Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Genk Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Genk

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,466 in Hamilton versus $2,010 in Genk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,546 in Hamilton versus $2,977 in Genk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,625 in Hamilton versus $3,944 in Genk.

Living in Hamilton is roughly 23% more expensive than Genk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamilton 83% above, Genk 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.65 CA$26.04

$23.02 €19.84

-18.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.4 CA$103

$94.4 €81.3

-22.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.21 CA$15.66

$11.58 €9.98

-3.20%

Cappuccino

$4.11 CA$5.74

$3.86 €3.33

6.48%

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

$2.17 CA$3.02

$3.20 €2.76

-32.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.44

$2.99 €2.58

-41.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.92 CA$8.27

$5.72 €4.93

3.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.54 CA$9.14

$5.87 €5.06

11.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CA$3.13

$0.93 €0.80

140.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 CA$3.01

$3.01 €2.60

-28.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.02

$2.89 €2.49

-0.35%

Eggs

$3.27 CA$4.57

$4.29 €3.69

-23.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.77 CA$10.85

$9.18 €7.91

-15.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.64 CA$16.25

$8.69 €7.49

33.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 CA$20.14

$11.40 €9.82

26.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 CA$5.36

$2.51 €2.16

52.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 CA$1.82

$2.53 €2.18

-48.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 CA$5.02

$2.77 €2.38

29.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 CA$5.31

$3.13 €2.69

21.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.69

$2.58 €2.23

2.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 CA$3.06

$2.35 €2.02

-6.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 CA$3.13

$1.67 €1.44

34.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 CA$2.75

$1.17 €1.01

68.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.37 CA$18.67

$12.60 €10.86

6.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.85 CA$17.94

$7.36 €6.34

74.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 CA$3.32

$1.96 €1.69

21.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 CA$4.24

$2.50 €2.15

21.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 CA$3.70

$3.39 €2.92

-21.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.0 CA$121

$57.6 €49.64

50.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 CA$4.99

$7.39 €6.37

-51.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 CA$1.77

$2.54 €2.19

-50.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.83 CA$33.28

$34.86 €30.03

-31.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 CA$1.55

$1.93 €1.66

-42.49%

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

$24.6K CA$34.4K

$23.5K €20.2K

4.93%

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

$20.3K CA$28.4K

$28.2K €24.3K

-28.08%

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

$153 CA$214

$251 €216

-38.97%

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

$39.05 CA$54.5

$21.03 €18.12

85.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 CA$73.6

$55.5 €47.78

-4.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.20 CA$52.0

$38.39 €33.08

-3.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.80 CA$30.45

$16.64 €14.34

31.01%

Cinema Ticket

$11.84 CA$16.54

$15.00 €12.93

-21.07%

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

$632 CA$882

$287 €247

120.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K CA$31.4K

$13.7K €11.8K

63.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 CA$79.2

$106 €90.9

-46.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.55 CA$46.86

$49.29 €42.47

-31.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 CA$137

$89.7 €77.3

9.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 CA$165

$107 €92.1

10.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 CA$1,880

$949 €818

41.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,261 CA$1,761

$747 €644

68.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,002 CA$2,795

$1,367 €1,177

46.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,965 CA$2,744

$1,143 €984

71.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,744 CA$3,832

$2,609 €2,248

5.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,741 CA$3,827

$2,014 €1,736

36.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,964 CA$4,139

$2,301 €1,982

28.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

3.65

81.37%

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

Last update for Hamilton: June 8, 2026

Last update for Genk: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,346 in Hamilton and $949 in Genk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 29% 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: $73.0 in Hamilton vs $94.0 in Genk. Groceries flip the comparison at $342 vs $290, 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

Hamilton vs Genk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Genk is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Hamilton pays 29% more on average, 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: $1,346 in Hamilton versus $949 in Genk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Hamilton. 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 $94.0 versus $73.0 in Hamilton. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,010 in Genk versus $2,466 in Hamilton, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Genk but tight or insufficient in Hamilton. 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 Hamilton, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Hamilton and Genk 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 23% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.