Brussels rents surge as city centre prices soar across Europe
Over the past five years, rental prices in Brussels have risen sharply, with the average rent for a three-bedroom apartment in the city centre increasing by 38 per cent - from 1,522 euros in 2020 to 2,103 euros in 2025.
One-bedroom apartments have seen an even steeper increase, rising by 44 per cent, from 828 euros to 1,192 euros. According to a new Deutsche Bank report cited by Euronews, this places Brussels in the mid-tier of European cities.
The report analysed rental trends in 67 cities, including 28 in Europe, and shows that Brussels remains more affordable than top-tier cities such as London, Zurich and Amsterdam, where rents for three-bedroom flats exceed 4,000 euros. Nevertheless, prices in Brussels are catching up fast, driven by sustained demand and limited supply in the urban housing market.
Across Europe, the sharpest rent increases since 2020 have been recorded in southern and eastern cities. Istanbul tops the list with a staggering 206 per cent increase in rents for three-bedroom flats, followed by Lisbon (81 per cent), Prague (73 per cent), and Edinburgh (71 per cent). Brussels' 38 per cent increase puts it ahead of cities such as Vienna and Stockholm, but behind Spain's major metropolitan areas.
Cheapest cities
Only five European cities now offer average three-bedroom rents below 2,000 euros: Athens, Budapest, Istanbul, Warsaw and Helsinki. Brussels has crossed that threshold, joining cities such as Vienna, Prague and Birmingham in the 2,000-3,000 euro range.
Although Brussels still offers more moderate rents compared to Europe's most expensive cities, the trend reflects the broader pressures on housing markets in political and economic centres across the continent, where post-pandemic recovery, inflation and urbanisation continue to push prices higher.
© BELPRESS
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