Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between North Charleston, SC and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $2,932 in North Charleston, SC, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

142

Cost of Living Index in North Charleston, SC
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North Charleston, SC Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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North Charleston, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,932

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in North Charleston, SC and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in North Charleston, SC and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,932 in North Charleston, SC versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

North Charleston, SC $2,932
Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,243 in North Charleston, SC versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

North Charleston, SC $4,243
Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,554 in North Charleston, SC versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

North Charleston, SC $5,554
Lisbon $4,346

Living in North Charleston, SC is roughly 33% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: North Charleston, SC 116% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.08 $20.08

$17.04 €15.15

17.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.3 $92.3

$62.3 €55.4

48.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.86 $11.86

$11.02 €9.80

7.62%

Cappuccino

$5.93 $5.93

$3.12 €2.78

90.06%

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

$2.92 $2.92

$2.27 €2.02

28.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.74 €1.55

44.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 $5.91

$3.42 €3.04

72.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.92 $7.92

$3.74 €3.33

111.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.17 €1.04

-11.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.86 €1.66

101.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$1.54 €1.37

207.14%

Eggs

$5.10 $5.10

$4.06 €3.61

25.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.38 $7.38

$12.91 €11.49

-42.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.76 $14.76

$7.90 €7.03

86.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.30 $20.30

$17.64 €15.69

15.08%

Apples (1kg)

$8.26 $8.26

$2.26 €2.01

265.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.75 €1.55

0.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.12 $5.12

$1.89 €1.68

170.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$2.56 €2.27

150.00%

Potato (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$1.85 €1.64

136.22%

Onion (1kg)

$3.19 $3.19

$1.97 €1.75

61.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.45 €1.29

73.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.77 €0.69

166.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.94 $8.94

$6.71 €5.97

33.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.38 $15.38

$5.67 €5.04

171.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.37 €1.22

54.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.11 €1.88

40.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.32 €2.07

6.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.53 $49.53

$44.43 €39.52

11.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.95 €3.51

-22.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.05 €0.93

20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.64 $32.64

$17.15 €15.26

90.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.19 €1.95

-54.79%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$33.8K €30.0K

-20.74%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$38.3K €34.0K

-32.59%

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

$223 $223

$164 €146

36.23%

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

$75.9 $75.9

$18.48 €16.43

310.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$32.96 €29.32

161.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.45 $17.45

$45.87 €40.80

-61.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

Cinema Ticket

$13.79 $13.79

$9.75 €8.67

41.44%

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

$920 $920

$684 €608

34.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K $18.4K

$17.6K €15.7K

4.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 $65.4

$104 €92.3

-37.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.10 $45.10

$46.20 €41.09

-2.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 $112

$99.7 €88.7

12.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$125 €111

5.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,063 $2,063

$1,589 €1,414

29.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,489 $1,489

$1,169 €1,040

27.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,429 $2,429

$2,851 €2,536

-14.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,328 $2,328

$1,993 €1,773

16.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,844 $2,844

$7,793 €6,932

-63.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,898 $2,898

$4,418 €3,930

-34.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,763 $3,763

$1,600 €1,423

135.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

3.85

70.65%

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

Last update for North Charleston, SC: October 18, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

North Charleston, SC

$1.5K 50.8%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1% 21.5% $320

Groceries & Markets

North Charleston, SC

$450 15.3%

Lisbon

$273 12.4% 39.3% $177

Monthly Utilities & Internet

North Charleston, SC

$385 13.1%

Lisbon

$215 9.8% 44.1% $170

Eating Out

North Charleston, SC

$334 11.4%

Lisbon

$247 11.2% 26% $87

Clothing & Footwear

North Charleston, SC

$159 5.4%

Lisbon

$168 7.7% 6% $9.5

Getting Around

North Charleston, SC

$69 2.3%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 8.5% $5.8

Sport & Entertainment

North Charleston, SC

$45 1.5%

Lisbon

$65 3% 45.2% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,063 in North Charleston, SC and $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

North Charleston, SC pays 135% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $92.0 in North Charleston, SC vs $62.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $450 vs $273 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 North Charleston, SC

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

04:47 4:47 AM

09:47 9:47 AM

5 h ahead of North Charleston, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

97,471

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

North Charleston, SC Lisbon 6,260 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

North Charleston, SC
Lisbon

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

North Charleston, SC vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

North Charleston, SC and Lisbon differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($2,932 vs $2,202 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 135% higher in North Charleston, SC, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,063 in North Charleston, SC versus $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $920 in North Charleston, SC versus $684 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in North Charleston, SC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,932 in North Charleston, SC, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in North Charleston, SC. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, North Charleston, 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 33% less than in North Charleston, SC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.