Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Eswatini and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in Eswatini: $730 a month against $2,727 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $24,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Eswatini
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Eswatini Living Index
132

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index

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🇸🇿 Eswatini

$730

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,727

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Eswatini and in the United States

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

A single person spends $730 per month in Eswatini vs $2,727 in the United States, rent included.

Eswatini $730
United States $2,727

A couple spends around $1,247 per month in Eswatini vs $4,009 in the United States, rent included.

Eswatini $1,247
United States $4,009

A family of three spends $1,763 per month in Eswatini vs $5,291 in the United States, rent included.

Eswatini $1,763
United States $5,291

The cost of living in Eswatini is roughly 73% lower than in the United States on average.

Eswatini sits 46% below the global median, while the United States is 101% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.69 SZL 93.6

$19.73 $19.73

-71.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.19 SZL 530

$81.0 $81.0

-60.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 SZL 96.7

$11.98 $11.98

-50.92%

Cappuccino

$2.03 SZL 33.38

$5.59 $5.59

-63.69%

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

$0.96 SZL 15.82

$2.78 $2.78

-65.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 SZL 8.32

$2.10 $2.10

-75.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 SZL 30.63

$5.98 $5.98

-68.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 SZL 32.19

$7.92 $7.92

-75.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 SZL 20.73

$1.03 $1.03

22.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 SZL 16.05

$3.75 $3.75

-74.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 SZL 27.18

$4.46 $4.46

-63.00%

Eggs

$1.62 SZL 26.63

$4.34 $4.34

-62.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.55 SZL 223

$12.75 $12.75

6.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 SZL 110

$12.27 $12.27

-45.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.98 SZL 82.0

$17.29 $17.29

-71.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 SZL 39.04

$5.31 $5.31

-55.37%

Banana (1kg)

$0.67 SZL 10.98

$1.67 $1.67

-59.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 SZL 24.52

$4.32 $4.32

-65.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 SZL 22.67

$5.03 $5.03

-72.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 SZL 25.30

$2.81 $2.81

-45.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 SZL 25.88

$3.05 $3.05

-48.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 SZL 11.88

$2.22 $2.22

-67.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 SZL 13.55

$2.35 $2.35

-65.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.98 SZL 49.00

$10.92 $10.92

-72.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.30 SZL 87.3

$14.87 $14.87

-64.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 SZL 14.56

$2.10 $2.10

-58.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 SZL 22.69

$3.62 $3.62

-61.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 SZL 12.39

$2.46 $2.46

-69.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.40 SZL 402

$65.7 $65.7

-62.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 SZL 30.61

$3.58 $3.58

-48.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 SZL 25.56

$1.90 $1.90

-18.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 SZL 56.7

$29.51 $29.51

-88.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 SZL 20.69

$1.02 $1.02

23.53%

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

$14.4K SZL 237.8K

$28.3K $28.3K

-48.95%

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

$16.8K SZL 276.7K

$26.0K $26.0K

-35.26%

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

$82.8 SZL 1,363

$221 $221

-62.50%

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

$34.56 SZL 569

$61.3 $61.3

-43.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.58 SZL 454

$73.3 $73.3

-62.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.11 SZL 347

$44.89 $44.89

-52.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.80 SZL 46.15

$22.65 $22.65

-87.64%

Cinema Ticket

$3.74 SZL 61.6

$15.16 $15.16

-75.33%

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

$1,471 $1,471

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,360 SZL 104.7K

$25.0K $25.0K

-74.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.82 SZL 573

$53.5 $53.5

-34.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.45 SZL 320

$43.76 $43.76

-55.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.4 SZL 1,176

$92.0 $92.0

-22.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.9 SZL 904

$114 $114

-51.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$205 SZL 3,371

$1,654 $1,654

-87.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$140 SZL 2,311

$1,332 $1,332

-89.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$605 SZL 9,949

$2,669 $2,669

-77.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 SZL 7,425

$2,207 $2,207

-79.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$343 SZL 5,642

$3,054 $3,054

-88.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$257 SZL 4,237

$2,522 $2,522

-89.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$690 SZL 11.4K

$4,391 $4,391

-84.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.12

6.55

39.24%

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

Last update for Eswatini: October 19, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Eswatini

$191 26.2%

United States

$413 15.1% 116% $221

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Eswatini

$145 19.9%

United States

$355 13% 145% $210

Accommodation & Living

Eswatini

$140 19.2%

United States

$1.3K 48.9% 849% $1.2K

Eating Out

Eswatini

$107 14.6%

United States

$326 12% 206% $220

Clothing & Footwear

Eswatini

$81 11.1%

United States

$137 5% 68% $55

Getting Around

Eswatini

$37 5.1%

United States

$89 3.3% 139% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Eswatini

$29 3.9%

United States

$75 2.8% 163% $47

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $113 in Eswatini vs $1,612 in the United States. For reference, capital cities sit at $273 in Mbabane and $2,743 in Washington, DC.

Average salary: $638 in Eswatini vs $4,548 in the United States. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1327% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 525% more in the United States.

Public transport is 440% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are 613% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇸🇿 Eswatini

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

16:23 4:23 PM

10:23 10:23 AM

6 h behind Eswatini

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,230,506

340,110,988

💱 Currency

Eswatini Lilangeni SZL L

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 SZL = 6.08 USD

100 SZL = 5.4 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to SZL – Eswatini Lilangeni Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇿 Eswatini Lilangeni (L)

Eswatini Lilangeni exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 16.46 SZL (100 SZL = 6.08 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 SZL (100 SZL = 5.4 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to SZL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Eswatini United States 14,130 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Eswatini
United States

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

Eswatini vs United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Eswatini is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 273% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,612 versus $113 in Eswatini.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Eswatini, adding to the overall 273% price gap.

$1,200 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Eswatini, but in the United States it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Eswatini is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.