Belgium, Brussels Cost of Living April 2010

Country Full Name: Kingdom of Belgium.

Location: Belgium is in Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands.

Country Climate: Temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy.

Country Terrain: Flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast.

Major Languages: Dutch (local variant called Flemish), French, German.

Major Religions: Christianity.

Country Population: 10.7 million (2008 est.) 10.7 million (2009 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of Belgium is a modern, private enterprise economy that has capitalized on its central geographic location, highly developed transport network, and diversified industrial and commercial base.

Currency: Euro (EUR).

Country Inflation: 4.5% (2008 est.) 0.15% (2009 est.).

City: Brussels is the de facto capital city of the European Union (EU) and the largest urban area in Belgium.

City Economy: Serving as the centre of administration for Europe, Brussels' economy is largely service-oriented. It is dominated by regional and world headquarters of multinationals, by European institutions, by various administrations, and by related services, though it does have a number of notable craft industries, such as the Cantillon Brewery, a lambic brewery founded in 1900.

Cost of Living: Brussels has an overall cost of living index which equates it with high cost of living locations. The overall cost of living index is comprised of the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across all 13 Basket Groups. Brussels is currently ranked 44 overall, most expensive place in the world for expatriates to live, out of 282 international locations.

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