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: $682 in Maseru versus $816 in Santa Fe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,115 in Maseru versus $1,233 in Santa Fe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,548 in Maseru versus $1,649 in Santa Fe.

Living in Maseru costs roughly 16% less than in Santa Fe, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Maseru 49% lower, Santa Fe 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.10 LSL 186

$6.96 ARS 9,712

59.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.49 LSL 427

$16.37 ARS 22.8K

55.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.11 LSL 186

$7.53 ARS 10.5K

47.54%

Cappuccino

$1.74 LSL 29.17

$1.69 ARS 2,362

2.96%

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

$1.26 LSL 21.10

$1.33 ARS 1,857

-5.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 LSL 12.52

$1.12 ARS 1,558

-33.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 LSL 32.34

$1.24 ARS 1,724

55.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 LSL 38.27

$2.47 ARS 3,450

-7.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 LSL 16.83

$0.98 ARS 1,361

2.04%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 LSL 12.08

$0.98 ARS 1,371

-26.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 LSL 38.67

$1.80 ARS 2,512

28.33%

Eggs

$1.36 LSL 22.81

$1.52 ARS 2,120

-10.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.96 LSL 117

$8.92 ARS 12.4K

-21.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 LSL 98.6

$5.92 ARS 8,254

-0.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.63 LSL 94.3

$8.21 ARS 11.5K

-31.43%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 LSL 27.40

$1.88 ARS 2,623

-13.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 LSL 35.92

$2.18 ARS 3,036

-1.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 LSL 43.37

$0.93 ARS 1,297

178.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.28 LSL 38.23

$2.70 ARS 3,773

-15.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 LSL 24.98

$0.52 ARS 721

186.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 LSL 24.52

$1.45 ARS 2,022

0.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 LSL 22.06

$0.93 ARS 1,293

41.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 LSL 13.08

$1.81 ARS 2,521

-56.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.72 LSL 79.2

$3.30 ARS 4,607

43.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.34 LSL 123

$6.41 ARS 8,942

14.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 LSL 15.65

$1.24 ARS 1,735

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 LSL 23.73

$3.14 ARS 4,378

-55.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 LSL 12.55

$0.98 ARS 1,361

-23.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.97 LSL 469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 LSL 9.95

$0.99 ARS 1,380

-40.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 LSL 9.58

$0.88 ARS 1,223

-35.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.04 LSL 168

$5.88 ARS 8,209

70.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 LSL 20.02

$1.03 ARS 1,442

15.53%

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

$19.6K LSL 329.5K

$29.4K ARS 41.0M

-33.19%

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

$15.2K LSL 255.1K

$29.5K ARS 41.2M

-48.52%

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

$55.0 ARS 76.7K

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

$13.46 LSL 226

$8.10 ARS 11.3K

66.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.10 LSL 522

$14.46 ARS 20.2K

115.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.69 LSL 364

$40.57 ARS 56.6K

-46.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.56 ARS 18.9K

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 ARS 7,107

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

$47.81 LSL 802

$221 ARS 309.0K

-78.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,103 LSL 18.5K

$1,075 ARS 1.5M

2.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.44 LSL 712

$61.2 ARS 85.4K

-30.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.63 LSL 648

$60.9 ARS 85.0K

-36.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 LSL 1,648

$108 ARS 150.6K

-8.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 LSL 2,329

$93.4 ARS 130.3K

48.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$142 LSL 2,386

$320 ARS 446.4K

-55.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.3 LSL 1,229

$202 ARS 282.4K

-63.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$407 LSL 6,826

$583 ARS 813.6K

-30.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$158 LSL 2,653

$325 ARS 453.6K

-51.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$382 LSL 6,403

$1,245 ARS 1.7M

-69.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$516 LSL 8,645

$1,030 ARS 1.4M

-49.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$633 LSL 10.6K

$848 ARS 1.2M

-25.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.5

100

-91.50%

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

Last update for Maseru: April 26, 2026

Last update for Santa Fe: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $142 in Maseru and $320 in Santa Fe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Fe pays 34% 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 $16.00 in Santa Fe. Groceries flip the comparison at $186 vs $209, with Maseru 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 20% in total monthly costs ($682 vs $816 including rent). Maseru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Santa Fe earns 34% less. 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: $142 in Maseru versus $320 in Santa Fe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $47.81 in Maseru versus $221 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 $16.00 in Santa Fe. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Maseru gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 20% less than in Santa Fe. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.