Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Union, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,206 a month against $2,365 in Union, SC, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Union, SC
Learn more

Union, SC Living Index

Jump to prices

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,206

/mo nomad

Union, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,365

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,206 in Lisbon versus $2,365 in Union, SC.

Lisbon $2,206
Union, SC $2,365

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,276 in Lisbon versus $3,557 in Union, SC.

Lisbon $3,276
Union, SC $3,557

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $4,749 in Union, SC.

Lisbon $4,346
Union, SC $4,749

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 7% less than in Union, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 63% above, Union, SC 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 €15.00

$8.74 $8.74

92.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.0 €54.3

$99.8 $99.8

-38.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 €9.77

$8.67 $8.67

26.64%

Cappuccino

$3.05 €2.71

$5.69 $5.69

-46.40%

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

$2.28 €2.03

$2.20 $2.20

3.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.83 $1.83

-8.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 €3.06

$2.76 $2.76

24.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.48

$3.40 $3.40

15.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.09 $1.09

5.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 €1.68

$3.36 $3.36

-43.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.34

$2.47 $2.47

-39.27%

Eggs

$4.12 €3.66

$3.19 $3.19

29.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.01 €11.57

$8.90 $8.90

46.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.04 €7.16

$13.02 $13.02

-38.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.89 €15.92

$14.96 $14.96

19.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$2.75 $2.75

-17.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.29 $1.29

34.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 €1.62

$3.27 $3.27

-44.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 €2.39

$4.34 $4.34

-38.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.57

$2.29 $2.29

-22.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 €1.72

$2.05 $2.05

-5.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.30

$1.74 $1.74

-16.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.68

$1.23 $1.23

-38.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.66 €5.92

$8.47 $8.47

-21.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 €5.02

$8.77 $8.77

-35.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.80 $1.80

-28.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.90

$5.22 $5.22

-59.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 €2.05

$2.20 $2.20

4.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.02 €39.17

$55.0 $55.0

-20.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 €3.54

$2.78 $2.78

43.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 €0.57

$3.07 $3.07

-79.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.93 €16.84

$35.57 $35.57

-46.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$0.95 $0.95

140.00%

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

$33.4K €29.7K

$28.1K $28.1K

18.68%

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

$38.5K €34.3K

$26.0K $26.0K

48.34%

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

$158 €141

$177 $177

-10.38%

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

$17.54 €15.61

$63.8 $63.8

-72.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.18 €27.75

$45.59 $45.59

-31.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.64 €39.73

$40.28 $40.28

10.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.98 €16.89

Cinema Ticket

$9.58 €8.52

$11.72 $11.72

-18.26%

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

$674 €599

$2,537 $2,537

-73.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K €16.7K

$32.6K $32.6K

-42.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €90.9

$47.50 $47.50

115.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.90 €40.85

$20.79 $20.79

120.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €91.0

$84.1 $84.1

21.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €109

$100 $100

21.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 €1,460

$1,350 $1,350

21.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 €1,057

$1,289 $1,289

-7.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 €2,514

$2,217 $2,217

27.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,018 €1,796

$2,191 $2,191

-7.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,836 €6,973

$2,783 $2,783

181.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,701 €4,183

$2,649 $2,649

77.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,687 €1,501

$2,430 $2,430

-30.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.82

-4.50%

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

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Last update for Union, SC: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Union, SC

$1.3K 54.5% 8.6% $102

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$275 12.5%

Union, SC

$330 13.9% 20.1% $55

Eating Out

Lisbon

$245 11.1%

Union, SC

$201 8.5% 18.1% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$207 9.4%

Union, SC

$286 12.1% 38.2% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.6%

Union, SC

$114 4.8% 32.1% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Union, SC

$64 2.7% 0.1% $0.1

Getting Around

Lisbon

$60 2.7%

Union, SC

$82 3.5% 35.7% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,641 in Lisbon and $1,350 in Union, SC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Union, SC pays 44% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $61 in Lisbon vs $100 in Union, SC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $330 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 Union, SC

🕒 Local time

08:48 8:48 AM

03:48 3:48 AM

5 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

8,000

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lisbon Union, SC 6,300 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Union, 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 Union, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,206 in Lisbon and $2,365 in Union, SC, so Lisbon is about 7% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 31% 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: $1,641 in Lisbon versus $1,350 in Union, SC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $674 in Lisbon versus $2,537 in Union, SC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Union, SC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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, Union, SC on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.