Should you visit Bruges or Antwerp?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the prices of travel for Bruges and Antwerp. We’ll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget. So, let's dig into it.
Bruges
Located in the northern part of Belgium, in Flanders, Bruges is one of the most charming and well preserved cities in Europe. With its stone streets and charming shops, it is a postcard perfect city that seems to have jumped out of the pages of a Disney fairytale. The city itself is quite compact, adding to the charm and making it easily walkable. Even given its old world charm, it manages to present a cosmopolitan air as well. There's an active nightlife, but during the day the historical city center is best enjoyed at a leisurely pace. You can take a carriage ride through the cobblestone streets or you can wander around on your own. Be sure to swing into some of the museums, cathedrals, and churches you'll see along the way. There are now shops everywhere that are designed to appeal to tourists. While some may be easy to walk by, it takes the strongest souls to ignore the chocolate shops you'll see on your way.
Antwerp
Antwerp is a very popular tourist destination in Belgium. It's a lovely city in the region of Flanders and its people are known for their friendly, open and welcoming personalities. It's a very relaxed and low stress city, making it an excellent place to spend a few days in the midst of a hectic trip. The city itself is known to have a very high standard of living and a great quality of life. Antwerp is also an economic center in Belgium, because of its importance in the diamond trade. It is known as the "world's leading diamond city" with about seventy percent of all diamonds traded through Antwerp.
Which city is cheaper, Antwerp or Bruges?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Bruges is €99, while the average daily cost in Antwerp is €98. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Bruges and Antwerp in more detail.
Accommodation
For a normal double-occupancy room in Bruges, €94 is the average cost for a hotel room. Also in Bruges, the typical price for a place to stay for one person is €47, such as in a hostel.
Antwerp's average price for two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room is €114. A typical place to stay for one person, per day is €57.
Food
While meal prices in Bruges can vary, the average travelers spends about €41 per day on food. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out, an average meal in Bruges should cost around €16 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Bruges is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
In Antwerp travelers spend around €31 a day on food. You can save money by choosing casual restaurants or food stalls, or you can spend plenty more by dining in nicer restaurants at every meal.
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Food
Meals for one day
Bruges €41
Antwerp €31
Typical Food prices in Bruges
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Bruges:
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Cup of Tea
€2.00
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Sandwich for Lunch
€3.25
Local Transportation
Bruges's transportation costs can vary by the type of transport chosen by visitors. Naturally, taxis and private drivers cost much more than public transportation options. On average, visitors spend €13 per person, per day on transportation in Bruges.
The average price of local transportation around Antwerp is €9.71 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Bruges
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Bruges:
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Five Day Bus Pass
€15
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Bike Rental for Day
€8.00
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bruges
Also for Bruges, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Belgium and Benelux VIP Transfers limo and luxe minivan service Zaventem-Bruges:
$249
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Departure Private Transfer Bruges City to Bruges Airport OST by Luxury Vehicle:
$110
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Private Airport Transfer: from Bruges to Brussels Airport (BRU):
$111
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Private Transfer from Bruges City Center to Brussels City Center:
$127
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Private Transfer from Bruges to Amsterdam:
$353
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Private Transfer from Bruges to Brussels By Business car:
$134
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Private Transfer from Bruges to Brussels or (Brussel Airport = same price):
$185
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Private Transfer from ZeeBrugge or Bruges to Antwerp By Luxury car:
$185
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Shuttle Transfer Bruges London (1 to 8 Places):
$491
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Taxi Transfer from Bruges to AMS Amsterdam Schiphol Airport:
$332
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VIP Transfers for groups and families with Luxe Mercedes Benz mini van:
$249
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Antwerp
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Antwerp:
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Private Transfer: Antwerp to Antwerp International Airport (ANR):
$622
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Low Cost Private Transfer From Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to Antwerp City - One Way:
$597
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Antwerp Shuttle Transfer London (1 to 8 Places):
$491
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Low Cost Private Transfer From Rotterdam Airport to Antwerp City - One Way:
$333
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Low Cost Private Transfer From Brussels South Charleroi Airport to Antwerp City - One Way:
$326
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Low Cost Private Transfer From Ostend-Bruges International Airport to Antwerp City - One Way:
$323
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Low Cost Private Transfer From Eindhoven Airport to Antwerp City - One Way:
$271
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Private round trip transfer Antwerp to Bruges for max 4 passengers:
$265
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Private transfer from Antwerp Airport to Bruges for maximum 4 persons:
$216
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Private Transfer from Antwerp to Bruges or ZeeBrugge By Luxury car:
$160
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Private Round-Trip Transfer from Antwerp Airport to Bruges and Bruges to Antwerp Airport for max 8 passengers:
$133
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Private Arrival Transfer from Antwerp to Brussels By luxury car:
$98
Entertainment
Sightseeing, admission tickets, things to do, and other entertainment expenses in Bruges can vary widely by price. On average, visitors spend around €12 per person, per day on entertainment and sightseeing here.
Antwerp's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around €6.57 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
Typical Entertainment prices in Bruges
For Bruges, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
Tours and Activities in Bruges
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Bruges.
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Bruges History & Heritage Walking Tour with Perfect Introduction:
$3.72
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Historium Virtual Reality Ticket:
$8.71
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Bruges Beer Experience Entrance Ticket:
$12
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Entrance Ticket to Salvador Dalí Exhibition, Belfry, Markt 7, 8000 Bruges:
$12
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Skip the Line: Historium Story Ticket:
$19
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Skip the Line: Historium Story + VR Ticket:
$23
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Architectural Tour of Bruges:
$40
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Withlocals Your Way! - Bruges 100% Personalised City Tour:
$61
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Withlocals LIVE Flemish Stew with a Specialist Online Experience:
$93
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Private Walking Tour Bruges:
$174
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From Bruges, Christmas Truce to Passchendaele private WW1 Ypres tour:
$311
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Australian Battlefields Private Tour in Flanders from Bruges:
$386
Tours and Activities in Antwerp
Here are a few actual costs in Antwerp for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
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2 Hour Segway City Tours Antwerp Belgium:
$110
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Antwerp City Tour:
$639
Alcohol
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Bruges, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is €8.78.
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Antwerp may vary from person to person, on average a person spends €14 per day on alcoholic beverages.
Sample the Local Flavors in Antwerp
Also in Antwerp, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
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De Koninck Antwerp City Brewery Admission Ticket:
$17
When comparing the travel costs between Bruges and Antwerp, we can see that Bruges is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Europe, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
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