Belgium on a budget: how to do it well
Short answer
Belgium on a budget is possible at about €110 per person per day sharing a room, using trains, street food and free old-town walks. Hostels in Brussels, Ghent and Bruges make it cheaper still for solo travellers.
A realistic daily budget
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing) | €55 | €100 | €220 |
| Food & drink | €30 | €55 | €110 |
| Sights & tickets | €15 | €35 | €60 |
| Local transport | €10 | €20 | €40 |
| Per person, per day | €110 | €210 | €430 |
Approximate 2026 prices, two people sharing a room. From our Belgium day-cost table.
Free things to do
- The Grand-Place in Brussels, especially lit up at night
- The Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert and the Comic Book Route murals
- Bruges canals, the Begijnhof and the Minnewater lake
- Graslei and Korenlei quays in Ghent
- Antwerp Central Station and the Grote Markt
- Manneken Pis and the Mont des Arts viewpoint in Brussels
Cheap eats
- Frites with mayonnaise from a frietkot: about €4–6
- Waffle from a stall: about €3–7
- Sandwich or 'mitraillette' from a snack bar: about €6–9
- Lunch menu (plat du jour): about €15–20
- A local beer in a neighbourhood bar: about €4–5
Where to sleep for less
Budget travellers stay in Brussels near Gare Centrale or Sainte-Catherine, or in Ghent, where hostels have dorm beds of roughly €25–45 and budget doubles cost about €100–160 (around €55 per person sharing). Bruges hostels are pricier in summer.
Getting around cheaply
Trains are the backbone: Brussels to Bruges about 1 hour, Ghent 30–35 minutes, Antwerp 40–50 minutes, with weekend discounts. In Brussels, one ticket covers metro, tram and bus. From Brussels Airport, the train takes about 20 minutes but carries a station supplement; the bus to Brussels-Nord or Schuman can be cheaper.
A sample budget day
- Morning: train to Ghent (weekend return fare), walk the Graslei
- Lunch: frites and a sandwich (about €10)
- Afternoon: Gravensteen castle (about €13) or St Bavo's Cathedral
- Evening: dinner from a lunch-style menu or snack bar and a local beer
- Total: about €110 including a shared budget room
More ways to save
- Use the SNCB/NMBS app and look for weekend and youth fares.
- Stay in one base city to avoid paying multiple city taxes and check-ins.
- Picnic with supermarket bread, cheese and beer (Delhaize, Colruyt).
- Pick one paid museum a day and enjoy the free old towns the rest of the time.
- Visit in the shoulder season for cheaper rooms in Bruges.
- Drink tap water: ask for 'water from the tap', though some restaurants charge for bottled only.
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Common questions
Can you travel Belgium on a budget?
Yes, at about €110 a day per person sharing a room, with trains, frites, waffles and free walks in the old towns.
Is it cheaper to stay in Brussels or Bruges?
Usually Brussels or Ghent. Bruges is easy as a day trip, about an hour by train.
How do I get from Brussels Airport to the centre cheaply?
The train takes about 20 minutes but includes an airport supplement; city buses to Brussels-Nord or Schuman can be cheaper.