2 days in Brussels on a Budget: Full Cost Breakdown
Brussels is often seen as one of the more expensive cities in Europe, so I wanted to find out what a 2-day trip would actually cost.
After visiting Budapest, Rotterdam and Wroclaw on a budget, I decided to compare Brussels and see whether it could also be explored without spending a fortune.
In this guide, I’ll break down all my expenses, share where I saved money and show what two days in Brussels really cost.
Total Budget Overview
While the total cost including flights was €420.15, the actual cost in Brussels was only €55.90 for 2 days.
This was mainly possible because I stayed at a friend’s house and focused on free attractions. Despite Brussels being known as an expensive city, I was surprised by how much I could see and do on a relatively small budget.
Accommodation
I stayed at a friend’s house, which reduced my accommodation cost to €0.
This saved a significant amount of money, as hotels in Brussels are generally not cheap. The location was also convenient: only around 10 minutes by car from the airport and about 21 minutes from Zaventem Station via Brussels Central Station .
Staying with a local was one of the biggest reasons why I was able to keep my overall budget low.
Food
Food in Brussels was more affordable than I expected. I spent only €30.50 for 2 days, including breakfast, lunch, dinner and a traditional Belgian waffle.
Here’s what I ate:
- 🛒 Budget lunch (Day 1):
Carrefour Express supermarket: small pizza and a sandwich - 🧇 Belgian waffle:
A classic waffle from a local waffle stand - 🥗 Dinner:
Pokawa Poke Bar: poke bowl - 🥐 Breakfast (Day 2):
Two croissants from Albert Heijn supermarket - 🍟 Lunch:
Traditional Belgian fries from J. Vandervaeren Friterie near the Atomium - 🥪 Airport dinner:
Cheese sandwich before the flight home
Overall
- Supermarkets were the biggest money saver
- Traditional Belgian fries were surprisingly affordable
- Restaurants were generally more expensive than in Wroclaw
- Finding budget-friendly restaurants required a bit more research
One thing I noticed was that the Carrefour Express supermarket a lot of ready-made meals offered, making it easy to eat something warm without spending restaurant prices.
Transport
Brussels was the first city in my project where transport became a noticeable expense.
We walked a lot:
- Day 1: ~20,020 steps
- Day 2: ~15,074 steps
However, some attractions were too far apart to walk everywhere, so I regularly used trains and the metro.
Typical prices:
- Metro ticket: around €2.90
- Train ticket: around €2.70
Young travelers under 26 can sometimes receive discounts depending on the route and day.
Airport Transfer Tip
Instead of taking the direct airport train to Brussels Central Station, my local friend recommended a cheaper option:
- Bus from Brussels Airport to Zaventem Station (~€3)
- Train from Zaventem to Brussels Central (~€2.70)
This can help reduce airport transfer costs.
While individual tickets seem affordable, transport costs can add up quickly if you use them several times per day.
Free/Cheap Activities
One of the biggest surprises in Brussels was how many attractions could be visited for free.
I visited:
- Grand Place
- Mont des Arts
- Manneken Pis
- Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert
- Saint Michael and Saint Gudula Cathedral (inside)
- Royal Palace (outside)
- Palace of Justice (outside)
- Brussels Park
- Cinquantenaire Park
- Atomium (outside)
I also enjoyed the panoramic view of Brussels from the Palace of Justice elevator, which is completely free.
Museum Tip
Every first Sunday of the month, many museums in Brussels offer free entry.
Because I visited during one of these weekends, I was able to enter the BELvue Museum for free instead of paying the regular entrance fee.
This was one of the best budget travel tips I discovered during the trip.
2-Day Itinerary
Day 1
Morning
After landing in Brussels, my friend picked me up at the airport and we briefly stopped at her house to leave our luggage. From there, we drove to Zaventem Station and took the train to Brussels Central Station (21 min).
Our first stop was Mont des Arts, just a 2-minute walk from the station. We explored the gardens, climbed the stairs, and enjoyed the views over the city. Next, we walked 9 minutes to Saint Michael & Saint Gudula Cathedral and visited the church from the inside.
For lunch, we walked 4 minutes to a Carrefour Express supermarket, bought a small pizza and a sandwich and returned to the cathedral area to eat.
Afternoon
From the cathedral, we walked 4 minutes to the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert and explored the historic shopping galleries.
After that, we walked 1 minute to Grand Place, Brussels’ most famous square. Because several weddings were taking place, we were even able to access a courtyard that is normally closed to visitors.
Next, we walked 4 minutes to Manneken Pis and took some photos. Just around the corner, I bought a traditional Belgian waffle and enjoyed it in a nearby side street.
From there, we walked around 25 minutes to the Marolles Elevator, which took us up to the area around the Palace of Justice. Although the building was under renovation, we still enjoyed the panoramic views over Brussels and relaxed for a while.
We then walked around 20 minutes to Pokawa Poke Bar for dinner.
Evening
After dinner, we returned to the city center and explored Grand Place and the Galeries Royales at night. The illuminated buildings looked completely different after sunset and were one of the highlights of the trip.
➡️ Every attraction on Day 1 were completely free.
Day 2
Morning
Before heading into the city, we stopped at a supermarket near my friend’s house and bought two croissants for breakfast. We then returned to Zaventem Station and took the train to Brussels Central Station (21 min).
From the station, we walked 9 minutes to Brussels Park and explored the area. We continued through the park and reached the Royal Palace after about 8 minutes.
From there, it was only a 2-minute walk to the BELvue Museum, which we were able to visit for free thanks to Brussels’ first-Sunday-of-the-month museum program.
Afternoon
Normally, we would have taken the metro directly from the park area, but due to technical issues we had to walk around 35 minutes to Arts-Loi Metro Station.
We then took the metro (about 8 min) to the Cinquantenaire Park area and spent some time exploring the park and its monuments.
Afterwards, we walked 13 minutes to Montgomery Station and took the metro for around 29 minutes to the Atomium. Near the Atomium, I tried traditional Belgian fries from J. Vandervaeren Friterie and relaxed in the nearby park.
Later, we took the metro for about 11 minutes to Docks Bruxsel and walked 8 minutes to Schaerbeek Station. Because it was Sunday, train frequencies were lower and we had to wait around 40 minutes before boarding our train back to Zaventem Station (10 min).
Evening
Back at my friend’s house, we relaxed for a while before heading to the airport. Before my flight back to Switzerland, I bought a simple cheese sandwich at the airport for dinner.
➡️ Even with several train and metro journeys, I was able to keep the overall budget relatively low by focusing on free attractions and affordable food options.
Comparison: Brussels vs Wroclaw
After visiting both cities on a budget, I noticed some clear differences.
💸 Daily Costs
- Wroclaw: around €85 for 2 days (including accommodation)
- Brussels: around €56 for 2 days
👉 Brussels was cheaper for me because I stayed with a friend and didn’t have to pay for accommodation.
🏨 Accommodation
- Wroclaw: Affordable hotel (€41 per person)
- Brussels: Free accommodation at a friend’s house
👉 Without free accommodation, Wroclaw is the more budget-friendly choice.
🍽️ Food
- Wroclaw: Restaurants were very affordable, making it easy to eat out several times.
- Brussels: Supermarkets helped keep food costs low, while restaurants required a bit more planning.
👉 Wroclaw offers better value for restaurant meals.
🚆 Transport
- Wroclaw: Public transport cost around €1 per ride.
- Brussels: Train and metro tickets were around €2.70–2.90 each and added up quickly.
👉 Wroclaw clearly wins when it comes to transport costs.
🏛️ Activities
Both cities offer many free attractions.
However, Brussels has a great advantage: on the first Sunday of every month, many museums offer free entry.
Overall
If you have to pay for accommodation, Wroclaw is the more budget-friendly destination overall.
Brussels can still be surprisingly affordable, especially if you stay with friends, use supermarkets and focus on free attractions.
Final thoughts
Before visiting Brussels, I expected it to be one of the more expensive cities in my budget travel project.
Although transport costs were noticeably higher than in Wroclaw, I was surprised by how affordable food could be with smart choices and how many attractions could be visited for free.
The biggest factor that reduced my budget was staying with a friend, which saved me a significant amount of money on accommodation.
Overall, Brussels showed me that even cities with a more expensive reputation can be explored on a reasonable budget if you plan ahead, walk whenever possible and make smart spending decisions.
If you’re looking for the cheapest overall destination, I would still recommend Wroclaw. But if you have the opportunity to stay with friends or family, Brussels can also be an excellent budget-friendly city break.
Save this guide for your next trip to Brussels! 🇧🇪
