Which place is cheaper, Brussels or Melaka?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
Jump to 
Should you visit Melaka or Brussels?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Melaka or Brussels, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Melaka or Brussels?
Melaka
Melaka (or Malacca) is a large city on the western coast of Malaysia about half way between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. This historical city grew up as a result of trading in the region due to its position on the namesake Straights of Malacca, a natural waterway formed from the peninsula of Malaysia and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Brussels
Brussels is the capital of Belgium and also the sight of the headquarters of the European Union. Generally speaking, it's an expensive city that sees a good amount of travelers. It is also a highly political city that has an air of importance and power. It's an incredibly international city, with people from all over the world flocking to it due to its political, economical, and cultural significance.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours in Malaysia, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Malaysia, The Best Tours for Seniors to Belgium, and The Best Coach Bus Tours in Belgium.
-
Melaka Prices
Malaysia PricesBrussels Prices
Belgium Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMelaka $34Brussels $191
The average daily cost (per person) in Melaka is $34, while the average daily cost in Brussels is $191. 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 destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Melaka and Brussels in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMelaka $9.90Brussels $85
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMelaka $20Brussels $170
Compare Hotels in Melaka and Brussels
Looking for a hotel in Melaka or Brussels? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Melaka Hotel Prices and Brussels Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Melaka $2.18Brussels $19
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Melaka
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Melaka are as follows:
-
Taxi$4.95
-
Bus Ride$0.37
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Melaka
Also for Melaka, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- °Sit Back & Relax - Malacca to KLIA Airport Transfer: $139
- Chauffeur: Malacca to Cameron Highlands Transfer [Van]: $82
- Chauffeur: Malacca to Genting Highlands Transfer [Car]: $188
- Chauffeur: Malacca to Mersing Transfer [Car]: $215
- Chauffeur: Malacca to Singapore Car Transfer: $222
- Malacca Hotel to Kuala Lumpur Hotel (Door to Door) Transfer: $74
- Malacca Hotels to Kuala Lumpur International Airport Departure Transfer: $52
- Private Transfer : Taman Negara Kuala Tahan to Cameron Highlands: $172
- ~Chauffeur: Malacca to Kuantan Transfer [Van]: $83
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Brussels
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Brussels are as follows:
-
Subway Pass$5.21
-
Atomium train ticket (2)$9.27
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Brussels
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Brussels:
- Brussels & Atomium: Private Tour with Transfer and Tasting: $813
- VIP Transfer between Brussels Airport (BRU) and Antwerp: $268
- Private transfer from Brussels to Ostend, 2h Sightseeing Stop: $262
- Direct private transfer from Brussels to Bruges, 2h Stop in Ghent: $215
- Private Arrival Transfer from Brussels to Maastricht by Business car: $213
- Brussels Airport(BRU) to Brussels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $193
- Private direct transfer from Brussels to Ostend: $191
- Private transfer From Charleroi airport to Bruges by luxury car: $189
- Private Arrival Transfer from Brussels Airport to Bruges with Business car: $179
- Brussels Airport Shuttle Transfer Maastricht (1 to 8 PLACES): $170
- Private Transfer from Brussels to Tomorrowland Dreamville by luxury car: $166
- BRU Airport Transfer to Brussels City Center for 3 Pax: $163
Is it cheaper to fly into Melaka or Brussels?
Prices for flights to both Brussels and Melaka change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
-
Food Meals for one dayMelaka $21Brussels $76
Typical Food Prices in Melaka
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Melaka:
-
Sitdown Lunch (for Two)$7.43
-
Dinner at the Market (for Two)$3.22
-
Asam Pedas (Fish Curry)$1.49
-
Taiwanese Noodle Soup$1.24
-
Sitdown Dinner (for Two)$7.92
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Melaka
For Melaka, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Small Group Melaka After Dark Food Tour: $51
- Rempah Routes Melaka Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $55
- Melaka Meals Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $55
- Private Traditional Peranakan & Malay Cooking Class in Melaka: $95
Typical Food Prices in Brussels
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Brussels:
-
Ice Cream & Macaroons$5.33
-
Dessert (Turkish Delights)$5.50
-
Cheese$6.49
-
Olives and Snacks$8.09
-
Waffle$3.47
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Brussels
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Brussels.
- Hard Rock Cafe with Set Menu for Lunch or Dinner: $33
- Chocolate and Beer Food Tour of Brussels: $46
- City Center Guided Food Tour with Tastings: $74
- Brussels Food Tour: Main Dish, Beer, Waffle & Chocolate: $93
- Walking Food Tour with Chocolate, Beer, & Waffles: $111
- Brussels Food Tour with Full Meal & Drinks by Do Eat Better: $113
- Food Tour of 10 Tastings - Waffles, Beers & More: $147
- Brussels Private Food Tour: Waffles, Fries, Beer & Local History: $154
- Private Brussels Cooking Class with Optional Market Tour with Ine: $159
- Private Food Tour – 10 Tastings with Locals: $183
- Brussels Food Tour: Private & Personalized with a Local Guide: $243
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Melaka $4.20Brussels $27
Typical Entertainment Prices in Melaka
For Melaka, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
-
Maritime Museum Entrance$0.74
-
Taming Sari Revolving Tower Entrance$4.95
-
Trishaw Tour (One Hour)$11
-
Baba and Nyonya Peranakan Museum Entrance$2.48
-
Melaka Zoo Entrance$1.73
-
Low Cost Kite$0.74
-
Malacca Duck Tour$9.90
-
Melaka River Cruise (One Hour)$2.48
Tours and Activities in Melaka
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Melaka.
- Melaka UNESCO City Guided Walking Tour: $5.08
- Malaysia: Melaka Upside Down House Entry Ticket: $7.27
- Essential Self-Guided Tour of it's UNESCO Heritage Centre: $15
- Malaysia: A'famosa Melaka Ticket: $18
- From Kuala Lumpur Full Day A'Famosa Theme Park Experience: $40
- Malacca City Hotels To Kuala Lumpur Airport EN-ROUTE Putrajaya City Tour: $48
- Malacca To Kuala Lumpur En-route Putrajaya Tour: $49
- Malacca Hotels To Kuala Lumpur Hotels En-route Putrajaya Tour: $49
- Malacca City To Kuala Lumpur City En-route Putrajaya Tour: $49
- Small Group Melaka Flavours Food and Culture Tour: $51
- Malacca To Kuala Lumpur EN-ROUTE Putrajaya City Tour: $61
- Malacca City Hotels To Kuala Lumpur City Hotels EN-ROUTE Putrajaya City Tour: $61
Tours and Activities in Brussels
Here are a few actual costs in Brussels for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- "From Waterloo Battlefield History Private Tour: $500
- 2-Hour Walking Tour in Fall and Rise of Art Nouveau: $18
- 3-Hours Private Sightseeing Trip in Brussels: $244
- A Belgian Town's Curious History: Diest Walking Tour: $12
- A Self-Guided Tour of From Medieval to Modern Times: $12
- Architecture Tour of Brussels: $30
- Art Nouveau Half-Day Tour with Chocolate Tasting in Brussels: $155
- Art Nouveau's Sublime Capital: An Audio Tour in Brussels: $15
- Audio Guided Walking Tour of Brussels: $5.96
- Axe Throwing Experience: $20
- Battle of the Bulge & Gen Patton Private Tour from Brussels: $1,454
- Belgian Beer World Experience and GoPhoto ticket included: $32
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayMelaka $8.59Brussels $15
Typical Alcohol Prices in Brussels
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Brussels are as follows:
-
Bottle of Wine$12
-
Beer$6.95
Sample the Local Flavors in Brussels
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Brussels:
- Mario Kart Championship at Micro Brewery & Distillery: $5.36
- Brussels Pub Crawl - Nightlife & Party Experience: $18
- Immersive Brewery Tour with Beer Tastings - Brussels Area: $18
- Rodenbach Brewery Tour - Roeselare: $21
- Pub Crawl and Nightlife Party Experience: $23
- micro brewery & distillery tour + beer tasting: $29
- micro brewery & distillery tour + beer tasting: $30
- Discovery of the La Senne Brewery: $31
- Beer & Chocolate Tasting in a Micro Brewery-Distillery: $54
- Sip the Unexpected at a Hidden Leuven Brewery: $60
- Beer Pong in a Micro Brewery and Distillery: $76
- Private tasting: Beer & Chocolate in a Micro Brewery-Distillery: $77
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Melaka and Brussels, we can see that Brussels is more expensive. And not only is Melaka much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Melaka is in Asia and Brussels is in Europe, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Melaka would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Melaka and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Brussels would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Brussels than you might in Melaka.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Melaka Expensive? and Is Brussels Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Melaka or Brussels?
Brussels has a larger population, and is about 6 times larger than the population of Melaka. When comparing the sizes of Melaka and Brussels, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.