Cost of Living Comparison Between Maseru and Santa Fe Cost of Living Comparison Between Maseru and Santa Fe

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $692 in Maseru versus $1,056 in Santa Fe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,163 in Maseru versus $1,621 in Santa Fe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,635 in Maseru versus $2,186 in Santa Fe.

Living in Maseru costs roughly 35% less than in Santa Fe, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Maseru 50% lower, Santa Fe 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.35 LSL 152

$10.12 ARS 15.3K

-7.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.52 LSL 398

$37.79 ARS 57.0K

-35.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.92 LSL 145

$12.60 ARS 19.0K

-29.21%

Cappuccino

$2.03 LSL 32.99

$1.78 ARS 2,682

14.04%

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

$1.08 LSL 17.55

$1.50 ARS 2,255

-28.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 LSL 13.88

$1.38 ARS 2,074

-37.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 LSL 30.80

$3.36 ARS 5,066

-43.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 LSL 41.60

$5.10 ARS 7,699

-49.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 LSL 19.81

$1.02 ARS 1,532

19.61%

White Bread (500g)

$0.83 LSL 13.47

$1.59 ARS 2,397

-47.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 LSL 30.17

$1.02 ARS 1,543

82.35%

Eggs

$1.56 LSL 25.27

$1.54 ARS 2,327

1.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.78 LSL 110

$8.29 ARS 12.5K

-18.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.23 LSL 101

$6.11 ARS 9,222

1.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.29 LSL 102

$10.38 ARS 15.7K

-39.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 LSL 30.85

$2.00 ARS 3,011

-5.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 LSL 37.30

$1.53 ARS 2,313

50.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 LSL 46.52

$0.87 ARS 1,310

229.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 LSL 40.86

$2.42 ARS 3,644

4.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 LSL 26.90

$0.54 ARS 821

207.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 LSL 26.56

$0.69 ARS 1,040

137.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 LSL 25.89

$1.02 ARS 1,537

56.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 LSL 13.73

$1.03 ARS 1,550

-17.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.33 LSL 86.3

$3.22 ARS 4,857

65.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.49 LSL 121

$4.82 ARS 7,269

55.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 LSL 17.45

$1.26 ARS 1,903

-14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 LSL 25.58

$2.04 ARS 3,084

-22.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 LSL 13.74

$1.02 ARS 1,545

-16.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.79 LSL 515

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 LSL 11.78

$1.01 ARS 1,527

-27.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 LSL 11.37

$0.98 ARS 1,475

-28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 LSL 61.9

$7.30 ARS 11.0K

-47.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 LSL 21.63

$1.15 ARS 1,733

15.65%

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

$22.3K LSL 361.6K

$20.0K ARS 30.2M

11.43%

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

$16.9K LSL 273.2K

$30.1K ARS 45.4M

-44.04%

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

$60.7 ARS 91.6K

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

$14.97 LSL 243

$19.75 ARS 29.8K

-24.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.23 LSL 636

$20.87 ARS 31.5K

87.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.84 LSL 386

$34.07 ARS 51.4K

-30.03%

Cinema Ticket

$4.75 ARS 7,162

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

$54.9 LSL 890

$300 ARS 453.3K

-81.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,240 LSL 20.1K

$4,212 ARS 6.4M

-70.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.88 LSL 792

$88.4 ARS 133.4K

-44.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 LSL 939

$61.0 ARS 92.1K

-5.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 LSL 1,790

$118 ARS 178.0K

-6.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 LSL 2,515

$139 ARS 209.6K

11.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$95.6 LSL 1,549

$512 ARS 772.2K

-81.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$57.1 LSL 926

$366 ARS 551.4K

-84.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$443 LSL 7,177

$903 ARS 1.4M

-50.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$179 LSL 2,909

$592 ARS 892.4K

-69.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$403 LSL 6,531

$2,384 ARS 3.6M

-83.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$538 LSL 8,717

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$650 LSL 10.5K

$826 ARS 1.2M

-21.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.5

56.56

-84.97%

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

Last update for Maseru: September 6, 2026

Last update for Santa Fe: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $95.6 in Maseru and $512 in Santa Fe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Fe pays 27% 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: $25.00 in Maseru vs $38.00 in Santa Fe. Groceries flip the comparison at $200 vs $197, with Santa Fe cheaper for home cooking.

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

Maseru vs Santa Fe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maseru and Santa Fe differ by about 53% in total monthly costs ($692 vs $1,056 including rent). Maseru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 27% lower in Santa Fe. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $95.6 in Maseru versus $512 in Santa Fe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $54.9 in Maseru versus $300 in Santa Fe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Maseru – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $38.00 in Santa Fe. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $692 in Maseru versus $1,056 in Santa Fe, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Maseru but tight or insufficient in Santa Fe. 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, Maseru and Santa Fe 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 53% less than in Santa Fe. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.