Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Genk

For one person, living is cheaper in Genk: $1,828 a month against $2,584 in Brussels, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Brussels
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Brussels Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Genk
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Genk Living Index

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Brussels

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,584

/mo nomad

Genk

🇧🇪 Belgium

$1,828

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brussels 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 Brussels and in Genk actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,584 in Brussels versus $1,828 in Genk.

Brussels $2,584
Genk $1,828

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,923 in Brussels versus $2,767 in Genk.

Brussels $3,923
Genk $2,767

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,262 in Brussels versus $3,706 in Genk.

Brussels $5,262
Genk $3,706

Living in Brussels is roughly 41% more expensive than in Genk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brussels 90% above, Genk 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.51 €20.17

$23.16 €20.75

-2.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 €81.7

$89.2 €80.0

2.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.19 €13.61

$13.32 €11.94

14.04%

Cappuccino

$4.55 €4.07

$4.32 €3.87

5.32%

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

$3.63 €3.26

$2.64 €2.37

37.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.71

$2.28 €2.04

32.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.10

$4.54 €4.07

25.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 €4.97

$3.95 €3.54

40.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.21

$0.91 €0.82

48.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 €2.47

$2.87 €2.58

-3.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 €2.54

$2.32 €2.08

22.41%

Eggs

$5.19 €4.65

$3.93 €3.52

32.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.84 €15.99

$9.08 €8.14

96.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.04 €11.68

$7.42 €6.65

75.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.85 €19.58

$11.26 €10.09

94.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 €2.80

$2.42 €2.17

29.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.17

$2.37 €2.12

2.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 €2.52

$2.56 €2.29

9.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 €3.61

$2.93 €2.62

37.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.20

$2.54 €2.28

-3.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.95

$1.80 €1.61

21.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.50 €1.35

24.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.10

$1.10 €0.99

10.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.60 €12.19

$12.70 €11.38

7.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.57 €8.57

$7.42 €6.65

28.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 €2.42

$1.71 €1.53

57.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 €2.69

$1.14 €1.02

163.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.76 €2.48

$3.27 €2.93

-15.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.6 €55.2

$55.1 €49.39

11.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 €2.65

$5.54 €4.96

-46.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.24 €2.00

$2.75 €2.46

-18.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.78 €36.55

$45.28 €40.58

-9.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.85

$1.84 €1.65

11.96%

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

$34.8K €31.2K

$22.4K €20.1K

55.21%

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

$35.7K €32.0K

$27.4K €24.5K

30.29%

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

$280 €251

$169 €152

65.62%

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

$21.20 €19.00

$20.43 €18.30

3.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 €46.60

$40.91 €36.66

27.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.34 €28.98

$36.82 €33.00

-12.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 €24.86

$19.80 €17.74

40.10%

Cinema Ticket

$15.88 €14.23

$15.93 €14.27

-0.31%

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

$1,596 €1,430

$281 €252

468.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.2K €32.5K

$32.8K €29.4K

10.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.7

$108 €96.6

-6.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.78 €41.92

$46.61 €41.76

0.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €102

$79.1 €70.9

43.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €128

$103 €92.3

39.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,393 €1,248

$952 €853

46.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,160 €1,039

$694 €622

67.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,518 €2,257

$1,295 €1,161

94.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,076 €1,860

$1,041 €933

99.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,877 €4,371

$4,107 €3,680

18.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,718 €3,332

$2,908 €2,606

27.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,392 €3,040

$2,275 €2,039

49.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.71

3.53

5.10%

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

Last update for Brussels: October 24, 2026

Last update for Genk: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brussels

$1.2K 44.9%

Genk

$694 38% 40.1% $466

Groceries & Markets

Brussels

$391 15.2%

Genk

$268 14.7% 31.5% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brussels

$353 13.7%

Genk

$230 12.6% 34.8% $123

Eating Out

Brussels

$346 13.4%

Genk

$327 17.9% 5.5% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Brussels

$182 7.1%

Genk

$151 8.3% 16.9% $31

Getting Around

Brussels

$87 3.4%

Genk

$87 4.8% 0.7% $0.6

Sport & Entertainment

Brussels

$64 2.5%

Genk

$69 3.8% 7.1% $4.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,393 in Brussels and $952 in Genk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brussels pays 49% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $91 in Brussels vs $89 in Genk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $391 vs $268 per month, with Genk cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Brussels

🇧🇪 Genk

🕒 Local time

08:10 8:10 AM

Same time as Brussels

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

188,137 Capital

65,321

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Brussels Genk 82 km

From you

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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

Brussels vs Genk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Genk wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Brussels. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Genk the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 49% higher in Brussels, 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: $1,393 in Brussels versus $952 in Genk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,596 in Brussels versus $281 in Genk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Genk runs roughly 11% less than in Brussels. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,828 in Genk versus $2,584 in Brussels, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Genk but tight or insufficient in Brussels. 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, Brussels 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, Brussels on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.