Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Antwerp and Genk

For one person, living is cheaper in Genk: $1,828 a month against $2,202 in Antwerp, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Antwerp
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Antwerp Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Genk
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Genk Living Index

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Antwerp

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,202

/mo nomad

Genk

🇧🇪 Belgium

$1,828

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Antwerp and in Genk

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Antwerp and in Genk actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Antwerp versus $1,828 in Genk.

Antwerp $2,202
Genk $1,828

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,326 in Antwerp versus $2,767 in Genk.

Antwerp $3,326
Genk $2,767

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,449 in Antwerp versus $3,706 in Genk.

Antwerp $4,449
Genk $3,706

Living in Antwerp is roughly 20% more expensive than in Genk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Antwerp 62% above, Genk 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.81 €21.34

$23.16 €20.75

2.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.7 €85.7

$89.2 €80.0

7.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 €11.82

$13.32 €11.94

-0.98%

Cappuccino

$4.27 €3.83

$4.32 €3.87

-1.16%

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

$3.56 €3.19

$2.64 €2.37

34.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 €3.11

$2.28 €2.04

52.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.57 €4.99

$4.54 €4.07

22.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 €5.61

$3.95 €3.54

58.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.25

$0.91 €0.82

52.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 €2.48

$2.87 €2.58

-3.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 €1.98

$2.32 €2.08

-4.74%

Eggs

$3.97 €3.56

$3.93 €3.52

1.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.34 €14.64

$9.08 €8.14

79.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.81 €10.58

$7.42 €6.65

59.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.46 €20.12

$11.26 €10.09

99.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 €2.66

$2.42 €2.17

22.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.15

$2.37 €2.12

1.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$2.56 €2.29

1.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.42 €3.06

$2.93 €2.62

16.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.37

$2.54 €2.28

3.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 €1.59

$1.80 €1.61

-1.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.39

$1.50 €1.35

3.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.03

$1.10 €0.99

4.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.03 €11.68

$12.70 €11.38

2.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.88 €7.96

$7.42 €6.65

19.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.63

$1.71 €1.53

6.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.85

$1.14 €1.02

81.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.36 €3.01

$3.27 €2.93

2.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.4 €49.60

$55.1 €49.39

0.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.73 €5.14

$5.54 €4.96

3.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.72 €2.44

$2.75 €2.46

-1.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.85 €39.30

$45.28 €40.58

-3.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.84

$1.84 €1.65

11.41%

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

$35.5K €31.8K

$22.4K €20.1K

58.09%

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

$37.3K €33.4K

$27.4K €24.5K

36.22%

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

$208 €186

$169 €152

22.71%

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

$22.06 €19.77

$20.43 €18.30

7.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.17 €42.27

$40.91 €36.66

15.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.59 €33.68

$36.82 €33.00

2.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.44 €23.69

$19.80 €17.74

33.54%

Cinema Ticket

$15.40 €13.80

$15.93 €14.27

-3.33%

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

$1,616 €1,448

$281 €252

475.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K €29.9K

$32.8K €29.4K

1.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 €102

$108 €96.6

6.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.9 €47.38

$46.61 €41.76

13.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €94.0

$79.1 €70.9

32.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$177 €158

$103 €92.3

71.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 €951

$952 €853

11.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$856 €767

$694 €622

23.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,437

$1,295 €1,161

23.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,317 €1,180

$1,041 €933

26.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,879

$4,107 €3,680

5.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,965 €2,657

$2,908 €2,606

1.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,012 €2,699

$2,275 €2,039

32.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.53

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

Last update for Antwerp: October 25, 2026

Last update for Genk: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Antwerp

$856 38.9%

Genk

$694 38% 18.9% $162

Groceries & Markets

Antwerp

$361 16.4%

Genk

$268 14.7% 25.7% $93

Eating Out

Antwerp

$350 15.9%

Genk

$327 17.9% 6.4% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Antwerp

$277 12.6%

Genk

$230 12.6% 16.7% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Antwerp

$202 9.2%

Genk

$151 8.3% 25% $50

Getting Around

Antwerp

$88 4%

Genk

$87 4.8% 0.8% $0.7

Sport & Entertainment

Antwerp

$68 3.1%

Genk

$69 3.8% 0.4% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,061 in Antwerp and $952 in Genk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antwerp pays 32% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $96 in Antwerp vs $89 in Genk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $361 vs $268 per month, with Genk cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Antwerp

🇧🇪 Genk

🕒 Local time

08:10 8:10 AM

Same time as Antwerp

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

525,935

65,321

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Antwerp Genk 82 km

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,202 in Antwerp and $1,828 in Genk, so Genk is about 17% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 32% higher in Antwerp, 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: $1,061 in Antwerp versus $952 in Genk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Antwerp. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,202 per month in Antwerp versus $1,828 in Genk – Genk is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Genk gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Genk wins on affordability, Antwerp on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.