The results of the annual ‘Kotkompas’, a survey of student accommodation in towns and cities across Belgium, show that Brussels is the most expensive city in the country for students wish to rent digs. The results of the survey form the basis of articles in Tuesday’s editions of the dailies ‘De Tijd’ and ‘Het Laatste Nieuws’. The average monthly rent for student accommodation in the capital is 680 euro. This is almost 20% higher than the national average monthly rent for student digs that currently stands at 575 euro.
The average monthly rent for student accommodation in Brussels is currently 30 euro or 5% higher than it was a year ago. The increase is sharper than in other towns and cities elsewhere in Belgium.
In Flanders students currently pay an average of 595 euro/month for their digs, an increase of 2.6% on a year ago. Student accommodation in Wallonia is cheaper with rents there averaging 520 euro/month.
Shortage of student accommodation
The shortage of student accommodation is more acute in Brussels than in the rest of the country. Arne Hermans of the student accommodation agency Diggit Studentlife says that in addition to this there are more foreign students with a larger budget to spend on rent than is the case in other towns and cities in Belgium.
Furthermore, "There are more rules imposed by the regional authorities in Brussels than is the case elsewhere”.
During the past 4 years, the average monthly rent for student accommodation in Belgium has increased by 21%. Students (or their parents) are currently paying 100 euro/month more than they were in 2020.
All the prices listed above are “all-in” and include electricity, water, heating and in internet. These “monthly costs” have increased the most, from 70 euro/month in 2020 to 100 euro/month now.