Studying In Belgium is one of the dreams of most International Students who want to study abroad. There are many offers which include Studying in Belgium in English. The World Scholarship Forum Team has arranged all the details you need which include the Cost of Living In Belgium. Take your time and go through this post am sure you will get answers to your questions.
Costs of Studying and Living in Belgium: With the Most Affordable Tuition Fees
Belgium is a fantastically charming country that simply conquers your heart, whether you’re just a visitor or an international student. With nice landscapes, breath-taking architecture, and a high multicultural environment, in Belgium, you can truly feel at home. As a student here, you can benefit from excellent higher education, and overall, the cost of living and tuition fees are quite affordable.
University tuition fees in Belgium
Universities in Belgium charge different tuition fees, depending on each of the three main regions of Belgium, most of them not exceeding 835 EUR/year. Foreign students from outside the EU pay specific tuition fees, set by ARES (Academy of Research and Higher Education) but they are usually not allowed to exceed five times the amount of the ordinary tuition fees (a total of 4,175 EUR/year).
Tuition fees in universities from the Flemish community
EU students: around 50 EUR/yearnon-EU students can be charged from 40 to 1,500 EUR/year.
The variable rate depends on the student’s income, study program, and whether the student is eligible for a grant/scholarship.
Tuition fees in universities from the French community
EU students: from 374 to 840 EUR/year depending on their incomeNon-EU students: from 890 to up to 4,175 EUR/year.
Tuition fees in universities from the German community
Tuition fees range from 100 to 600 EUR/year.The majority of students pay an average fee of 425 EUR/year.
Most affordable universities in Belgium
Check the list of universities in Belgium with the most affordable tuition fees:
Tuition fees at top-ranked Belgium universities
Here is a list of average tuition fees at the top-ranked Belgium universities:
Living costs in Belgium
Living costs in Belgium are variable, depending on the city you live in, with Brussels, the capital, as the most expensive city in the country. The highest amounts of your budget would be spent on accommodation and if you decide to eat mostly at the restaurant, you should be aware that some of them have expensive prices. Check the average costs of living in some Belgian student cities:
Antwerp: around 850 EUR/yearBrussels and Gent: between 800 and 950 EUR/yearLeuven: around 720–820 EUR/yearLiege: around 750–800 EUR/year
Accommodation in Belgium
Prices for accommodation are in line with the international average (200 – 400 EUR/month) only when it comes to student halls of residence. For the rest of the housing options, especially when it comes to renting an apartment, prices are usually higher than 400 EUR/month. The main accommodation options for students in Belgium are: If you will live with your partner and/or child(ren), the price for rent would range from 600 to 850 EUR/month, and in some cases, you could pay even more. Utility bills (electricity, water, internet) would be another 150 EUR/month.
Food costs in Belgium
Buying from the supermarket and cooking at home is the cheapest option when it comes to food costs. On average, you would spend around 150 EUR/month on your groceries and you should check the cheapest supermarkets: Lidl, Aldi, Red Market, and Colruyt. However, eating out once in a while is a nice experience and in Belgium is really worth it. A meal in a budget restaurant is between 7 and 12 EUR, and even less in Antwerp, for example. With prices between 4 and 16 EUR, you can eat soups, salads, platters of cheese, and cold meats and patisserie at Le Pain Quotidien restaurant chain. Try a fancy restaurant in Brussels, called La Mer du Nord / De Nordsee, serving croquettes aux crevettes, escargots de mer (whelks), fish soup, pickled herring, smoked mackerel and salmon, hot dishes of crab and scallops all at about 6 – 8 EUR.
Transportation in Belgium
The easiest and also cheapest ways to travel while living in a Belgian city are trains and buses. A monthly pass for students on public transportation usually costs around 20 EUR/month. The train network in Belgium is one of the best in Europe and fares have low prices. For example, a forty-minute trip from Ghent to Brussels costs 7.50 EUR. Prices for taxi rides: around 25 EUR for inner-city trips.
Extra costs
Here are a few examples of other expenses while living in Belgium:
Books: 35 – 50 EUR/monthEntertainment: 50 EUR/monthInsurance/ health care: 30 EUR/month
Tip: Buy second-hand books; you can look for announcement boards at your campus, as some students sell their books for good prices. You can also check Studbooks. be an online platform where students buy and sell their books second-hand (available in Dutch only).
Scholarships in Belgium
Scholarships for international students in Belgium are offered by some universities, the government, the Academy of Research and Higher Education, and other Belgian agencies or organizations. Examples of scholarships:
Master Mind Scholarships provided by the government of FlandersARES Scholarships in Belgium – for students coming from developing countriesErasmus Mundus Scholarships for International Students
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