Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Charleston, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,206 a month against $3,315 in Charleston, SC, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
158

Cost of Living Index in Charleston, SC
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Charleston, SC Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,206

/mo nomad

Charleston, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$3,315

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Charleston, SC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,206 per month in Lisbon vs $3,315 in Charleston, SC, rent included.

Lisbon $2,206
Charleston, SC $3,315

A couple spends around $3,276 per month in Lisbon vs $4,745 in Charleston, SC, rent included.

Lisbon $3,276
Charleston, SC $4,745

A family of three spends $4,346 per month in Lisbon vs $6,175 in Charleston, SC, rent included.

Lisbon $4,346
Charleston, SC $6,175

Lisbon is about 33% cheaper than Charleston, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lisbon and Charleston, SC sit above the global median – Lisbon by 63%, Charleston, SC by 145%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 €15.02

$19.83 $19.83

-14.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.0 €54.4

$135 $135

-54.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 €9.78

$12.10 $12.10

-9.26%

Cappuccino

$3.05 €2.72

$5.80 $5.80

-47.41%

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

$2.28 €2.03

$2.80 $2.80

-18.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.50

$2.36 $2.36

-28.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 €3.06

$6.90 $6.90

-50.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.48

$8.23 $8.23

-52.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.11 $1.11

3.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 €1.68

$4.21 $4.21

-55.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.34

$4.76 $4.76

-68.49%

Eggs

$4.12 €3.67

$5.56 $5.56

-25.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.01 €11.59

$22.87 $22.87

-43.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.04 €7.17

$14.35 $14.35

-43.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.89 €15.94

$20.66 $20.66

-13.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$8.13 $8.13

-72.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.78 $1.78

-2.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 €1.62

$5.19 $5.19

-64.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 €2.39

$7.12 $7.12

-62.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.57

$5.09 $5.09

-65.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 €1.73

$3.85 $3.85

-49.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.30

$2.89 $2.89

-49.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.68

$3.26 $3.26

-76.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.66 €5.93

$8.71 $8.71

-23.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 €5.02

$19.64 $19.64

-71.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$2.76 $2.76

-53.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$2.99 $2.99

-28.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 €2.05

$1.95 $1.95

17.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.02 €39.21

$58.0 $58.0

-24.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 €3.55

$3.04 $3.04

30.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 €0.57

$1.21 $1.21

-47.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.93 €16.86

$32.03 $32.03

-40.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.03 $1.03

121.36%

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

$33.4K €29.7K

$26.5K $26.5K

26.13%

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

$38.5K €34.3K

$25.6K $25.6K

50.64%

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

$158 €141

$228 $228

-30.70%

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

$17.54 €15.62

$77.0 $77.0

-77.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.18 €27.78

$80.7 $80.7

-61.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.64 €39.77

$43.34 $43.34

3.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.98 €16.91

$20.07 $20.07

-5.43%

Cinema Ticket

$9.58 €8.53

$14.08 $14.08

-31.96%

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

$674 €600

$1,270 $1,270

-46.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K €16.7K

$22.7K $22.7K

-17.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.0

$76.5 $76.5

33.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.90 €40.89

$45.68 $45.68

0.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €91.0

$114 $114

-10.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €109

$133 $133

-8.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 €1,461

$2,166 $2,166

-24.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 €1,058

$1,743 $1,743

-31.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 €2,516

$3,414 $3,414

-17.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,018 €1,798

$2,445 $2,445

-17.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,836 €6,980

$5,965 $5,965

31.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,701 €4,188

$3,094 $3,094

51.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,687 €1,503

$4,780 $4,780

-64.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.82

6.61

-42.21%

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

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Last update for Charleston, SC: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Charleston, SC

$1.7K 52.6% 46.8% $556

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$275 12.5%

Charleston, SC

$537 16.2% 95.7% $263

Eating Out

Lisbon

$245 11.1%

Charleston, SC

$336 10.1% 37% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$207 9.4%

Charleston, SC

$386 11.6% 86.6% $179

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.6%

Charleston, SC

$166 5% 0.9% $1.5

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Charleston, SC

$71 2.2% 12.1% $7.7

Getting Around

Lisbon

$60 2.7%

Charleston, SC

$75 2.3% 24% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,641 in Lisbon versus $2,166 in Charleston, SC. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Charleston, SC are about 2.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Lisbon versus $135 in Charleston, SC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $275 vs $537 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 Charleston, SC

🕒 Local time

17:00 5:00 PM

12:00 12:00 PM

5 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

150,227

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Charleston, SC 6,260 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Charleston, SC

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 Charleston, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Charleston, SC costs about 50% more than Lisbon, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,309 per month in Lisbon and $4,973 in Charleston, SC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lisbon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,641 there versus $2,166 in Charleston, SC.

Kindergarten costs $674 per month in Lisbon and $1,270 in Charleston, SC. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 96% more in Charleston, SC, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,206, than in Charleston, SC at $3,315. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Charleston, SC it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lisbon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Lisbon. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Charleston, SC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.