By European standards, Belgium is a moderately expensive country; however, with the disparity between the Euro and the US dollar, Belgium is quite expensive for American expatriates. According a recent expatriate cost of living survey compiled by UBS, average prices in Brussels are 5.5 percent higher than those in New York, North America’s most expensive city. When rent is excluded from the calculation, Brussels is considered to be 18 percent less expensive than New York. Brussels is also, on average, less expensive than more than half of Western European capitals, such as London, Paris and Stockholm.

Wage levels have appreciated with the rise in the Euro. Currently, workers in Brussels are paid about 3.6 percent more gross wages on average than workers in New York. Due to the higher rate of taxation in Belgium, net wages in Brussels are about 6.7 percent lower than in New York.

This is just a sample of what you'll find in the complete Belgium guide.