Anderlecht: The Brussels Neighbourhood Guide to the City's Most Underrated Commune

Ask a Brussels local what Anderlecht is like and most will mention two things: the football club and the fact that rent is cheaper there than almost anywhere else close to the centre. Both are true, but they only scratch the surface. Anderlecht is Brussels' second-largest commune by population, stretching from the historic core around the Collegiate Church of Saints Peter and Guy all the way out to the Pajottenland fringe, and it's far more varied than its reputation suggests. If you're working through where to live in Brussels, it's worth a proper look rather than a passing mention.

This guide covers what daily life actually looks like there, how to get around, what coliving and shared housing look like on the ground, and who the commune genuinely suits.

The Short Version

Anderlecht is a large, diverse, working-class commune to the west and south-west of central Brussels. It's one of the most affordable places to rent within the Brussels-Capital Region, it has excellent metro connectivity into the centre, and it mixes industrial heritage, a historic old town, and some genuinely green pockets. It's not polished and it's not trying to be — which is exactly its appeal for people who want real neighbourhood life over postcard charm.

A Commune of Several Faces

Anderlecht isn't one neighbourhood, it's several, and they feel quite different from each other.

Anderlecht-Centre (around the Collegiate Church) is the historic heart: cobbled streets, the Erasmus House museum, and a genuinely old-town feel that surprises people who expect only concrete.
Cureghem is dense, multicultural and energetic, with some of the city's best-value markets and a strong Maghrebi and West African food scene.
Scheutbos and the area near the Pajottenland feel almost rural, with nature reserves and allotment gardens minutes from the city.
Veeweyde and the Erasmus hospital area are quieter and more residential, popular with families and students near the ULB/VUB Erasmus campus.

This range is the main reason Anderlecht resists a single label — what you get depends heavily on which street you end up on.

Getting Around

Anderlecht is one of the better-connected outer communes, which is part of why it holds its value for commuters.

Metro Line 5 cuts straight through it (Saint-Guidon, Aumale, Erasmus) and reaches De Brouckère and the centre in under 15 minutes.
Metro Line 1 serves the Erasmus hospital and ULB campus area.
Regional trains stop at Bruxelles-Midi, a short hop or direct tram/bus ride from most of the commune, which also means easy Eurostar and Thalys access.
Trams and buses fill in the gaps, though as with most of outer Brussels, cycling infrastructure is improving but still patchy in places — check STIB-MIVB for live routes before committing to a daily bike commute.

For anyone who works in the EU Quarter or the centre, the metro link makes Anderlecht far more viable than its distance on a map suggests.

Food and Markets

This is where Anderlecht genuinely shines. The Abattoir de Cureghem / Foodmet market is one of the best and cheapest food markets in Brussels — a sprawling, year-round indoor-outdoor market with produce, fish, spices and prepared food from across the Mediterranean, West Africa and the Maghreb, at prices well below what you'd pay in Ixelles or the centre.

Cureghem's streets around it are dense with butchers, bakeries and small restaurants that rarely make "best of Brussels" lists but are where a lot of locals actually eat. It pairs naturally with a deeper look at where locals eat in Brussels if you want to branch out from the guidebook circuit.

No visit is complete without the Cantillon brewery, one of the last traditional lambic breweries in the world and a working museum you can actually tour. It's a short walk from Gare du Midi and arguably the single best reason to send a visiting friend to Anderlecht.

Housing and Rent

This is Anderlecht's strongest practical argument. Rents here are consistently among the lowest in the Brussels-Capital Region for a one-bedroom or studio, and even recently renovated coliving rooms tend to undercut equivalent options in Ixelles, Saint-Gilles or the EU Quarter by a meaningful margin. If budget is the deciding factor in your search, this is one of the first communes worth checking — see our broader rundown of affordable neighbourhoods in Brussels for how it compares.

The housing stock is mixed: solid early-20th-century terraced houses near the centre and Cureghem, post-war apartment blocks further out, and newer developments near the Erasmus campus aimed at students and young professionals. Quality varies more than in some central communes, so viewing in person before signing matters more here than almost anywhere else in Brussels.

Who Anderlecht Suits

Budget-conscious newcomers who want real savings on rent without moving far outside the city.
Students and staff connected to ULB/VUB's Erasmus campus, who are essentially on-site.
Anyone who prioritises food, markets and a lived-in, multicultural neighbourhood over polished bars and boutiques.
Football fans — RSC Anderlecht's Lotto Park stadium gives the commune a matchday energy a few times a month that's hard to find elsewhere in the city.

It suits people less well if your priority is being within stumbling distance of nightlife, or if you want the manicured, Instagram-ready streets of Saint-Gilles or the Sablon. Anderlecht rewards people who want to live somewhere real.

Coliving in Anderlecht

Because rents are lower and the commune is well connected by metro, it's an increasingly common pick for coliving operators targeting budget-conscious professionals and students who still want a quick ride into the centre or the EU Quarter. Rooms here tend to be larger for the price than equivalents closer in, and houses near the Line 5 stations give you the best of both worlds: low cost and a short, predictable commute.

If you're comparing coliving against other setups, our guide to coliving vs. a flatshare in Brussels covers the trade-offs in more detail, and coliving.brussels/actors lists active operators by area so you can see what's currently available in and around Anderlecht.

Practical Notes

Safety varies by street as in any large, mixed commune — Cureghem and some stretches near the Midi station warrant the same street-smart habits you'd use in any busy, dense area, while the centre and Veeweyde are calmer. Visit at different times of day before deciding on a specific street.
Language skews more French-dominant in daily life than some other communes, though Dutch is present, as everywhere in Brussels officially.
Green space is better than people expect: Parc Jean Rey, the Scheutbos nature reserve and the Pajottenland countryside edge are all accessible without a car.
For live listings, opening hours and event specifics, visit.brussels and brusselskitchen.com are reliable up-to-date sources — treat anything time-sensitive you read elsewhere as worth double-checking there.

Finding the Right Fit

Anderlecht won't suit everyone, but for the right profile — budget-focused, metro-connected, happy to trade polish for authenticity — it's one of the better-value communes in the city, and increasingly underrated given how directly it connects to the centre. If you're still mapping out which part of Brussels fits your routine and budget, browse coliving.brussels/neighborhoods for a fuller picture, or use the coliving matchmaker to get matched with houses that fit your budget and commute, Anderlecht included.