Cost of Living Comparison Between Charleston, WV and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Charleston, WV and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,826 in Charleston, WV versus $2,296 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,671 in Charleston, WV versus $3,376 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,516 in Charleston, WV versus $4,457 in Lisbon.

Living in Charleston, WV costs roughly 20% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Charleston, WV 33% above, Lisbon 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.25 $14.25

$17.59 €15.33

-18.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.5 $50.5

$62.9 €54.8

-19.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.03 $10.03

$11.58 €10.10

-13.39%

Cappuccino

$3.07 $3.07

$3.10 €2.70

-0.97%

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

$2.35 $2.35

$2.49 €2.17

-5.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.74 €1.52

9.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.48 €3.03

-16.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.61 $6.61

$3.44 €3.00

92.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$1.15 €1.00

-31.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.91 €1.66

16.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.50 €1.31

8.67%

Eggs

$3.28 $3.28

$3.98 €3.47

-17.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.81 $10.81

$13.29 €11.59

-18.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.89 $11.89

$8.01 €6.98

48.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.07 $16.07

$18.04 €15.73

-10.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$2.35 €2.05

85.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.75 €1.53

-41.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.85 €1.62

20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.12 $5.12

$2.55 €2.22

100.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.84 €1.61

5.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.10 €1.83

34.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.49 €1.30

32.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.82 €0.71

24.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.98 $5.98

$7.10 €6.19

-15.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.82 $9.82

$5.91 €5.15

66.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.31 €1.15

33.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.17 $6.17

$2.13 €1.86

189.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$2.31 €2.01

-61.04%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$34.1K €29.7K

6.69%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$41.4K €36.1K

-39.05%

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

$203 $203

$169 €147

20.65%

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

$46.21 $46.21

$19.33 €16.85

139.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.9 $55.9

$33.51 €29.21

66.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.66 $30.66

$48.84 €42.57

-37.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.71 $16.71

$19.43 €16.94

-14.00%

Cinema Ticket

$11.86 $11.86

$9.57 €8.34

23.93%

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

$535 $535

$696 €607

-23.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,401 $6,401

$17.4K €15.1K

-63.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.72 $39.72

$105 €91.8

-62.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.83 $47.83

$47.75 €41.62

0.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.2 $70.2

$101 €87.6

-30.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$124 €108

-1.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,035 $1,035

$1,662 €1,449

-37.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 $771

$1,246 €1,086

-38.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,715 $1,715

$2,965 €2,584

-42.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,339 $1,339

$2,049 €1,786

-34.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,128 $1,128

$7,834 €6,829

-85.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,120 $1,120

$4,464 €3,892

-74.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,625 $3,625

$1,632 €1,422

122.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.15

3.78

62.70%

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

Last update for Charleston, WV: September 15, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,035 in Charleston, WV and $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Charleston, WV pays 122% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $51.0 in Charleston, WV vs $63.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $325 vs $277, with Lisbon 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

Charleston, WV vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Charleston, WV is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 122% higher in Charleston, WV, 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: $1,035 in Charleston, WV versus $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $535 in Charleston, WV versus $696 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Charleston, WV – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,826 in Charleston, WV versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Charleston, WV but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Charleston, WV the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Charleston, WV is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Charleston, WV 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 Charleston, WV gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.