Cost of Living Comparison Between Genk and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Genk and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,879 in Genk versus $2,268 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,871 in Genk versus $3,348 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,863 in Genk versus $4,429 in Lisbon.

Living in Genk costs roughly 17% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Genk 36% above, Lisbon 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.06 €19.87

$17.55 €15.12

31.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.2 €79.5

$64.5 €55.6

43.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.22 €12.26

$11.65 €10.04

22.06%

Cappuccino

$4.25 €3.66

$3.26 €2.81

30.37%

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

$2.63 €2.27

$2.49 €2.15

5.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.67 €1.44

41.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.75 €4.09

$3.47 €2.99

36.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 €3.54

$3.58 €3.08

14.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 €0.88

$1.18 €1.02

-12.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 €2.44

$1.95 €1.68

44.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 €1.93

$1.56 €1.35

43.59%

Eggs

$3.79 €3.27

$4.01 €3.46

-5.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.17 €7.91

$13.27 €11.44

-30.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.67 €6.62

$8.42 €7.26

-8.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 €10.20

$18.23 €15.72

-35.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.50 €2.16

$2.32 €2.00

7.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 €2.18

$1.73 €1.49

46.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 €2.31

$1.93 €1.67

38.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.18 €2.74

$2.64 €2.27

20.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$1.90 €1.64

30.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.11 €1.82

-3.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 €1.37

$1.44 €1.24

10.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.91

$0.80 €0.69

31.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.33 €11.49

$7.01 €6.04

90.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.72 €6.66

$5.92 €5.11

30.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.36 €1.18

26.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 €0.99

$2.15 €1.85

-46.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.43 €2.96

$2.38 €2.05

44.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.5 €50.4

$46.22 €39.85

26.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 €4.98

$4.19 €3.61

37.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.75 €2.37

$1.10 €0.95

150.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.31 €39.92

$17.26 €14.88

168.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 €1.70

$2.25 €1.94

-12.44%

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

$23.1K €19.9K

$34.5K €29.7K

-33.03%

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

$28.3K €24.4K

$41.6K €35.9K

-32.07%

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

$175 €151

$171 €147

2.64%

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

$20.95 €18.06

$19.01 €16.38

10.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.79 €36.88

$34.28 €29.55

24.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.93 €33.56

$49.65 €42.80

-21.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.59 €25.51

$19.51 €16.81

51.67%

Cinema Ticket

$15.87 €13.68

$10.10 €8.71

57.13%

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

$287 €248

$699 €603

-58.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.2K €30.3K

$17.8K €15.3K

98.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 €97.9

$105 €90.2

8.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.76 €41.17

$47.97 €41.35

-0.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 €69.3

$102 €87.8

-21.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €93.4

$128 €111

-15.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$975 €840

$1,661 €1,432

-41.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 €624

$1,228 €1,059

-41.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,357 €1,170

$2,915 €2,513

-53.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 €967

$2,023 €1,744

-44.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,716 €2,341

$8,129 €7,007

-66.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,984 €1,710

$4,635 €3,996

-57.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,038

$1,619 €1,396

45.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

3.78

-8.47%

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

Last update for Genk: September 7, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $975 in Genk and $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Genk pays 46% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $92.0 in Genk vs $64.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $281, with Genk cheaper for home cooking.

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Genk is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 46% higher in Genk, 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: $975 in Genk versus $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Genk – a meal for two runs $92.0 versus $64.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,879 in Genk versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Genk but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Genk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Genk is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Genk and Lisbon 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 21% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.