Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Florence, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $2,285 in Florence, SC, rent and utilities included – about $900 less a year. The total is higher in Florence, SC despite lower rent and utilities.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Florence, SC
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Florence, SC Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Florence, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,285 in Florence, SC.

Lisbon $2,210
Florence, SC $2,285

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $3,220 in Florence, SC.

Lisbon $3,275
Florence, SC $3,220

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $4,156 in Florence, SC.

Lisbon $4,341
Florence, SC $4,156

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 3% less than in Florence, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Florence, SC 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.85

$15.27 $15.27

9.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.1

$63.7 $63.7

-3.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.13

$11.06 $11.06

2.71%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.65

$4.87 $4.87

-39.01%

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

$2.29 €2.04

$2.54 $2.54

-9.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.99 $1.99

-12.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.04

$5.02 $5.02

-32.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.95

$6.87 $6.87

-51.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.03

$1.02 $1.02

13.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$4.14 $4.14

-53.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.35

$5.81 $5.81

-74.01%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.59

$5.32 $5.32

-24.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.54

$11.54 $11.54

12.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.94

$14.48 $14.48

-46.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.85

$24.86 $24.86

-28.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$6.70 $6.70

-65.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.73 $1.73

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$7.01 $7.01

-73.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.31

$6.14 $6.14

-57.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.62

$4.14 $4.14

-56.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$5.92 $5.92

-66.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.31

$2.30 $2.30

-36.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$3.18 $3.18

-77.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.87

$8.82 $8.82

-25.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.00

$14.73 $14.73

-61.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.98 $1.98

-31.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$6.00 $6.00

-64.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.08

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €39.86

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.43

$7.04 $7.04

-45.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.95

$1.91 $1.91

-43.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.69

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.96

$0.95 $0.95

131.58%

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

$34.2K €30.5K

$27.2K $27.2K

25.66%

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

$38.7K €34.5K

$25.6K $25.6K

51.40%

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

$161 €144

$289 $289

-44.15%

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

$18.41 €16.43

$56.1 $56.1

-67.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.21

$40.71 $40.71

-19.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.74

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.04

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.56

$15.27 $15.27

-37.13%

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

$668 €596

$1,344 $1,344

-50.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.0

$40.44 $40.44

152.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.67

$30.16 $30.16

47.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €87.9

$106 $106

-7.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €110

$71.2 $71.2

73.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,435

$981 $981

63.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,062

$966 $966

23.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,509

$1,512 $1,512

86.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,796

$1,342 $1,342

50.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €6,994

$1,586 $1,586

394.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,082

$1,616 $1,616

183.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,405

$3,094 $3,094

-49.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

6.57

-41.40%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Florence, SC: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Florence, SC

$967 42.3% 18.8% $224

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Florence, SC

$503 22% 84.8% $231

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Florence, SC

$271 11.9% 11.6% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Florence, SC

$385 16.9% 81.5% $173

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Florence, SC

$112 4.9% 32.7% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Florence, SC

$31 * 1.3% 52.1% $33

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Florence, SC

$17 * 0.7% 73.7% $47

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 $1,608 in Lisbon and $981 in Florence, SC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Florence, SC pays 96% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $64 in Florence, SC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $503 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 Florence, SC

🕒 Local time

15:55 3:55 PM

10:55 10:55 AM

5 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

40,184

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Florence, SC 6,180 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Florence, SC

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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 Florence, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Florence, SC. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Lisbon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 49% 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 $981 in Florence, SC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $1,344 in Florence, SC. 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 $64 in Florence, SC. 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.

It comes down to priorities – Lisbon wins on affordability, Florence, SC on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.