Jantje:
tax rate is 50% for good earners (56.000+ euro a year)
But the employer has to pay employers contribution which is about 50% of the bruto wage.
So taxes are 50% but from employers cost to in my hand is around 66% for the good earners. That is why I stated "I take home around 1/3 of what my employer pays for me"I have my own house so I'm not knowledgeable on the renting market.
But I know people renting houses for 700 euro/month. So it is high but not the end of the world.
I've visited "het ei" in Amsterdam and there they speak of renting prices of 3000 euro or more. That is way out of anything I see Belgium people pay.
A house for 700 euro a month is about (give or take 10%) $1000 dollar a month which would be about right in the US except inside of large cities and mostly the rental market inside of cities is multi-unit anyway.
We have an employer contribution here too, but it is nothing like 50%, it is 6.2% plus maybe another 1% for unemployment insurance. Employers often pay maybe half of your health care premium too, though this is voluntary for the time being.