Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Genk

For one person, living is cheaper in Genk: $1,828 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Genk
Learn more

Genk Living Index

Jump to prices

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Genk

🇧🇪 Belgium

$1,828

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,828 in Genk.

Lisbon $2,210
Genk $1,828

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $2,767 in Genk.

Lisbon $3,275
Genk $2,767

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $3,706 in Genk.

Lisbon $4,341
Genk $3,706

Living in Lisbon is roughly 21% more expensive than in Genk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Genk 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.92

$23.16 €20.75

-28.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$89.2 €80.0

-30.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.18

$13.32 €11.94

-14.71%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$4.32 €3.87

-31.25%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$2.64 €2.37

-13.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$2.28 €2.04

-23.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$4.54 €4.07

-25.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$3.95 €3.54

-16.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$0.91 €0.82

27.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$2.87 €2.58

-33.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$2.32 €2.08

-34.91%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$3.93 €3.52

2.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$9.08 €8.14

42.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.97

$7.42 €6.65

4.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.92

$11.26 €10.09

57.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$2.42 €2.17

-4.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$2.37 €2.12

-27.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$2.56 €2.29

-27.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$2.93 €2.62

-11.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$2.54 €2.28

-28.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$1.80 €1.61

9.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.50 €1.35

-2.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$1.10 €0.99

-34.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$12.70 €11.38

-48.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$7.42 €6.65

-24.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.71 €1.53

-20.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$1.14 €1.02

87.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

$3.27 €2.93

-28.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.04

$55.1 €49.39

-18.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$5.54 €4.96

-30.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$2.75 €2.46

-61.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.75

$45.28 €40.58

-63.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$1.84 €1.65

19.57%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$22.4K €20.1K

52.47%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$27.4K €24.5K

41.44%

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

$161 €144

$169 €152

-4.67%

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

$18.41 €16.50

$20.43 €18.30

-9.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.34

$40.91 €36.66

-19.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.92

$36.82 €33.00

20.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.11

$19.80 €17.74

-3.54%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$15.93 €14.27

-39.74%

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

$668 €598

$281 €252

137.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$32.8K €29.4K

-46.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$108 €96.6

-5.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.85

$46.61 €41.76

-4.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.3

$79.1 €70.9

24.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$103 €92.3

20.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,441

$952 €853

68.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$694 €622

71.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,520

$1,295 €1,161

117.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,804

$1,041 €933

93.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,025

$4,107 €3,680

90.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,100

$2,908 €2,606

57.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

$2,275 €2,039

-30.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.53

9.07%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Genk: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Genk

$694 38% 41.6% $496

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Genk

$268 14.7% 1.5% $4.1

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Genk

$327 17.9% 34.9% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Genk

$230 12.6% 8.5% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Genk

$151 8.3% 8.7% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Genk

$69 3.8% 7.8% $4.9

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Genk

$87 4.8% 38.4% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $952 in Genk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Genk pays 44% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $89 in Genk. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $268, with Genk cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇧🇪 Genk

🕒 Local time

07:10 7:10 AM

08:10 8:10 AM

1 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

65,321

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lisbon Genk 1,780 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
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

Lisbon vs Genk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Genk is about 17% cheaper overall, especially in clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 31% lower in Lisbon. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $952 in Genk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $281 in Genk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $62 versus $89 in Genk. 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, Lisbon and Genk are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.