Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Maseru Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Maseru

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $699 in Maseru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,161 in Maseru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $1,624 in Maseru.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 231% more expensive than in Maseru, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Maseru is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$9.28 LSL 149

86.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$24.64 LSL 395

156.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$8.65 LSL 139

31.68%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$2.12 LSL 33.93

50.47%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$1.08 LSL 17.36

126.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.85 LSL 13.68

107.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$1.92 LSL 30.72

86.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$2.53 LSL 40.63

33.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.22 LSL 19.51

1.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$0.82 LSL 13.11

141.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.84 LSL 29.52

-17.39%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$1.61 LSL 25.83

150.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$7.03 LSL 113

92.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$6.22 LSL 99.8

34.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$6.20 LSL 99.4

194.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.97 LSL 31.60

16.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$2.35 LSL 37.67

-25.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.76 LSL 44.29

-32.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$2.42 LSL 38.85

8.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.57 LSL 25.12

22.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.64 LSL 26.25

27.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.53 LSL 24.56

-5.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.84 LSL 13.54

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$5.35 LSL 85.7

26.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$7.42 LSL 119

-23.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.12 LSL 17.99

23.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.59 LSL 25.46

39.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.84 LSL 13.41

185.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

$30.97 LSL 497

51.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$0.72 LSL 11.60

479.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.66 LSL 10.57

72.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$3.77 LSL 60.5

368.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.32 LSL 21.22

75.76%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$21.8K LSL 350.4K

61.75%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$17.0K LSL 272.2K

144.26%

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

$170 €146

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

$19.34 €16.62

$15.02 LSL 241

28.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$39.11 LSL 627

-13.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$23.99 LSL 385

100.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

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

$717 €617

$53.2 LSL 854

1248.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$1,216 LSL 19.5K

1337.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$46.93 LSL 753

123.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$56.9 LSL 912

-17.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$107 LSL 1,723

-3.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$154 LSL 2,462

-19.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$94.6 LSL 1,518

1671.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$56.3 LSL 904

2155.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$452 LSL 7,245

560.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$178 LSL 2,851

1020.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

$395 LSL 6,338

1880.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

$537 LSL 8,605

768.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

$647 LSL 10.4K

144.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

8.5

-55.41%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Maseru: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $94.6 in Maseru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 145% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $25.00 in Maseru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $200 per month, with Maseru 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

Lisbon vs Maseru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Maseru differ by about 231% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $699 including rent). Maseru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 145% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $94.6 in Maseru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $53.2 in Maseru. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $699 in Maseru versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Maseru but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. 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.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Maseru 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 Maseru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 231% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.