Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aiken, SC and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $2,436 in Aiken, SC, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Aiken, SC
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Aiken, SC Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Aiken, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,436

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aiken, SC and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Aiken, SC and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,436 in Aiken, SC versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Aiken, SC $2,436
Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,384 in Aiken, SC versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

Aiken, SC $3,384
Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,332 in Aiken, SC versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

Aiken, SC $4,332
Lisbon $4,341

Living in Aiken, SC is roughly 10% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Aiken, SC 79% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.28 $15.28

$16.65 €14.95

-8.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.8 $58.8

$61.7 €55.5

-4.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.80 $10.80

$11.36 €10.20

-4.93%

Cappuccino

$3.69 $3.69

$2.97 €2.67

24.24%

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

$2.18 $2.18

$2.29 €2.06

-4.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.74 €1.56

13.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.84 $5.84

$3.40 €3.06

71.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.53 $8.53

$3.31 €2.97

157.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.16 €1.04

-12.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 $2.75

$1.91 €1.72

43.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.51 €1.36

52.98%

Eggs

$3.59 $3.59

$4.02 €3.61

-10.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$12.94 €11.62

9.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.28 $6.28

$7.77 €6.98

-19.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$17.76 €15.95

5.35%

Apples (1kg)

$8.72 $8.72

$2.30 €2.07

279.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.73 €1.56

32.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.86 €1.67

57.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.87 $3.87

$2.59 €2.33

49.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.82 €1.64

7.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.97 €1.77

39.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.47 €1.32

27.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.72 €0.65

184.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.16 $7.16

$6.58 €5.91

8.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.05 $13.05

$5.61 €5.04

132.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.36 €1.22

47.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.14 €1.92

39.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.10

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.14

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 $4.90

$3.85 €3.46

27.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.02 $5.02

$1.07 €0.96

369.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.0 $51.0

$16.46 €14.79

209.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.73 $0.73

$2.20 €1.98

-66.82%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$34.2K €30.7K

-17.20%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$38.7K €34.8K

-31.15%

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

$222 $222

$161 €145

37.61%

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

$66.2 $66.2

$18.41 €16.54

259.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.2 $84.2

$32.74 €29.41

157.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 $56.6

$44.55 €40.02

27.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.16

Cinema Ticket

$14.99 $14.99

$9.60 €8.62

56.15%

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

$942 $942

$668 €600

41.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K $18.0K

$17.6K €15.8K

2.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.7 $64.7

$102 €91.6

-36.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.36 $44.36

$44.46 €39.94

-0.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$98.5 €88.5

16.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.6 $64.6

$124 €111

-47.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 $1,337

$1,608 €1,445

-16.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 $1,191

$1,190 €1,069

0.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 $1,759

$2,812 €2,526

-37.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,706 $1,706

$2,013 €1,808

-15.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,694 $1,694

$7,839 €7,042

-78.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,359 $1,359

$4,576 €4,110

-70.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,415

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

3.85

70.65%

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

Last update for Aiken, SC: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Aiken, SC

$1.2K 48.9%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8% 0.1% $0.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aiken, SC

$372 15.3%

Lisbon

$212 9.6% 43% $160

Groceries & Markets

Aiken, SC

$365 15%

Lisbon

$272 12.3% 25.4% $93

Eating Out

Aiken, SC

$262 10.7%

Lisbon

$243 11% 7.3% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Aiken, SC

$130 5.3%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 28% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Aiken, SC

$87 3.6%

Lisbon

$64 2.9% 26.4% $23

Getting Around

Aiken, SC

$30 * 1.2%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 111% $33

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,337 in Aiken, SC and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $59 in Aiken, SC vs $62 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $365 vs $272, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Aiken, SC

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

18:06 6:06 PM

22:06 10:06 PM

4 h ahead of Aiken, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,829

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Aiken, SC Lisbon 6,370 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Aiken, SC
Lisbon

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

Aiken, SC vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Aiken, SC. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Lisbon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $3,654 in Aiken, SC and $3,315 in Lisbon to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,337 in Aiken, SC versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $942 in Aiken, SC versus $668 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Aiken, SC – a meal for two runs $59 versus $62 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Lisbon 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, Aiken, SC and Lisbon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.