🇧🇪 Bruges or Ghent? 🇧🇪
If you are weighing up Bruges vs Ghent as a remote-work base, the short version is this: Bruges costs about 0% less per month, and the rest comes down to what you actually want from a city.
Same country, same rules: Bruges and Ghent are both in Belgium, which strips the paperwork out of the decision and leaves cost, climate, connectivity and community.
Short answer
Budgets are level at $2,200 a month, so Ghent takes it on the strength of its overall nomad score (3.9/5 against 3.6/5).
| Metric | 🇧🇪 Bruges | 🇧🇪 Ghent |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $2,200 | $2,200 |
| Nomad score | 3.6/5 | 3.9/5 ✓ |
| Internet | 4.4/5 | 4.5/5 ✓ |
| Safety | 4.5/5 ✓ | 4.4/5 |
| Walkability | 4.6/5 | 4.6/5 |
| Fun & nightlife | 3.8/5 | 4.2/5 ✓ |
| Weather | 3.5/5 | 3.5/5 |
| Air quality | 4/5 ✓ | 3.9/5 |
Cost of living: Bruges vs Ghent
Cost of living in Bruges and Ghent lands in the same place: roughly $2,200 a month for a single remote worker covering rent on a one-bedroom, groceries, eating out a few times a week, local transport and a coworking desk. When budgets tie like this, the decision moves to the softer factors below. Short lets and central districts push the number up; a longer lease signed locally usually pulls it well down.
Time zones and the working day
Bruges and Ghent sit on the same clock (UTC+1), so there is no time difference to manage at all — a rare and underrated convenience if you are moving between the two. Your calendar, your client calls and your standups all carry over unchanged.
Internet and wifi for remote work
Ghent wins the wifi round, scoring 4.5/5 where Bruges manages 4.4/5 — almost identical. That number blends home fibre speeds, mobile data quality and the odds of finding a café or coworking desk you can actually work a full day from. At that level you can treat Ghent as fully reliable for client calls, large uploads and remote onboarding without a backup plan.
Safety, walkability and nightlife
Bruges rates higher for safety (4.5/5 versus 4.4/5) — almost identical in day-to-day terms like walking home late, petty theft and how comfortable solo travellers report feeling. Walkability is level at 4.6/5 in both. For nightlife, events and the general odds of meeting people, Ghent scores 4.2/5 to Bruges’s 3.8/5.
Weather and air quality
Climate scores are identical at 3.5/5, so weather is not the deciding factor here. Air quality is comparable, at 4/5 and 3.9/5.
Visas and how long you can stay
Because Bruges and Ghent are both in Belgium, your visa position is identical either way — the choice is purely about the city, not your right to stay.
Bruges vs Ghent: the verdict
- Budget is a wash — both cities run at about $2,200 a month, so cost should not decide this one.
- Choose Ghent if you want the higher all-round score (3.9/5 against 3.6/5) and are willing to pay for it.
- Nightlife, events and a bigger nomad crowd point to Ghent.
Dig deeper on each city
Useful next: the meeting time-zone planner, the digital nomad visa index, and how to get paid while working abroad.
Ready to go? Set up for Bruges or Ghent
Whichever you choose, here's the remote-work kit worth sorting before you land:
Some links are partner links — we may earn a commission at no cost to you.
Bruges vs Ghent: frequently asked questions
Is Bruges or Ghent cheaper for digital nomads?
They cost about the same — roughly $2,200 a month each for rent, food, transport and a coworking desk.
What is the time difference between Bruges and Ghent?
There is none — both cities run on UTC+1.
Which has better internet, Bruges or Ghent?
Ghent rates 4.5/5 for internet and Bruges 4.4/5, so Ghent is the safer bet if you live on video calls.
Which is safer, Bruges or Ghent?
Bruges scores 4.5/5 for safety and Ghent scores 4.4/5, giving Bruges the edge for solo travellers and late-night walks home.
Bruges or Ghent — which is better overall for remote work?
Overall, Ghent leads with a 3.9/5 nomad score against 3.6/5 for Bruges. Treat that as a starting point rather than a verdict: budget, weather and visa access will move the answer for most people.
Do I need a different visa for Bruges or Ghent?
No — both cities are in Belgium, so your entry and stay rules are identical whichever you choose.
Which has better weather, Bruges or Ghent?
Climate scores are level at 3.5/5.
Related comparisons
Still shortlisting? These are the other head-to-heads people run against Bruges and Ghent:
Popular Europe comparisons
- Barcelona vs Kuala Lumpur
- Barcelona vs Las Palmas
- Barcelona vs Madrid
- Barcelona vs Medellín
- Barcelona vs Prague
- Barcelona vs Taipei
- Barcelona vs Tokyo
- Madrid vs Bangkok
Or browse all 2066 matchups on the city comparison index.