Brussels vs Cambridge
On balanced weights, Cambridge comes out ahead: 59 against 50 out of 100, mostly on research output and money left each month. Your own weights, salary and household can change the answer; every figure below names its source.
Make it yours: compare Brussels and Cambridge with your own numbers
The verdict on default settings
The lines that move the score most: research output (Cambridge, +6.6 points); money left each month (Cambridge, +3.3 points); dry days (Cambridge, +0.5 points).
Balanced weights are the app's starting point, not a judgement: weights are set by you. Where a city lacks a figure, it gets the average score of the two on that line, so missing data neither helps nor hurts.
Line by line
| Line | Brussels | Cambridge |
|---|---|---|
| Money left each monthAfter tax, rent and everyday spending, what do you keep? | €3,095 take-home a month | €3,950 take-home a month |
| Cost of livingWhat does a month cost you there, rent included? | Add your rentWorld Development Indicators (country) | €3,269 a monthPrice Index of Private Rents; World Development Indicators |
| Nice daysHow many days a year are dry, mostly clear and feel the way you like? | 28 nice days a yearHistorical weather (ERA5 reanalysis) | 21 nice days a yearHistorical weather (ERA5 reanalysis) |
| Winter daylightHow long is the shortest day of the year? | 7 h 56 min | 7 h 42 min |
| SunshineHow many hours of sunshine in a year? | 1,604 h a yearWMO Climatological Standard Normals 1991-2020 | no data |
| Dry daysHow many days a year does it rain? | 145 wet days a yearHistorical weather (ERA5 reanalysis) | 127 wet days a yearHistorical weather (ERA5 reanalysis) |
| Clean airHow much fine dust (PM2.5) is in the air over a year? | 7.6 µg/m³WHO Ambient Air Quality Database v8.0 (2026) | no data |
| SafetyHow rare is violent death (homicides per 100,000 people a year)? | 1.1 homicides per 100kWorld Development Indicators (country) | 1.1 homicides per 100kWorld Development Indicators (country) |
| Long, healthy livesHow long do people live there? | 82.3 yearsWorld Development Indicators (country) | 81.4 yearsWorld Development Indicators (country) |
| Health costsWhat does your household pay for health care itself each month? | €95 a monthWorld Development Indicators (country) | €64 a monthWorld Development Indicators (country) |
| Childcare costsWhat does full-time childcare cost you each month, after public support? | no child of childcare age | no child of childcare age |
| Paid leave for parentsHow many weeks of fully paid leave do a mother and a father get between them? | 22 weeks (mother 15, father 7)OECD Family Database: parental leave systems (PF2.1) (country) | 12 weeks (mother 12, father 0)OECD Family Database: parental leave systems (PF2.1) (country) |
| HappinessHow do people there rate their own lives, 0 to 10? | 7.60 of 10OECD Well-being Database (How's Life?) (country) | 7.45 of 10OECD Well-being Database (How's Life?) (country) |
| Research outputHow much research and invention happens around you, per resident? | 54 of 100OpenAlex institutions | 95 of 100OpenAlex institutions |
| Time difference from homeHow many hours apart are the clocks there and at home? | set your home city | set your home city |
| Flight homeHow long is a nonstop flight home? | set your home city | set your home city |
| Airport nearbyHow far is the nearest major airport? | 11 kmOurAirports airports | 36 kmOurAirports airports |
| Public transportWhat share of commuters take the bus, tram, metro or train? | 40 % of commutersUrban Audit: cities and greater cities | 12 % of commutersUrban Audit: cities and greater cities |
| Rail and metro stationsHow many train and metro stations are within 10 km of the centre? | 118 stationsOpenStreetMap via the Overpass API | 6 stationsOpenStreetMap via the Overpass API |
| Short commutesHow long does the average journey to work take? | no data | no data |
| Cycle networkHow many km of cycle paths and separated cycle tracks are there per km² of land around the centre? | 1.66 km per km²OpenStreetMap via the Overpass API: walking and cycling | 0.93 km per km²OpenStreetMap via the Overpass API: walking and cycling |
| Everyday needs on footFrom what share of streets are a food shop, a pharmacy, a school, a park and a stop all within about 15 minutes' walk? | 100 % of streetsOpenStreetMap via the Overpass API: walking and cycling | 89 % of streetsOpenStreetMap via the Overpass API: walking and cycling |
| Walking and cycling to workWhat share of commuters walk or cycle to work? | 6.0 % of commutersUrban Audit: cities and greater cities | 48.8 % of commutersUrban Audit: cities and greater cities |
| Quick way out by bikeHow far does a cyclist ride from the centre before the dense city ends? | 5.9 km, about 24 min by bikeGHS Urban Centre Database 2025 (R2024A), general characteristics | 0.9 km, about 4 min by bikeGHS Urban Centre Database 2025 (R2024A), general characteristics |
| Near the seaHow far is the sea? | 73 kmNatural Earth (coastline, land, countries and populated places) | 65 kmNatural Earth (coastline, land, countries and populated places) |
| Near the mountainsHow far are the mountains (ground 1,000 m above the city)? | 300 kmTerrain Tiles (Terrarium) on AWS Open Data | 300 kmTerrain Tiles (Terrarium) on AWS Open Data |
| Green spaceHow much of the land around the centre is park, wood or other green space? | 18.4 % of landOpenStreetMap via the Overpass API | 9.1 % of landOpenStreetMap via the Overpass API |
| Fast internetHow fast are typical internet connections? | 45 Mbit/sM-Lab NDT statistics (daily city aggregates) | 64 Mbit/sM-Lab NDT statistics (daily city aggregates) |
| English spokenWhat share of people speak English? | 59 % speak EnglishCLDR territory information (country) | 98 % speak EnglishCLDR territory information (country) |
| International crowdWhat share of residents were born abroad? | 49.7 % born abroadUrban Audit: cities and greater cities | 33.3 % born abroadUrban Audit: cities and greater cities |
| DoctorsHow many doctors are there per 1,000 people? | 3.6 per 1,000World Development Indicators (country) | 3.3 per 1,000World Development Indicators (country) |
| JobsWhat share of people who want work cannot find it? | 5.9 % unemployedWorld Development Indicators (country) | 4.7 % unemployedWorld Development Indicators (country) |
| Graduates aroundWhat share of adults hold a degree or another qualification above school level? | 56.9 % of adultsPopulation by educational attainment and NUTS 2 region (edat_lfse_04) | 79.2 % of adultsUrban Audit: cities and greater cities |
| Developers aroundHow many people per 1,000 residents name the city as their location on GitHub? | 8.1 per 1,000GitHub user search | no data |
| Clean governmentHow well is corruption kept out of public life? | 1.36 of 2.5Worldwide Governance Indicators (country) | 1.53 of 2.5Worldwide Governance Indicators (country) |
| Politics, left to rightHow close is the way the place votes to where you stand, from left to right? | centre, 5.5 of 10; say where you standPolitical position from election results (country) | centre, 5.6 of 10; say where you standPolitical position from election results (country) |
| Abortion lawHow close is the law on ending a pregnancy to the one you want? | on request, 10 weeks or later; say where you standAbortion in law, from the statutes cited (country) | also on social or economic grounds; say where you standAbortion in law, from the statutes cited (country) |
| Same-sex couples in lawHow close is the law on same-sex couples to the one you want? | marriage; say where you standSame-sex couples in law, from the statutes cited (country) | marriage; say where you standSame-sex couples in law, from the statutes cited (country) |
| Founders Running ClubIs there a Founders Running Club chapter? | a chapterFounders Running Club communities | no chapterFounders Running Club communities |
| Coworking spacesHow many coworking spaces are within 10 km of the centre? | 53 spacesOpenStreetMap via the Overpass API | 6 spacesOpenStreetMap via the Overpass API |
| Climbing gymsHow many climbing gyms are within 10 km of the centre? | 15 gymsOpenStreetMap via the Overpass API | 5 gymsOpenStreetMap via the Overpass API |
| Swimming poolsHow many public pools are within 10 km of the centre? | 26 poolsOpenStreetMap via the Overpass API | 6 poolsOpenStreetMap via the Overpass API |
| Beach daysHow many days a year are hot, sunny and dry enough for the beach or a pool? | 8 days a yearHistorical weather (ERA5 reanalysis) | 6 days a yearHistorical weather (ERA5 reanalysis) |
| Run or ride daysOn how many days is there a dry, calm, cool-to-mild window for a run or a ride? | 263 days a yearHistorical weather (ERA5 reanalysis) | 276 days a yearHistorical weather (ERA5 reanalysis) |
| Few muggy daysHow many days a year is the air sticky with humidity? | 2 days a yearHistorical weather (ERA5 reanalysis) | 0 days a yearHistorical weather (ERA5 reanalysis) |
| Few grey daysHow many days a year is the sky overcast through the day? | 172 days a yearHistorical weather (ERA5 reanalysis) | 165 days a yearHistorical weather (ERA5 reanalysis) |
| Cool nights for sleepingHow many nights a year stay above 20 °C? | 1 days a yearHistorical weather (ERA5 reanalysis) | 0 days a yearHistorical weather (ERA5 reanalysis) |
| Few heat-stress daysHow many days a year feel 32 °C or hotter? | 4 days a yearHistorical weather (ERA5 reanalysis) | 1 days a yearHistorical weather (ERA5 reanalysis) |
| Few snow daysHow many days a year bring fresh snow? | 6 days a yearHistorical weather (ERA5 reanalysis) | 3 days a yearHistorical weather (ERA5 reanalysis) |
| Few windy daysHow many days a year are windy through the day? | 11 days a yearHistorical weather (ERA5 reanalysis) | 15 days a yearHistorical weather (ERA5 reanalysis) |
Who may move where depends on your passports: see each city's page, or add your household in the app.
Money on €60,000 a year
| A month | Brussels | Cambridge |
|---|---|---|
| Take-home pay | €3,095 | €3,950 |
| Rent and everyday spending | not known | €3,269 |
| Left each month | not known | €680 |
Assumed: one person, €60,000 gross a year, renting a one-bedroom home, and everyday spending of €1,200 a month in Lisbon scaled by each country's price level. These are the app's defaults; change any of them there.
Climate month by month
| Month | Brussels | Cambridge |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1 to 6 °C | 1 to 7 °C |
| Feb | 3 to 9 °C | 3 to 10 °C |
| Mar | 4 to 12 °C | 4 to 12 °C |
| Apr | 5 to 14 °C | 4 to 13 °C |
| May | 9 to 18 °C | 8 to 17 °C |
| Jun | 13 to 23 °C | 12 to 21 °C |
| Jul | 14 to 23 °C | 14 to 23 °C |
| Aug | 15 to 23 °C | 14 to 23 °C |
| Sep | 12 to 21 °C | 12 to 20 °C |
| Oct | 10 to 16 °C | 9 to 16 °C |
| Nov | 5 to 10 °C | 6 to 11 °C |
| Dec | 3 to 8 °C | 4 to 9 °C |
Air temperature in the shade, average daily low to high (Historical weather (ERA5 reanalysis), 2021-2025).
Questions this page answers
Is it cheaper to live in Brussels or Cambridge?
Everyday prices are lower in Belgium: 87.2 against 92.4 on the World Bank price level index (United States = 100, 2025). Open rent data is missing for Brussels, so the full monthly cost needs your own rent.
How much do you take home on €60,000 a year in Brussels and in Cambridge?
About €37,134 a year in Brussels (Belgium 2026 tax rules) and £39,727 in Cambridge (United Kingdom 2026 tax rules), after income tax and employee social contributions.
Which is warmer, Brussels or Cambridge?
Brussels is warmer: average daily highs of the air over the year are 15.1 °C against 15.1 °C in Cambridge (Historical weather (ERA5 reanalysis), Open-Meteo, 2021-2025).
Can a citizen of Belgium live and work in Cambridge without a visa?
No. Citizens of Belgium need a visa or permit to live and work in the United Kingdom; free movement there covers Common Travel Area citizens.
More
Cite this page
Borgo, “Brussels vs Cambridge”, https://borgo.abcastor.com/compare/brussels-be-vs-cambridge-gb/, figures as of 2026-11-05, reference profile. Name the original source of any figure you quote.