Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Hilton Head Island, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $2,925 in Hilton Head Island, SC, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Hilton Head Island, SC, United States
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Hilton Head Island, SC
🇺🇸 United States
$2,925
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $2,925 in Hilton Head Island, SC, rent included.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Hilton Head Island, SC $2,925

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $2,687 in Hilton Head Island, SC, rent included.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Hilton Head Island, SC $2,687

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $2,449 in Hilton Head Island, SC, rent included.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Hilton Head Island, SC $2,449

Lisbon is about 24% cheaper than Hilton Head Island, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lisbon and Hilton Head Island, SC sit above the global median – Lisbon by 62%, Hilton Head Island, SC by 115%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Hilton Head Island, SC
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.85
$19.92 $19.92
-16.42%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.1
$60.1 $60.1
2.71%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.13
$11.29 $11.29
0.62%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.65
$4.97 $4.97
-40.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.04
$3.09 $3.09
-25.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.55
$2.03 $2.03
-14.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.04
$4.93 $4.93
-31.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.95
$6.07 $6.07
-45.47%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Hilton Head Island, SC
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.03
$0.71 $0.71
63.38%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$3.27 $3.27
-41.59%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.35
$3.69 $3.69
-59.08%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.59
$2.91 $2.91
38.14%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.54
$8.72 $8.72
48.39%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.94
$9.56 $9.56
-18.72%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.85
$13.15 $13.15
35.06%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$4.61 $4.61
-50.11%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$1.46 $1.46
18.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$3.87 $3.87
-51.94%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.31
$4.57 $4.57
-43.33%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.62
$2.89 $2.89
-37.02%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$3.08 $3.08
-36.04%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.31
$2.53 $2.53
-41.90%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$2.43 $2.43
-70.37%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.87
$9.05 $9.05
-27.29%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.00
$15.07 $15.07
-62.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$2.13 $2.13
-36.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$3.14 $3.14
-31.85%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Hilton Head Island, SC
Difference
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
$1.54 $1.54
150.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.95
$1.13 $1.13
-5.31%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.69
$13.75 $13.75
19.71%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.96
$0.94 $0.94
134.04%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.5K
$31.2K $31.2K
9.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.5K
$25.9K $25.9K
49.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Hilton Head Island, SC
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$216 $216
-25.41%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.43
$55.1 $55.1
-66.61%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.21
$67.8 $67.8
-51.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Hilton Head Island, SC
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.74
$20.28 $20.28
119.67%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.04
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.56
$14.54 $14.54
-33.98%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Hilton Head Island, SC
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €596
$1,294 $1,294
-48.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.7K
$11.9K $11.9K
47.94%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Hilton Head Island, SC
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.0
$34.48 $34.48
195.88%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.67
$34.82 $34.82
27.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €87.9
$80.3 $80.3
22.68%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €110
$71.4 $71.4
73.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Hilton Head Island, SC
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,435
$2,151 $2,151
-25.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,062
$1,769 $1,769
-32.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,509
$2,272 $2,272
23.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,796
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €6,994
$3,619 $3,619
116.61%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,082
$3,538 $3,538
29.33%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Hilton Head Island, SC
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,405
$3,451 $3,451
-54.37%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
6.64
-42.02%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Hilton Head Island, SC: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Hilton Head Island, SC
$1.8K 48.6% $579
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Hilton Head Island, SC
$351 28.9% $79
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Hilton Head Island, SC
$310 27.8% $68
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Hilton Head Island, SC
$339 59.7% $127
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Hilton Head Island, SC
$99 40.1% $66
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Hilton Head Island, SC
$49 22.5% $14
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Hilton Head Island, SC
$7.2 * 88.7% $56

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $2,151 in Hilton Head Island, 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 Hilton Head Island, SC are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon versus $60 in Hilton Head Island, SC. Groceries tell a different story – $272 in Lisbon vs $351 in Hilton Head Island, SC – so Lisbon wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇺🇸 Hilton Head Island, SC
🕒 Local time
19:51 7:51 PM
14:51 2:51 PM
5 h behind Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
40,512
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Hilton Head Island, SC 6,360 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Hilton Head Island, 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 Hilton Head Island, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lisbon or Hilton Head Island, SC?
Hilton Head Island, SC costs about 32% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Lisbon and in Hilton Head Island, SC?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $4,387 in Hilton Head Island, SC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Lisbon or Hilton Head Island, SC?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Lisbon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,608 there versus $2,151 in Hilton Head Island, SC.
How much does it cost to live in Lisbon compared to Hilton Head Island, SC?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $2,925 in Hilton Head Island, SC. That makes Lisbon about 24% cheaper.
How do childcare costs compare in Lisbon and in Hilton Head Island, SC?
Kindergarten costs $668 per month in Lisbon and $1,294 in Hilton Head Island, SC. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is better for families?
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.
Should I move to Lisbon or to Hilton Head Island, SC?
If budget matters most, go with Lisbon. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hilton Head Island, SC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Lisbon vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?