Cost of Living Comparison Between Charleroi and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Charleroi and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,126 in Charleroi versus $2,268 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,086 in Charleroi versus $3,348 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,047 in Charleroi versus $4,429 in Lisbon.

Living in Charleroi costs roughly 6% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Charleroi 54% above, Lisbon 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.05 €19.87

$17.55 €15.12

31.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.9 €76.6

$64.5 €55.6

37.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.07 €12.13

$11.65 €10.04

20.77%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$3.26 €2.81

-2.15%

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

$2.31 €1.99

$2.49 €2.15

-7.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 €1.96

$1.67 €1.44

35.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 €2.82

$3.47 €2.99

-5.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 €3.69

$3.58 €3.08

19.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.03

$1.18 €1.02

1.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 €2.29

$1.95 €1.68

35.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.56 €1.35

46.79%

Eggs

$3.81 €3.28

$4.01 €3.46

-4.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.80 €15.35

$13.27 €11.44

34.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.26 €10.57

$8.42 €7.26

45.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.30 €19.22

$18.23 €15.72

22.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.35

$2.32 €2.00

17.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 €1.98

$1.73 €1.49

32.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 €2.40

$1.93 €1.67

44.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.51 €3.02

$2.64 €2.27

32.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.90 €1.64

16.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 €1.01

$2.11 €1.82

-44.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.44 €1.24

-4.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 €0.63

$0.80 €0.69

-8.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.14 €11.33

$7.01 €6.04

87.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.21 €7.94

$5.92 €5.11

55.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.36 €1.18

33.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.87

$2.15 €1.85

0.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.61

$2.38 €2.05

27.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.82 €36.91

$46.22 €39.85

-7.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.70 €4.91

$4.19 €3.61

36.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.10 €0.95

159.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.95 €39.61

$17.26 €14.88

166.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.25 €1.94

-13.33%

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

$31.8K €27.4K

$34.5K €29.7K

-7.79%

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

$34.1K €29.4K

$41.6K €35.9K

-18.16%

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

$209 €180

$171 €147

22.26%

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

$22.28 €19.21

$19.01 €16.38

17.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.47 €41.79

$34.28 €29.55

41.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.63 €28.12

$49.65 €42.80

-34.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.20 €25.17

$19.51 €16.81

49.67%

Cinema Ticket

$15.86 €13.67

$10.10 €8.71

57.03%

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

$1,702 €1,467

$699 €603

143.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.3K €14.9K

$17.8K €15.3K

-2.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 €100

$105 €90.2

11.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 €46.78

$47.97 €41.35

13.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.5 €81.5

$102 €87.8

-7.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.9 €79.2

$128 €111

-28.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$848 €731

$1,661 €1,432

-48.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$836 €720

$1,228 €1,059

-31.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 €934

$2,915 €2,513

-62.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,085 €935

$2,023 €1,744

-46.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,964 €2,555

$8,129 €7,007

-63.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,027 €2,609

$4,635 €3,996

-34.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,341 €2,018

$1,619 €1,396

44.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

3.78

-8.47%

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

Last update for Charleroi: September 5, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $848 in Charleroi and $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Charleroi pays 45% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $89.0 in Charleroi vs $64.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $356 vs $281 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

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

Charleroi vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Charleroi and Lisbon differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($2,126 vs $2,268 including rent). Charleroi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 45% higher in Charleroi, 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: $848 in Charleroi versus $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Charleroi runs roughly 8% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,702 in Charleroi versus $699 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,126 in Charleroi versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Charleroi but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Charleroi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Charleroi and Lisbon 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 Charleroi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.