Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Genk and Antwerp

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.

89

Cost of Living Index in Genk
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Genk Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Antwerp
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Antwerp Living Index

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Genk

🇧🇪 Belgium

$1,828

/mo nomad

Antwerp

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Genk and in Antwerp

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

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

Genk $1,828
Antwerp $2,202

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

Genk $2,767
Antwerp $3,326

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

Genk $3,706
Antwerp $4,449

Living in Genk costs roughly 17% less than in Antwerp, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.16 €20.75

$23.81 €21.34

-2.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 €80.0

$95.7 €85.7

-6.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.32 €11.94

$13.19 €11.82

0.99%

Cappuccino

$4.32 €3.87

$4.27 €3.83

1.17%

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

$2.64 €2.37

$3.56 €3.19

-25.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €2.04

$3.48 €3.11

-34.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.54 €4.07

$5.57 €4.99

-18.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 €3.54

$6.26 €5.61

-36.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 €0.82

$1.39 €1.25

-34.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 €2.58

$2.77 €2.48

3.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 €2.08

$2.21 €1.98

4.98%

Eggs

$3.93 €3.52

$3.97 €3.56

-1.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 €8.14

$16.34 €14.64

-44.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.42 €6.65

$11.81 €10.58

-37.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.26 €10.09

$22.46 €20.12

-49.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 €2.17

$2.97 €2.66

-18.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.12

$2.40 €2.15

-1.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 €2.29

$2.59 €2.32

-1.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.93 €2.62

$3.42 €3.06

-14.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.28

$2.64 €2.37

-3.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.61

$1.77 €1.59

1.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.35

$1.55 €1.39

-3.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 €0.99

$1.15 €1.03

-4.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.70 €11.38

$13.03 €11.68

-2.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 €6.65

$8.88 €7.96

-16.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.53

$1.82 €1.63

-6.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 €1.02

$2.07 €1.85

-44.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.27 €2.93

$3.36 €3.01

-2.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.1 €49.39

$55.4 €49.60

-0.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.54 €4.96

$5.73 €5.14

-3.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.75 €2.46

$2.72 €2.44

1.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.28 €40.58

$43.85 €39.30

3.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.65

$2.05 €1.84

-10.24%

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

$22.4K €20.1K

$35.5K €31.8K

-36.75%

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

$27.4K €24.5K

$37.3K €33.4K

-26.59%

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

$169 €152

$208 €186

-18.51%

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

$20.43 €18.30

$22.06 €19.77

-7.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.91 €36.66

$47.17 €42.27

-13.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.82 €33.00

$37.59 €33.68

-2.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.80 €17.74

$26.44 €23.69

-25.11%

Cinema Ticket

$15.93 €14.27

$15.40 €13.80

3.44%

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

$281 €252

$1,616 €1,448

-82.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.8K €29.4K

$33.3K €29.9K

-1.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 €96.6

$114 €102

-5.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.61 €41.76

$52.9 €47.38

-11.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 €70.9

$105 €94.0

-24.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 €92.3

$177 €158

-41.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$952 €853

$1,061 €951

-10.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$694 €622

$856 €767

-18.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 €1,161

$1,604 €1,437

-19.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 €933

$1,317 €1,180

-20.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,107 €3,680

$4,329 €3,879

-5.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,908 €2,606

$2,965 €2,657

-1.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,275 €2,039

$3,012 €2,699

-24.46%

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 Genk: October 25, 2026

Last update for Antwerp: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Genk

$694 38%

Antwerp

$856 38.9% 23.3% $162

Eating Out

Genk

$327 17.9%

Antwerp

$350 15.9% 6.9% $23

Groceries & Markets

Genk

$268 14.7%

Antwerp

$361 16.4% 34.6% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Genk

$230 12.6%

Antwerp

$277 12.6% 20.1% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Genk

$151 8.3%

Antwerp

$202 9.2% 33.3% $50

Getting Around

Genk

$87 4.8%

Antwerp

$88 4% 0.8% $0.7

Sport & Entertainment

Genk

$69 3.8%

Antwerp

$68 3.1% 0.4% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $952 in Genk and $1,061 in Antwerp. 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: $89 in Genk vs $96 in Antwerp for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $361 per month, with Genk cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Genk

🇧🇪 Antwerp

🕒 Local time

07:17 7:17 AM

Same time as Genk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

65,321

525,935

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Genk Antwerp 82 km

From you

Genk
Antwerp

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

Genk vs Antwerp: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Genk. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $952 in Genk versus $1,061 in Antwerp. 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 $1,828 per month in Genk versus $2,202 in Antwerp – 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, Genk and Antwerp 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.