Cost of Living Comparison Between Antwerp and Genk Cost of Living Comparison Between Antwerp and Genk

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,183 in Antwerp versus $2,010 in Genk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,416 in Antwerp versus $2,977 in Genk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,648 in Antwerp versus $3,944 in Genk.

Living in Antwerp is roughly 9% more expensive than Genk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Antwerp 62% above, Genk 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.40 €20.16

$23.02 €19.84

1.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 €104

$94.4 €81.3

28.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.93 €11.14

$11.58 €9.98

11.66%

Cappuccino

$4.07 €3.50

$3.86 €3.33

5.44%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 €2.90

$3.20 €2.76

5.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 €2.65

$2.99 €2.58

2.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.65 €4.87

$5.72 €4.93

-1.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 €4.06

$5.87 €5.06

-19.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.93 €0.80

48.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 €2.38

$3.01 €2.60

-7.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$2.89 €2.49

-4.15%

Eggs

$4.10 €3.53

$4.29 €3.69

-4.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.11 €15.60

$9.18 €7.91

97.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.79 €10.16

$8.69 €7.49

35.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.23 €19.16

$11.40 €9.82

95.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 €2.54

$2.51 €2.16

17.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.02

$2.53 €2.18

-7.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 €2.04

$2.77 €2.38

-14.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.44 €2.97

$3.13 €2.69

9.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.95 €2.55

$2.58 €2.23

14.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 €2.03

$2.35 €2.02

0.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 €1.21

$1.67 €1.44

-16.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$1.17 €1.01

-29.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.82 €11.04

$12.60 €10.86

1.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.21 €7.94

$7.36 €6.34

25.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.53

$1.96 €1.69

-9.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.50 €2.15

-22.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.87 €2.47

$3.39 €2.92

-15.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.36 €39.08

$57.6 €49.64

-21.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.87 €5.06

$7.39 €6.37

-20.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.48 €2.13

$2.54 €2.19

-2.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.03 €39.66

$34.86 €30.03

32.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.93 €1.66

-4.15%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.3K €31.2K

$23.5K €20.2K

54.45%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$32.5K €28.0K

$28.2K €24.3K

14.91%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$207 €179

$251 €216

-17.43%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$25.43 €21.91

$21.03 €18.12

20.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.1 €44.85

$55.5 €47.78

-6.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.60 €39.29

$38.39 €33.08

18.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.46 €21.94

$16.64 €14.34

53.00%

Cinema Ticket

$14.80 €12.75

$15.00 €12.93

-1.33%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$660 €569

$287 €247

130.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K €11.6K

$13.7K €11.8K

-2.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 €94.8

$106 €90.9

4.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.83 €42.94

$49.29 €42.47

1.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 €102

$89.7 €77.3

31.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$233 €201

$107 €92.1

117.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,043 €899

$949 €818

9.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$859 €740

$747 €644

15.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 €1,362

$1,367 €1,177

15.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 €1,091

$1,143 €984

10.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,554 €3,923

$2,609 €2,248

74.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,134 €2,700

$2,014 €1,736

55.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,092 €2,664

$2,301 €1,982

34.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.27

3.65

-10.41%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Antwerp: June 7, 2026

Last update for Genk: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,043 in Antwerp and $949 in Genk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antwerp pays 34% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $121 in Antwerp vs $94.0 in Genk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $290 per month, with Genk cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Antwerp vs Genk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Antwerp and Genk differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($2,183 vs $2,010 including rent). Genk is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Antwerp pays 34% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,043 in Antwerp versus $949 in Genk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Genk runs roughly 27% less than in Antwerp. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $660 in Antwerp versus $287 in Genk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,010 in Genk versus $2,183 in Antwerp, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Genk but tight or insufficient in Antwerp. The gap between the two cities makes Genk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Antwerp and Genk are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Genk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Antwerp. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.