Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton, Canada and Genk

For one person, living is cheaper in Genk: $1,828 a month against $2,379 in Hamilton, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
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Hamilton Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Genk
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Genk Living Index

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Hamilton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,379

/mo nomad

Genk

🇧🇪 Belgium

$1,828

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,379 in Hamilton versus $1,828 in Genk.

Hamilton $2,379
Genk $1,828

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,409 in Hamilton versus $2,767 in Genk.

Hamilton $3,409
Genk $2,767

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,440 in Hamilton versus $3,706 in Genk.

Hamilton $4,440
Genk $3,706

Living in Hamilton is roughly 30% more expensive than in Genk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamilton 75% above, Genk 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.79 CA$24.89

$23.16 €20.75

-23.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.9 CA$96.3

$89.2 €80.0

-22.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.21 CA$17.07

$13.32 €11.94

-8.33%

Cappuccino

$3.48 CA$4.87

$4.32 €3.87

-19.44%

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

$2.18 CA$3.05

$2.64 €2.37

-17.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 CA$2.32

$2.28 €2.04

-27.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.06 CA$7.08

$4.54 €4.07

11.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.21 CA$8.68

$3.95 €3.54

57.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 CA$2.78

$0.91 €0.82

118.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 CA$2.85

$2.87 €2.58

-28.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.41

$2.32 €2.08

35.78%

Eggs

$3.39 CA$4.74

$3.93 €3.52

-13.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.90 CA$11.05

$9.08 €8.14

-13.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.03

$7.42 €6.65

54.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.97 CA$20.93

$11.26 €10.09

32.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 CA$5.68

$2.42 €2.17

67.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 CA$1.84

$2.37 €2.12

-44.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.04 CA$5.65

$2.56 €2.29

57.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.76 CA$5.26

$2.93 €2.62

28.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.72

$2.54 €2.28

4.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.71

$1.80 €1.61

7.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 CA$2.76

$1.50 €1.35

31.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 CA$1.88

$1.10 €0.99

21.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.64 CA$17.68

$12.70 €11.38

-0.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.09 CA$19.70

$7.42 €6.65

89.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 CA$3.72

$1.71 €1.53

55.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 CA$5.64

$1.14 €1.02

254.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.64 CA$3.69

$3.27 €2.93

-19.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.2 CA$128

$55.1 €49.39

65.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 CA$5.00

$5.54 €4.96

-35.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 CA$1.74

$2.75 €2.46

-54.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.74 CA$33.20

$45.28 €40.58

-47.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.70

$1.84 €1.65

-34.24%

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

$26.1K CA$36.5K

$22.4K €20.1K

16.27%

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

$22.4K CA$31.3K

$27.4K €24.5K

-18.22%

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

$157 CA$219

$169 €152

-7.42%

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

$41.99 CA$58.7

$20.43 €18.30

105.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.6 CA$70.7

$40.91 €36.66

23.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.23 CA$47.88

$36.82 €33.00

-7.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.97 CA$25.13

$19.80 €17.74

-9.24%

Cinema Ticket

$10.44 CA$14.60

$15.93 €14.27

-34.46%

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

$490 CA$685

$281 €252

74.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K CA$23.4K

$32.8K €29.4K

-48.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 CA$69.1

$108 €96.6

-54.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.10 CA$43.50

$46.61 €41.76

-33.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 CA$123

$79.1 €70.9

11.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 CA$164

$103 €92.3

14.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 CA$1,801

$952 €853

35.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 CA$1,706

$694 €622

75.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 CA$2,890

$1,295 €1,161

59.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,830 CA$2,559

$1,041 €933

75.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,105 CA$4,343

$4,107 €3,680

-24.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,705 CA$3,783

$2,908 €2,606

-7.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,039 CA$4,250

$2,275 €2,039

33.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

3.53

30.31%

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

Last update for Hamilton: 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

Hamilton

$1.2K 51.3%

Genk

$694 38% 43.1% $525

Groceries & Markets

Hamilton

$341 14.3%

Genk

$268 14.7% 21.3% $73

Eating Out

Hamilton

$274 11.5%

Genk

$327 17.9% 19.5% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamilton

$249 10.5%

Genk

$230 12.6% 7.5% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Hamilton

$129 5.4%

Genk

$151 8.3% 17.7% $23

Getting Around

Hamilton

$112 4.7%

Genk

$87 4.8% 21.6% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Hamilton

$55 2.3%

Genk

$69 3.8% 24.6% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,288 in Hamilton and $952 in Genk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 34% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $69 in Hamilton vs $89 in Genk. Groceries flip the comparison at $341 vs $268, with Genk cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Hamilton

🇧🇪 Genk

🕒 Local time

02:17 2:17 AM

07:17 7:17 AM

5 h ahead of Hamilton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

519,949

65,321

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.642 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.715 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.642 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hamilton Genk 6,150 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Hamilton
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

Hamilton vs Genk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Genk is about 23% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 34% higher in Hamilton, 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: $1,288 in Hamilton versus $952 in Genk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Hamilton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Hamilton – a meal for two runs $69 versus $89 in Genk. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Genk wins on affordability, Hamilton on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.