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Belgium vs Ireland: salary & cost of living
Which offers better value? A real Eurostat comparison of take-home pay and cost of living, with each country’s Gera EU Value Index.
Belgium vs Ireland: which is better value to live in?
As of 2024, Ireland offers better salary-to-cost value than Belgium on the Gera EU Value Index (121.1 vs 115.4, a 5.7-point gap, EU≈100). Belgium pays €33,481 net a year versus €42,366 in Ireland; cost-of-living indices are 117.5 and 141.7. Figures from Eurostat (earnings & price levels).
Belgium vs Ireland — head to head
| Metric | Belgium | Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| Net annual take-home pay | €33,481 | €42,366 |
| PPS earnings index (EU=100) | 119.8 | 127.9 |
| Cost of living (EU=100) | 117.5 | 141.7 |
| Gera EU Value Index | 115.4 | 121.1 |
| EU value rank (of 27) | #7 | #4 |
Compare your salary in Belgium and Ireland
Index your take-home pay against the EU norm in both
How far does your salary go in the EU?
Enter a net (take-home) salary and pick two EU countries. We index it against the EU norm using the same real Eurostat earnings and cost-of-living figures behind the Gera EU Value Index.
| Metric | Belgium | Austria |
|---|---|---|
| Your salary, locally | €35,000 | €35,000 |
| Salary value vs EU norm | 120.7 | 120.4 |
| Local cost of living (EU=100) | 117.5 | 117.8 |
| Typical local net pay | €33,481 | €35,824 |
| Gera EU Value Index | 115.4 (#7) | 123.2 (#2) |
On €35,000 a year, your salary stretches further in Belgium — a value index of 120.7 against the EU norm of 100, because its cost of living is 117.5 (EU=100). The same salary indexes 120.7 in Belgium and 120.4 in Austria. The Gera EU Value Index median is 94.9.
Belgium vs Ireland — FAQ
- Is Belgium or Ireland better value to live in?
- Ireland offers better salary-to-cost value on the Gera EU Value Index (121.1 vs 115.4, EU≈100, 2024). Belgium pays €33,481 net a year and Ireland €42,366; their cost-of-living indices are 117.5 and 141.7. Figures from Eurostat.
- Where is the salary higher — Belgium or Ireland?
- Ireland has the higher net annual take-home pay at €42,366 versus €33,481 in Belgium, for a single person at 100% of the average wage (Eurostat earn_nt_net, 2024). A higher salary does not always mean better value once cost of living is taken into account.
- Where is the cost of living lower — Belgium or Ireland?
- Belgium has the lower cost of living, with a Gera EU Cost Index of 117.5 versus 141.7 (EU average ≈ 100), built from Eurostat price levels and household energy prices.
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Contains public sector information published by Eurostat (European Commission) and licensed under the Eurostat reuse policy (© European Union — free reuse with attribution). Source: Eurostat — Net annual earnings (earn_nt_net), single person at 100% of average wage (2024 (earnings) · 2024 price levels / 2025-S2 energy (cost of living), published 2025 (Eurostat earnings release)).