Assignment in Brussels

Today I would like to discuss Brussels in Belgium. If you were to be sent to Brussels on an expatriate assignment or if you were to relocate there, you are likely to experience:

• Weather that is temperate with mild winters and cool summers, mostly rainy, humid and cloudy;
• You will meet people who speak Dutch (local variant called Flemish), French, and German;
• The cost of clothing is very high;
• The cost of food and beverages is very high;
• The cost of housing is average;
• The cost of transport is very high;
• Brussels is the de facto capital city of the European Union (EU) and the largest urban area in Belgium;
• 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;
• From a day to day comfort perspective, you are likely to experience very little hardship;
• Be sure to negotiate an appropriate salary or allowance to compensate for the cost of living. 

If you live in Brussels or if you lived there recently, let us know what your experience has been. Would you live in Brussels again?