Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Maseru

For one person, living is cheaper in Maseru: $658 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $24,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Maseru
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Maseru Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Maseru

🇱🇸 Lesotho

$658

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Maseru

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $658 in Maseru.

Austin, TX $2,704
Maseru $658

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,123 in Maseru.

Austin, TX $4,133
Maseru $1,123

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $1,588 in Maseru.

Austin, TX $5,562
Maseru $1,588

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 311% more expensive than in Maseru, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Maseru is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$9.06 LSL 149

123.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$23.68 LSL 391

259.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$8.35 LSL 138

47.90%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$2.01 LSL 33.20

172.14%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.05 LSL 17.27

263.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.80 LSL 13.18

212.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$1.75 LSL 28.89

360.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$2.46 LSL 40.61

265.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.18 LSL 19.47

-4.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$0.80 LSL 13.14

372.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.78 LSL 29.34

82.58%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$1.53 LSL 25.23

170.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$6.71 LSL 111

94.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$6.32 LSL 104

126.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$6.20 LSL 102

157.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.92 LSL 31.60

128.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.30 LSL 37.95

-36.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.64 LSL 43.54

71.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.36 LSL 39.02

77.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.59 LSL 26.25

65.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.62 LSL 26.75

45.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.52 LSL 25.10

15.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.78 LSL 12.88

176.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$5.03 LSL 83.0

95.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$7.31 LSL 121

101.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.03 LSL 16.99

169.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.52 LSL 25.15

128.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.77 LSL 12.68

93.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$30.06 LSL 496

34.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$0.73 LSL 12.05

265.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.63 LSL 10.36

150.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$3.65 LSL 60.3

866.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.33 LSL 22.02

-25.56%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$20.9K LSL 344.3K

71.57%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$16.4K LSL 270.6K

65.72%

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

$219 $219

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

$58.0 $58.0

$14.63 LSL 241

296.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$37.63 LSL 621

81.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$23.17 LSL 382

149.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

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

$1,509 $1,509

$51.2 LSL 845

2845.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$1,181 LSL 19.5K

1716.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$46.25 LSL 763

11.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$55.2 LSL 911

-20.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$105 LSL 1,736

-19.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$151 LSL 2,493

-30.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$92.4 LSL 1,525

1990.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$55.8 LSL 920

2181.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$426 LSL 7,025

761.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$173 LSL 2,851

1361.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$377 LSL 6,219

1920.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$514 LSL 8,481

522.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$631 LSL 10.4K

709.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

8.5

-20.12%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Maseru: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Maseru

$56 8.4% 95.6% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Maseru

$195 29.3% 51.5% $208

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Maseru

$143 21.4% 59% $205

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Maseru

$52 * 7.8% 84.9% $293

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Maseru

$161 24.1% 25% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Maseru

$23 * 3.5% 73.1% $63

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Maseru

$37 5.6% 35.1% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $92.4 in Maseru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 709% 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: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $24.00 in Maseru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $195 per month, with Maseru cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇱🇸 Maseru

🕒 Local time

05:08 5:08 AM

12:08 12:08 PM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

227,880 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Lesotho Loti LSL L

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 LSL = 6.06 USD

100 LSL = 5.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LSL, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇱🇸 Lesotho Loti (L)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Lesotho Loti exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 LSL (100 LSL = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.49 LSL (100 LSL = 5.41 EUR).

LSL to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Maseru 14,780 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Maseru

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

Austin, TX vs Maseru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maseru wins on cost – living expenses run 311% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Maseru the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 709% higher in Austin, TX, 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $92.4 in Maseru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $658 in Maseru – a 311% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Maseru runs roughly 35% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $658 in Maseru versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Maseru but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Maseru 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.

Expats usually find Maseru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 311% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.