We did Brussels on €50 a day — here's how
People assume a chocolate-and-beer capital is expensive. We set ourselves a challenge — €50 a day each, excluding the hotel — and not only managed it, but barely felt the limit. Here’s the actual breakdown.
The big secret: the best stuff is free
Brussels’ single greatest sight, the Grand-Place, costs nothing. So does Manneken-Pis, the comic mural hunt (a genuinely fun free afternoon — murals map), wandering the Art Nouveau streets of Saint-Gilles (walking route), the Marolles flea market, and the parks. We filled half our trip on €0 of attractions (budget guide).
Bonus: it happened to be the first Wednesday of the month, when lots of museums are free in the afternoon. We did the Magritte for nothing.
Eating cheap and well
This is the joy of Brussels — the classic food is the cheap food:
- Frites from Maison Antoine: about €4, and genuinely the best chips of the trip (best frites).
- A waffle: €2–4, plain and perfect.
- Falafel around Saint-Géry for a few euros.
- Bakery lunches — quiche, sandwiches — cheap and good.
- A plat du jour lunch when we wanted to sit down.
We ate brilliantly without ever needing a “proper” restaurant bill.
Where the €50 went
A rough day looked like: a few euros on a STIB day pass (mostly we walked), under €15 on food across the day, one Belgian beer in a historic café for the experience (~€5), and the rest on a treat — a box of pralines, or a paid attraction. Easily under €50, often well under.
The splurges worth it
Within the budget, two things earned their place: one great beer in a brown café (you’re paying for the room as much as the drink), and a box of chocolate from a real maker to take home (souvenirs). Skip the tourist-trap chocolate and the Grand-Place terraces, and there’s room for the good stuff.
The takeaway
Brussels is one of the best-value capitals in Western Europe if you lean into the free sights and the cheap classics. €50 a day excluding accommodation was comfortable, not stingy. Spend the savings on the things actually worth paying for — proper beer, proper chocolate — and skip the rest. Full plan in our budget itinerary and budget guide.
