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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $670 in Maseru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,115 in Maseru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,561 in Maseru.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 242% more expensive than in Maseru, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Maseru is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$11.12 LSL 182

45.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$24.74 LSL 406

155.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$11.04 LSL 181

-6.52%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.80 LSL 29.47

57.22%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$1.27 LSL 20.90

80.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.80 LSL 13.07

97.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.99 LSL 32.62

70.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$2.21 LSL 36.23

82.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$0.99 LSL 16.16

10.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.76 LSL 12.47

130.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.20 LSL 36.09

-20.00%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.35 LSL 22.18

134.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$6.93 LSL 114

90.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$5.64 LSL 92.6

41.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$5.54 LSL 90.8

180.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.61 LSL 26.41

47.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.05 LSL 33.64

-16.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.47 LSL 40.58

-18.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.21 LSL 36.30

9.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.42 LSL 23.36

23.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.47 LSL 24.12

38.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.32 LSL 21.61

45.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.85 LSL 13.90

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$4.89 LSL 80.3

34.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$7.08 LSL 116

-21.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.01 LSL 16.62

31.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.37 LSL 22.54

116.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.71 LSL 11.60

221.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$27.72 LSL 455

65.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$0.64 LSL 10.49

560.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.63 LSL 10.30

28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$10.12 LSL 166

82.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.14 LSL 18.77

82.46%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$19.9K LSL 325.9K

74.49%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$15.3K LSL 251.2K

155.65%

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

$148 €130

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

$20.46 €17.92

$13.53 LSL 222

51.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$31.63 LSL 519

25.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$21.63 LSL 355

121.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

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

$616 €540

$47.85 LSL 785

1187.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$1,104 LSL 18.1K

1389.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$42.18 LSL 692

143.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$38.98 LSL 639

7.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$97.7 LSL 1,602

-2.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$138 LSL 2,266

-11.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$143 LSL 2,338

1044.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$71.6 LSL 1,174

1622.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$402 LSL 6,586

671.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$159 LSL 2,603

1180.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$391 LSL 6,415

1902.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$533 LSL 8,733

724.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$631 LSL 10.3K

154.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

8.5

-55.18%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Maseru: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $143 in Maseru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 155% 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 $267 vs $183 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 242% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $670 including rent). Maseru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 155% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $143 in Maseru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $47.85 in Maseru. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $670 in Maseru versus $2,291 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 242% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.