Community Events
#52
of 124 cities
6 events on luma
Current value
#103 of 124
Europe
Brussels
Belgium
Salary & Cost of Living
How do salaries and expenses in Brussels compare to San Francisco?
Purchasing Power Comparison
An engineer in Brussels is 65% worse off vs in San Francisco
This shows how far a software engineer's salary goes in Brussels compared to San Francisco, taking into account both salary differences and cost of living.
Net Salary
$37,195
-$135K (-78%) vs San Francisco
Tax Rate: 40%
Community Insights
NewBrussels offers a polarized experience for software engineers. Financially, it is a haven for freelancers who can navigate the corporate tax system to retain significant wealth, but often frustrating for salaried employees who see nearly half their income vanish in taxes. Culturally, it is a true international melting pot where you can survive entirely on English, yet it struggles with a reputation for being somewhat gritty and bureaucratic. The city serves as an excellent, affordable base for exploring Europe, provided you can handle the gray weather and navigate the complex administrative landscape.
Resident Sentiment
The sentiment is cautiously positive but pragmatic. Long-term residents (especially freelancers) tend to appreciate the high quality of life, food, and travel convenience once they've "hacked" the system. However, newcomers frequently express shock at the low net salaries and frustration with the slow government processes. There is a recurring theme of people loving the social aspect of the international bubble but complaining about the infrastructure (trash, safety, traffic) and weather.
Rankings
Middle of the pack
Comfortable Weather
#66
of 124 cities
41/100 weather score
Current value
Cost of Living
#70
of 124 cities
55/100
Current value (lower is better)
Housing Affordability
How affordable is housing for a software engineer in Brussels compared to San Francisco?
Salary Converter
Enter your annual gross salary (before taxes) to see what you would need to earn in Brussels to maintain the same standard of living.
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