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: $2,701 in Mount Pleasant, SC versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,977 in Mount Pleasant, SC versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,253 in Mount Pleasant, SC versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Mount Pleasant, SC is roughly 22% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mount Pleasant, SC 102% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.28 $28.28

$15.91 €13.81

77.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 $79.4

$64.8 €56.2

22.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.87 $9.87

$10.51 €9.12

-6.09%

Cappuccino

$5.00 $5.00

$2.87 €2.49

74.22%

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

$2.42 $2.42

$2.24 €1.95

8.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.50 €1.30

24.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.06 $6.06

$3.49 €3.03

73.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.23 $8.23

$3.88 €3.37

112.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.14 €0.99

-11.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.91 $3.91

$1.75 €1.52

123.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.76 €1.52

80.11%

Eggs

$4.47 $4.47

$3.22 €2.79

38.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.73 $13.73

$13.49 €11.71

1.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.95 $14.95

$7.91 €6.87

89.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 $16.75

$15.87 €13.77

5.55%

Apples (1kg)

$5.53 $5.53

$2.31 €2.00

139.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.70 €1.48

-6.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.42 $6.42

$2.01 €1.74

219.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.46 €2.13

59.76%

Potato (1kg)

$3.69 $3.69

$1.84 €1.60

100.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.00 €1.74

36.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.93 €1.67

-10.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$0.79 €0.68

139.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.52 $7.52

$6.61 €5.73

13.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.67 $15.67

$5.72 €4.97

173.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.37 €1.18

33.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.97 €2.58

7.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.37 €2.06

-17.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$4.29 €3.72

-29.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.82 €0.71

87.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.19 $20.19

$18.30 €15.88

10.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$2.06 €1.79

-61.65%

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

$33.7K $33.7K

$34.3K €29.7K

-1.80%

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

$24.9K $24.9K

$39.3K €34.1K

-36.62%

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

$142 $142

$148 €128

-4.10%

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

$65.1 $65.1

$20.52 €17.80

217.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.6 $71.6

$39.61 €34.37

80.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.79 $42.79

$47.85 €41.51

-10.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.42

Cinema Ticket

$12.99 $12.99

$9.18 €7.97

41.50%

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

$1,318 $1,318

$614 €533

114.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.3K $24.3K

$16.0K €13.9K

51.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.37 $48.37

$105 €90.8

-53.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.66 $35.66

$42.06 €36.49

-15.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.7 $93.7

$94.0 €81.5

-0.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 $155

$120 €104

29.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 $1,612

$1,628 €1,412

-0.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,345 $1,345

$1,255 €1,089

7.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,640 $2,640

$3,030 €2,629

-12.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,213 $2,213

$2,020 €1,753

9.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,622 $2,622

$7,800 €6,767

-66.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,277 $2,277

$4,273 €3,707

-46.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,391

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Mount Pleasant, SC and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79.0 in Mount Pleasant, SC vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $421 vs $269 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 22% in total monthly costs ($2,701 vs $2,210 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $4,051 in Mount Pleasant, SC and $3,315 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: $1,612 in Mount Pleasant, SC versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Mount Pleasant, SC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,701 per month in Mount Pleasant, SC versus $2,210 in Lisbon – a 22% 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 22% less than in Mount Pleasant, SC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.