Cost of Living Comparison Between Lesotho and South Africa Cost of Living Comparison Between Lesotho and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $726 per month in Lesotho vs $1,143 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,105 per month in Lesotho vs $1,781 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,484 per month in Lesotho vs $2,419 in South Africa, rent included.

The cost of living in Lesotho is roughly 36% lower than in South Africa on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Lesotho and South Africa are more affordable than the global median – Lesotho 47% lower, South Africa 17% lower.

The regional cost range is wider in South Africa ($647–$1,815) than in Lesotho ($692–$761), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.91 LSL 128

$11.30 R 182

-30.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.35 LSL 411

$44.51 R 717

-43.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.11 LSL 99.1

$5.90 R 95.0

3.56%

Cappuccino

$2.08 LSL 33.71

$2.44 R 39.22

-14.75%

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

$1.06 LSL 17.16

$1.16 R 18.64

-8.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 LSL 12.43

$0.96 R 15.39

-19.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 LSL 31.32

$2.56 R 41.29

-24.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 LSL 37.23

$3.08 R 49.60

-25.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 LSL 19.43

$1.28 R 20.57

-6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 LSL 13.84

$1.13 R 18.15

-24.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 LSL 33.23

$1.83 R 29.55

12.02%

Eggs

$1.62 LSL 26.23

$2.55 R 41.12

-36.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.96 LSL 113

$8.35 R 134

-16.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.47 LSL 105

$5.44 R 87.6

18.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.74 LSL 93.1

$7.88 R 127

-27.16%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 LSL 30.15

$1.90 R 30.61

-2.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 LSL 32.13

$1.70 R 27.36

16.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 LSL 40.89

$1.81 R 29.14

39.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 LSL 41.37

$1.88 R 30.23

35.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 LSL 25.33

$1.54 R 24.76

1.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 LSL 20.50

$1.49 R 24.03

-15.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 LSL 24.84

$1.33 R 21.45

15.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 LSL 14.05

$1.19 R 19.09

-26.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.25 LSL 85.1

$3.41 R 55.0

53.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.13 LSL 83.2

$5.08 R 81.7

0.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 LSL 23.12

$1.51 R 24.28

-5.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 LSL 27.40

$2.03 R 32.64

-16.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 LSL 12.92

$1.76 R 28.39

-54.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.85 LSL 500

$63.1 R 1,016

-51.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 LSL 12.50

$1.12 R 17.97

-31.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 LSL 11.85

$1.01 R 16.33

-27.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 LSL 62.3

$8.07 R 130

-52.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 LSL 22.12

$1.46 R 23.53

-6.85%

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

$22.0K LSL 356.2K

$36.8K R 592.8K

-40.31%

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

$16.6K LSL 269.3K

$32.5K R 523.6K

-48.91%

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

$223 LSL 3,607

$136 R 2,185

64.00%

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

$21.60 LSL 350

$35.72 R 575

-39.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.92 LSL 631

$41.40 R 667

-5.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.79 LSL 596

$34.96 R 563

5.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.46 R 201

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 R 123

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

$72.5 LSL 1,175

$231 R 3,725

-68.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,529 LSL 24.8K

$5,726 R 92.2K

-73.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 LSL 952

$56.4 R 908

4.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 LSL 948

$33.91 R 546

72.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 LSL 2,055

$102 R 1,639

24.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 LSL 2,387

$93.0 R 1,497

58.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$86.6 LSL 1,404

$506 R 8,154

-82.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$54.0 LSL 875

$418 R 6,727

-87.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$457 LSL 7,411

$979 R 15.8K

-53.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$179 LSL 2,904

$838 R 13.5K

-78.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$391 LSL 6,344

$1,151 R 18.5K

-66.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$540 LSL 8,755

$800 R 12.9K

-32.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$786 LSL 12.7K

$1,554 R 25.0K

-49.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.5

11.24

-24.38%

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

Last update for Lesotho: September 5, 2026

Last update for South Africa: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $79.0 in Lesotho vs $445 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $96.0 in Maseru and $324 in Bloemfontein.

Average salary: $481 in Lesotho vs $1,553 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 463% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 111% more in South Africa.

Salaries are 223% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

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

Lesotho vs South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lesotho is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 69% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in South Africa, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but South Africa consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Lesotho, contributing to the overall 69% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

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

Lesotho 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.