Ghent vs Antwerp vs Brussels, which city suits a month of remote work?

You can work from anywhere for a month and Belgium is on your list. Antwerp, Ghent and Brussels are close together, but they feel very different once you live there, and you only want to unpack once.

Ghent vs Antwerp vs Brussels at a glance

Ghent vs Antwerp vs Brussels comes down to size, pace and what you need nearby. Antwerp is the biggest of the three cities, Ghent is the smallest, and the Brussels-Capital Region is larger than both. This comparison is part of our guide to living in Antwerp.

The Belgian foreign ministry lists Antwerp at about 515,000 people and Ghent at about 250,000. The Brussels-Capital Region has about 1 million (FPS Foreign Affairs). The same page notes that English is not an official language in Belgium but is frequently spoken.

Antwerp, Ghent and Brussels compared for a month of remote work

Journey times are NMBS averages for all stations in each city, checked on 14 October 2026. Your own train can be faster or slower.

Before you choose, answer five questions for yourself:

1. Where are your meetings, if any? If they are mostly in Brussels, living there saves time. If they are rare, any of the three works.
2. How do you like to move? Ghent’s centre rewards walking and cycling. Antwerp spreads further, so you will use the tram more.
3. Do you want variety or simplicity? Antwerp offers more neighbourhoods to explore, Ghent is easier to know in a week.
4. Will you travel on weekends? All three are well connected, so this matters less than people think.
5. What does your workspace need? A desk and a wired connection at home make coworking optional rather than essential.

Ghent vs Antwerp: daily life and getting around

Ghent vs Antwerp is the closest choice of the three. Both are Flemish cities with a historic centre and plenty of cafés. The difference is scale: Ghent feels compact, while Antwerp is a large city made of very different neighbourhoods.

Ghent reorganised traffic in its centre on 3 April 2017. Since then, drivers can no longer cut through the city centre, and the car-free area was enlarged (Stad Gent). For a remote worker on foot or by bike, that makes the centre pleasant and easy to grasp.

Antwerp gives you more choice. Visit Antwerpen describes very different districts: the historic centre, the station district and Het Zuid with its museums and cafés. There are also the docks of Eilandje and the Belle Époque streets of Zurenborg. You can pick an area that matches your rhythm, then reach the rest by tram.

For coworking, Antwerp has both international chains and independent spaces. Our guide to coworking spaces in Antwerp lists the ones we checked, with addresses.

Antwerp vs Brussels: which suits remote work better?

Antwerp vs Brussels is a choice between a large Flemish city and the capital. Brussels makes sense if your month includes meetings with institutions, embassies or head offices there. Antwerp makes sense if you mostly work alone and want a city that is easier to settle into.

The two cities are close: NMBS lists an average journey of 45 minutes, with 71 direct trains a day (NMBS). Living in Antwerp and going to Brussels once or twice a week is realistic.

Arriving by plane works for both. Our guide on getting from Brussels Airport to Antwerp explains the train connection and the last step to Antwerp South.

Note

If you come from outside the EU, check the visa rules before you pick a city. Our guide to the Belgium digital nomad visa explains what exists today and how long you can stay.

Ghent vs Antwerp vs Brussels by train: can you live in one and see all three?

Yes. Ghent vs Antwerp vs Brussels is less of a final choice than it looks, because direct trains run between all three cities every day. NMBS lists 56 direct trains a day between Antwerp and Ghent, 71 between Antwerp and Brussels, and 86 between Brussels and Ghent.

That means you can pick a base for your working days and treat the other two as day trips. Antwerp works well as that base if you want a larger city with many neighbourhoods. NMBS names five main Antwerp stations, including Antwerpen-Centraal, Antwerpen-Berchem and Antwerpen-Zuid.

Our guide to day trips from Antwerp covers Ghent, Bruges, Brussels and Mechelen in more detail.

Accommodation for a month in Antwerp

Hoost has four furnished apartments in one building in Antwerp South, near Middelheim Park, for stays from 2 nights to 6 months per booking. A month of remote work fits easily within one booking.

Every apartment has a dedicated workspace with Wi-Fi and an Ethernet connection, on a Telenet fibre line in the building. There is a full kitchen, bed linen and towels, and a shared washing machine and dryer in the building. You arrive with self check-in through a lockbox, so a late train is not a problem.

Trams 2 and 6 stop near the building. Antwerp Expo is about 1.2 km away, and Antwerpen-Centraal about 4.3 km in a straight line. If you come by car, the building is outside the low-emission zone, and P+R Olympiade is nearby. Electricity, heating and water are included, and no deposit is asked.

When Hoost is not the right choice

Hoost is not the right choice for every remote worker, and it helps to know that before you send your dates.

• You want to live in Ghent or Brussels. All four apartments are in Antwerp.
• You want the historic centre on your doorstep. Antwerp South is quieter, and the Grote Markt is about 4.2 km away.
• You need to register your address, for example for a residence procedure. Address registration is not possible during a stay.
• You need a meeting room or daily cleaning. We have neither; a coworking space can cover meetings.
• You need on-site parking. There is none; P+R Olympiade and paid parking are nearby.

For the practical side of a longer stay, from groceries to paperwork, see our guide on what a few months in Antwerp are like.