Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gent and Genk

For one person, living is cheaper in Genk: $1,828 a month against $2,229 in Gent, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Gent
Learn more

Gent Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Genk
Learn more

Genk Living Index

Jump to prices

Gent

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,229

/mo nomad

Genk

🇧🇪 Belgium

$1,828

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,229 in Gent versus $1,828 in Genk.

Gent $2,229
Genk $1,828

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,454 in Gent versus $2,767 in Genk.

Gent $3,454
Genk $2,767

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,679 in Gent versus $3,706 in Genk.

Gent $4,679
Genk $3,706

Living in Gent is roughly 22% more expensive than in Genk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gent 64% above, Genk 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.69 €20.33

$23.16 €20.75

-2.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$113 €101

$89.2 €80.0

26.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.92 €14.27

$13.32 €11.94

19.52%

Cappuccino

$4.22 €3.78

$4.32 €3.87

-2.31%

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

$3.37 €3.02

$2.64 €2.37

27.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 €2.55

$2.28 €2.04

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 €5.13

$4.54 €4.07

26.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 €5.14

$3.95 €3.54

45.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.09

$0.91 €0.82

32.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 €2.48

$2.87 €2.58

-3.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 €1.92

$2.32 €2.08

-7.33%

Eggs

$4.03 €3.61

$3.93 €3.52

2.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.70 €16.76

$9.08 €8.14

105.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 €11.29

$7.42 €6.65

69.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.54 €17.51

$11.26 €10.09

73.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 €2.40

$2.42 €2.17

10.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 €2.11

$2.37 €2.12

-0.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$2.56 €2.29

1.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.94 €2.63

$2.93 €2.62

0.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 €1.89

$2.54 €2.28

-16.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 €1.73

$1.80 €1.61

7.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.21

$1.50 €1.35

-10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 €0.97

$1.10 €0.99

-1.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.20 €11.83

$12.70 €11.38

3.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.02 €8.08

$7.42 €6.65

21.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.79

$1.71 €1.53

16.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.12

$1.14 €1.02

107.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.37 €3.02

$3.27 €2.93

3.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.5 €53.3

$55.1 €49.39

7.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.07 €9.92

$5.54 €4.96

99.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.89 €2.59

$2.75 €2.46

5.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.4 €46.03

$45.28 €40.58

13.45%

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

58.19%

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

$36.6K €32.8K

$27.4K €24.5K

33.83%

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

$221 €198

$169 €152

30.54%

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

$20.94 €18.76

$20.43 €18.30

2.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.87 €41.10

$40.91 €36.66

12.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.76 €29.36

$36.82 €33.00

-11.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.19 €11.82

$19.80 €17.74

-33.38%

Cinema Ticket

$15.84 €14.19

$15.93 €14.27

-0.56%

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

$564 €505

$281 €252

100.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K €18.8K

$32.8K €29.4K

-36.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €94.7

$108 €96.6

-1.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.81 €41.95

$46.61 €41.76

0.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €97.0

$79.1 €70.9

36.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 €133

$103 €92.3

44.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 €1,067

$952 €853

25.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$893 €800

$694 €622

28.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,809 €1,621

$1,295 €1,161

39.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,517 €1,360

$1,041 €933

45.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,994 €4,475

$4,107 €3,680

21.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,015 €2,702

$2,908 €2,606

3.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,688 €3,305

$2,275 €2,039

62.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.2

3.53

-9.35%

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

Last update for Gent: 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

Gent

$893 40.1%

Genk

$694 38% 22.3% $199

Groceries & Markets

Gent

$356 16%

Genk

$268 14.7% 24.7% $88

Eating Out

Gent

$345 15.5%

Genk

$327 17.9% 5.1% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gent

$288 12.9%

Genk

$230 12.6% 19.9% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Gent

$184 8.3%

Genk

$151 8.3% 17.8% $33

Getting Around

Gent

$98 4.4%

Genk

$87 4.8% 11.2% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Gent

$64 2.9%

Genk

$69 3.8% 6.6% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,191 in Gent and $952 in Genk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gent pays 62% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $113 in Gent vs $89 in Genk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $356 vs $268 per month, with Genk cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Gent

🇧🇪 Genk

🕒 Local time

08:10 8:10 AM

Same time as Gent

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

237,000

65,321

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Gent Genk 120 km

From you

Gent
Genk

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

Gent vs Genk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Genk is about 18% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 62% higher in Gent, 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: $1,191 in Gent versus $952 in Genk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Gent. 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 $89 versus $113 in Gent. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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

Expats usually find Genk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Gent. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.