Cost of Living Comparison Between Mount Pleasant, SC and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Mount Pleasant, SC and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,723 in Mount Pleasant, SC versus $2,243 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,966 in Mount Pleasant, SC versus $3,315 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,208 in Mount Pleasant, SC versus $4,387 in Lisbon.

Living in Mount Pleasant, SC is roughly 21% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mount Pleasant, SC 103% above, Lisbon 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.46 $28.46

$15.73 €13.42

80.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.3 $79.3

$63.2 €53.9

25.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.91 $9.91

$10.32 €8.80

-3.97%

Cappuccino

$5.04 $5.04

$2.81 €2.40

79.36%

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

$2.46 $2.46

$2.33 €1.99

5.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.51 €1.29

29.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.11 $6.11

$3.37 €2.87

81.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.95 $7.95

$3.91 €3.34

103.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.08 €0.92

-5.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.94 $3.94

$1.75 €1.49

125.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.75 €1.50

76.00%

Eggs

$4.48 $4.48

$3.10 €2.64

44.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.71 $13.71

$13.28 €11.33

3.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.01 $15.01

$7.85 €6.70

91.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.16 $17.16

$16.05 €13.69

6.92%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$2.39 €2.04

143.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.72 €1.47

-6.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.50 $6.50

$1.97 €1.68

229.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$2.55 €2.17

55.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$1.79 €1.53

107.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 $2.84

$1.97 €1.68

44.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.96 €1.67

-7.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.84 €0.71

133.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.56 $7.56

$6.82 €5.82

10.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.26 $15.26

$5.85 €4.99

160.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.38 €1.18

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.92 €2.49

7.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.29 €1.95

-13.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 $2.97

$4.12 €3.51

-27.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$0.81 €0.69

96.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.99 $19.99

$18.94 €16.16

5.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$2.09 €1.78

-62.68%

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

$33.2K $33.2K

$35.1K €30.0K

-5.60%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$39.7K €33.9K

-36.77%

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

$141 $141

$150 €128

-5.56%

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

$65.4 $65.4

$20.49 €17.48

219.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.5 $73.5

$39.15 €33.40

87.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.03 $43.03

$49.65 €42.35

-13.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

Cinema Ticket

$13.50 $13.50

$9.20 €7.84

46.74%

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

$1,329 $1,329

$624 €533

112.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.4K $24.4K

$15.9K €13.6K

53.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.81 $48.81

$102 €87.2

-52.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.48 $35.48

$40.88 €34.87

-13.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.7 $94.7

$95.7 €81.6

-0.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 $155

$121 €103

27.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 $1,595

$1,653 €1,410

-3.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 $1,346

$1,233 €1,051

9.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,619 $2,619

$3,043 €2,596

-13.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,205 $2,205

$2,059 €1,756

7.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,760 $2,760

$7,879 €6,720

-64.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

$4,303 €3,671

-37.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

3.81

70.87%

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

Last update for Mount Pleasant, SC: April 21, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,595 in Mount Pleasant, SC and $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79 in Mount Pleasant, SC vs $63 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $425 vs $270 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

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

Mount Pleasant, SC vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mount Pleasant, SC and Lisbon differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($2,723 vs $2,243 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $4,084 in Mount Pleasant, SC and $3,365 in Lisbon to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,595 in Mount Pleasant, SC versus $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Mount Pleasant, SC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,723 per month in Mount Pleasant, SC versus $2,243 in Lisbon – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Safety-wise, Mount Pleasant, SC 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Mount Pleasant, SC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.