Relatively low rents

Renting is the best option for short-stay researchers.
Rents in Belgium are pretty reasonable and won’t
usually dent the family budget.

Depending on your family circumstances, your accom-
modation costs will range from 30 to 36% of your
salary, compared with over 40% in some other European
countries.

So how much does it cost to rent a property
in Flanders?

The 2005 Woonsurvey, a study of housing prices, listed average rents
in Flanders as varying from €234 to €321 for a bedsit or room to between
€471 and €498 for a flat or small house.

Rents are index-linked, so tend to rise a little each year (in line with changes
in the consumer index).

In university towns, rents can be slightly higher. No precise international comparison
of rents was available at the time of writing. Of course, avoiding neighbourhoods that
are in high demand can lower your outlay even further.