its medieval cities, world-class chocolates, and rich artistic heritage. From the grand canals of Bruges to the vibrant Art Nouveau architecture of Brussels, this compact country offers an unforgettable blend of culture, cuisine, and historic charm.
Local currency: Euro (€).
Daily budget by traveller style
Typical per-person daily spend in Belgium.
Cost breakdown
Typical price ranges across major spending categories.
Accommodation
- Hostel Dorm
- €20-35 per night
- Budget Hotel
- €60-90 per night
- Midrange Hotel
- €100-170 per night
- Boutique Hotel
- €180-280 per night
- Luxury Hotel
- €280-500+ per night
- Airbnb Private Room
- €55-100 per night
- Airbnb Apartment
- €90-200 per night
- Notes
- Brussels, Bruges, and Ghent are most expensive. Liège and Mons are cheaper. Weekend prices in Bruges can be 30-50% higher than weekdays due to day-tripper demand.
Food
- Coffee
- €2.50-4.50 (espresso or flat white in a café)
- Bakery Breakfast
- €4-8 (croissant, pain au chocolat, bread roll with coffee)
- Friterie Frites
- €3-5 (Belgian chips with sauce, street food)
- Waffle Street
- €3-5 (Brussels or Liège style street waffle)
- Budget Lunch
- €8-14 (sandwich, plat du jour in simple brasserie)
- Brasserie Lunch
- €15-25 (full lunch with drink)
- Casual Dinner
- €20-35 per person (main, drink, dessert)
- Good Restaurant Dinner
- €40-65 per person with wine
- Michelin Dinner
- €100-250+ per person with wine pairing
- Supermarket Meal
- €5-10 (self-catering picnic ingredients)
- Beer In Bar
- €3-7 depending on beer type and bar
- Belgian Beer Tasting
- €15-25 (guided tasting of 4-6 beers)
Transport
- Metro Single Ticket
- €2.10 (Brussels STIB single journey)
- Brussels Day Pass
- €8.00 (unlimited STIB metro, bus, tram)
- Train Brussels Bruges
- €14-18 single, €22-28 return
- Train Brussels Ghent
- €9-12 single, €16-20 return
- Train Brussels Antwerp
- €7-10 single, €14-18 return
- Bruges Bruges Card
- €48 (48hr free museums and transport)
- Taxi Airport Brussels City
- €45-60 (fixed rate, 45 mins)
- Uber
- €12-25 within city centre
- Bicycle Rental Day
- €10-20 per day (Bruges and Ghent ideal for cycling)
- Villo Bike Share Brussels
- €1.60/30 mins (Brussels city bike scheme)
Activities
- Bruges Groeningemuseum
- €14
- Ghent Stam City Museum
- €10
- Brussels Royal Museums
- €16
- Brussels Atomium
- €16
- Brussels Comic Strip Centre
- €12
- Ghent Gravensteen Castle
- €14
- Bruges Halve Maan Brewery Tour
- €14 (includes beer)
- Brussels Cantillon Brewery
- €10 (includes 2 beers)
- Bruges Chocolate Workshop
- €55-65
- Beer Tasting Guided
- €25-50 (4-6 specialist beers with guide)
- Day Trip Waterloo
- €12 guided bus plus €14 battlefield museum entry
- Spa Town Thermes
- €25-35 (thermal bath access)
Trip budgets by length
What a typical trip to Belgium costs end-to-end.
Budget traveller
Per week €420-560, Profile Hostel accommodation, self-catering breakfasts, friterie lunches, brasserie plat du jour dinners, public transport, free attractions plus 2-3 paid museums, Notes Belgium's excellent hostel network, free walking attractions, and cheap friterie culture make budget travel very viable. Ghent and Liège are cheaper bases than Brussels or Bruges.
Midrange traveller
Per week €1050-1540, Profile 3-star hotel or Airbnb, café breakfasts, brasserie lunches, good restaurant dinners, transport passes plus occasional taxis, 4-5 museum/tour experiences, Notes This budget delivers a fully comfortable and high-quality Belgian experience including beer tastings, one brewery tour, chocolate workshop, and the best of Belgian cuisine.
Luxury traveller
Per week €2800-4900+, Profile 4-5 star boutique hotel, daily café breakfasts, Michelin or top brasserie dining, private transfers, private tours, spa treatments, premium experiences, Notes Belgium's luxury travel scene is outstanding - Bruges has exceptional boutique hotels in historic canal buildings, Brussels has Michelin dining to rival Paris, and the Ardennes offers world-class spa retreats.
Money-saving tips
Practical ways to stretch your budget further.
Buy a city transport day pass on your first full day - Brussels STIB pass (€8/day) and the Bruges Card (€48 for 48hrs covering 30+ museums plus transport) both represent excellent value compared to buying individual tickets.
Eat your main meal at lunch rather than dinner - Belgian brasseries typically offer a 'plat du jour' (daily special) at lunch for €12-16 that would cost €20-30+ at dinner. Quality is identical; only the time and price differ.
Supermarkets (Delhaize, Carrefour, Colruyt, Aldi) stock world-class Belgian beers at a fraction of bar prices. Buying a selection to drink in your hotel or a park is a legitimate and very Belgian way to experience the beer culture affordably.
Belgian Interrail or Eurail passes offer unlimited train travel between Belgian cities - Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, Brussels, and Liège are all under 1 hour apart. A single day's multi-city train travel easily covers the cost of a regional rail pass.
The second and third weeks of January and September are Belgium's off-peak travel periods when hotel prices drop 30-40% from peak season rates. Weather is fine and cities are less crowded.
Many Belgian museums offer free entry on the first Wednesday afternoon or Sunday of each month. The Royal Museums of Fine Arts in Brussels, the MAS in Antwerp, and several Ghent museums participate. Check individual museum websites.
Bruges' high tourist demand makes it one of Belgium's more expensive overnight destinations. Consider staying in Ghent (cheaper, equally beautiful, better food scene) and doing Bruges as a day trip by train (30 minutes, €7 single).
Free things to do
Memorable experiences that cost nothing.
Bruges Historic Centre Walk
The entire medieval centre of Bruges is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and free to explore on foot. Walking the canals, crossing the historic bridges, photographing the Belfry from the Markt, and wandering the Begijnhof costs nothing and rivals any paid attraction in Belgium.
Brussels Grand Place
The Grand Place (Grote Markt) is free to enter and one of Europe's most spectacular public squares. The gilded Gothic Town Hall and baroque guild houses are open to see at any time. Visit at dusk when the buildings are lit, or during the biennial Flower Carpet event (August, even years) when 500,000 begonias cover the square.
Brussels Comic Book Murals Walk
Over 60 giant comic strip murals (BD murals) are painted on building walls throughout central Brussels as part of the official Comic Book Route. A self-guided walking map is free from tourist offices and the route takes 2-3 hours covering Tintin, the Smurfs, Lucky Luke, Spirou, and many more. Entirely free.
Ghent Gravensteen Castle Exterior
The medieval Castle of the Counts (Gravensteen) is one of Belgium's most dramatic fortresses. While the interior costs €14, the exterior and surrounding moat area are free to view and photograph, and the castle seen from the canal is one of Ghent's iconic images. Walk the Lieve canal banks around it for free panoramic views.
Brussels Cinquantenaire Park
The vast Cinquantenaire Park in the EU Quarter is free and home to the monumental triumphal arch commissioned by King Leopold II. The park hosts weekend markets, free concerts, and picnics by Brussels residents. The Autoworld and military museums inside cost entry but the arch and park are free.
Manneken Pis and Jeanneke Pis
Brussels' famous 17th-century bronze statue of a urinating boy (Manneken Pis) is free to see on Rue de l'Etuve, a short walk from Grand Place. He is often dressed in elaborate costumes for city occasions - there is an official schedule. His female counterpart Jeanneke Pis is tucked in a small alley nearby. Both are free and very Belgian.
Ghent Vrijdagmarkt and Saturday Markets
Ghent's main market squares host free outdoor markets throughout the week. Vrijdagmarkt (Friday Market square) hosts antiques and flea markets; the Saturday organic market on Groentenmarkt is excellent for local produce, cheeses, and street food. Free to browse, very cheap to eat at.
Brussels Art Nouveau Architecture Walk
Brussels is the birthplace of Art Nouveau and the city has the world's greatest concentration of Art Nouveau buildings, many designed by Victor Horta. A self-guided walking tour of the Ixelles and Saint-Gilles neighbourhoods reveals dozens of extraordinary façades. The Horta Museum (Horta's own house) charges €10 entry, but the external architecture throughout the city is free to admire.
Atomium Exterior and Laeken Park
The Atomium (a giant iron crystal structure from the 1958 World Expo) charges €16 for interior access, but the exterior and the surrounding Laeken park area are free and photogenic. The Laeken Royal Greenhouses open to the public for a few weeks in spring (free or minimal charge) - one of Belgium's lesser-known gems.