Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Genk and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Genk: $1,812 a month against $3,986 in London, rent and utilities included – about $26,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Genk
🇧🇪 Belgium
$1,812
/mo nomad
London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,986
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Genk and in London

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 London actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,812 in Genk versus $3,986 in London.

  • Genk $1,812
  • London $3,986

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,755 in Genk versus $5,791 in London.

  • Genk $2,755
  • London $5,791

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,698 in Genk versus $7,595 in London.

  • Genk $3,698
  • London $7,595

Living in Genk costs roughly 55% less than in London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Genk 34% above, London 195% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Genk
London
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.46 €19.98
$25.93 £19.45
-13.38%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$88.3 €78.5
$107 £79.9
-17.14%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.46 €11.97
$10.71 £8.03
25.68%
Cappuccino
$4.10 €3.65
$5.47 £4.11
-25.05%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.52 €2.24
$2.97 £2.23
-15.15%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 €1.94
$2.20 £1.65
-0.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.52 €4.02
$9.13 £6.85
-50.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.01 €3.56
$7.94 £5.96
-49.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Genk
London
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.94 €0.84
$1.86 £1.40
-49.46%
White Bread (500g)
$2.80 €2.49
$2.07 £1.55
35.27%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.24 €1.99
$2.42 £1.81
-7.44%
Eggs
$3.73 €3.32
$5.09 £3.82
-26.72%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.92 €7.93
$12.87 £9.66
-30.69%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.31 €6.50
$10.43 £7.82
-29.91%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.22 €9.98
$16.87 £12.66
-33.49%
Apples (1kg)
$2.42 €2.16
$3.11 £2.33
-22.19%
Banana (1kg)
$2.35 €2.09
$1.40 £1.05
67.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.61 €2.32
$3.08 £2.31
-15.26%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.89 €2.57
$3.27 £2.45
-11.62%
Potato (1kg)
$2.43 €2.16
$1.58 £1.19
53.80%
Onion (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$1.74 £1.31
6.90%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.52 €1.35
$1.40 £1.05
8.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.02 €0.90
$1.80 £1.35
-43.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.92 €11.49
$23.28 £17.46
-44.50%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.11 €6.32
$13.03 £9.77
-45.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 €1.51
$3.17 £2.38
-46.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.10 €0.98
$4.42 £3.32
-75.11%
🚌 Getting Around
Genk
London
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.27 €2.90
$4.07 £3.05
-19.66%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$55.6 €49.48
$247 £185
-77.46%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.70 €5.07
$5.58 £4.18
2.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.72 €2.42
$3.36 £2.52
-19.05%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$25.50 €22.68
$56.8 £42.57
-55.07%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.90 €1.69
$2.13 £1.60
-10.80%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.9K €19.5K
$38.2K £28.6K
-42.67%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.7K €24.7K
$40.9K £30.7K
-32.16%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Genk
London
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 €148
$372 £279
-55.22%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.09 €17.87
$17.82 £13.37
12.74%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$41.01 €36.48
$40.37 £30.29
1.59%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Genk
London
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.87 €33.68
$60.0 £44.99
-36.85%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.49 €17.34
$21.29 £15.97
-8.45%
Cinema Ticket
$14.91 €13.26
$17.74 £13.31
-15.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Genk
London
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$278 €248
$2,864 £2,149
-90.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$33.1K €29.4K
$35.3K £26.5K
-6.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Genk
London
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$110 €97.8
$114 £85.5
-3.57%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.74 €41.57
$54.3 £40.71
-13.88%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.9 €68.4
$124 £93.2
-38.14%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$104 €92.8
$163 £122
-36.00%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Genk
London
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$947 €842
$2,869 £2,152
-66.99%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$695 €618
$2,233 £1,675
-68.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,281 €1,139
$5,266 £3,950
-75.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,069 €951
$3,778 £2,834
-71.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,137 €3,680
$18.3K £13.8K
-77.43%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,877 €2,559
$8,024 £6,019
-64.14%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Genk
London
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,276 €2,024
$5,037 £3,778
-54.82%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.46
4.74
-27.00%

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

Last update for Genk: October 13, 2026

Last update for London: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Genk
$695
London
$2.2K 222% $1.5K
Eating Out
Genk
$319
London
$388 21.6% $69
Groceries & Markets
Genk
$263
London
$349 32.7% $86
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Genk
$228
London
$430 88.9% $203
Clothing & Footwear
Genk
$152
London
$205 34.8% $53
Getting Around
Genk
$88
London
$285 224% $197
Sport & Entertainment
Genk
$68
London
$95 41% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Genk and $2,869 in London. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays 121% 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: $88.0 in Genk vs $107 in London for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $263 vs $349 per month, with Genk cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇧🇪 Genk
🇬🇧 London
🕒 Local time
21:51 9:51 PM
20:51 8:51 PM
1 h behind Genk
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
65,321
8,908,083 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Genk London 400 km
From you
  • Genk
  • London

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 London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is London cheaper than Genk?
Genk is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 120% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Genk or London?
On paper, salaries run 121% lower in London. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Genk and London?
Rent for a central apartment: $947 in Genk versus $2,869 in London. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Genk and in London?
Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in London. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is eating out cheaper in Genk or in London?
Dining out is cheaper in Genk – a meal for two runs $88.0 versus $107 in London. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Genk or in London?
At $1,812 in Genk versus $3,986 in London, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Genk but tight or insufficient in London. The gap between the two cities makes Genk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Genk or London more family-friendly?
For families, Genk is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in London, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Genk or London?
Safety-wise, Genk and London are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Genk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 120% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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