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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $816 in Santa Fe versus $682 in Maseru.

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

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

Living in Santa Fe is roughly 20% more expensive than Maseru, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.96 ARS 9,801

$11.10 LSL 184

-37.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.37 ARS 23.0K

$25.49 LSL 422

-35.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.53 ARS 10.6K

$11.11 LSL 184

-32.22%

Cappuccino

$1.69 ARS 2,384

$1.74 LSL 28.78

-2.87%

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

$1.33 ARS 1,874

$1.26 LSL 20.82

5.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 ARS 1,572

$0.75 LSL 12.36

49.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.24 ARS 1,740

$1.93 LSL 31.91

-35.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 ARS 3,481

$2.28 LSL 37.76

8.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 ARS 1,373

$1.00 LSL 16.61

-2.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 ARS 1,384

$0.72 LSL 11.92

36.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 ARS 2,536

$2.31 LSL 38.16

-22.08%

Eggs

$1.52 ARS 2,140

$1.36 LSL 22.51

11.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.92 ARS 12.6K

$6.96 LSL 115

28.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.92 ARS 8,330

$5.88 LSL 97.4

0.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.21 ARS 11.6K

$5.63 LSL 93.1

45.83%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 ARS 2,647

$1.63 LSL 27.04

15.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,064

$2.14 LSL 35.45

1.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.93 ARS 1,309

$2.59 LSL 42.80

-64.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 ARS 3,807

$2.28 LSL 37.73

18.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 ARS 728

$1.49 LSL 24.65

-65.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,040

$1.46 LSL 24.20

-0.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 ARS 1,305

$1.32 LSL 21.77

-29.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 ARS 2,545

$0.78 LSL 12.91

132.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 ARS 4,650

$4.72 LSL 78.2

-30.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.41 ARS 9,025

$7.34 LSL 122

-12.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 ARS 1,751

$0.93 LSL 15.44

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 ARS 4,418

$1.41 LSL 23.42

122.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 ARS 1,374

$0.75 LSL 12.39

30.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.97 LSL 463

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.99 ARS 1,392

$0.59 LSL 9.82

67.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 ARS 1,234

$0.57 LSL 9.46

54.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.88 ARS 8,284

$10.04 LSL 166

-41.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 ARS 1,455

$1.19 LSL 19.75

-13.45%

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

$29.4K ARS 41.4M

$19.6K LSL 325.1K

49.68%

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

$29.5K ARS 41.6M

$15.2K LSL 251.7K

94.26%

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

$55.0 ARS 77.4K

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

$8.10 ARS 11.4K

$13.46 LSL 223

-39.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.46 ARS 20.4K

$31.10 LSL 515

-53.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.57 ARS 57.1K

$21.69 LSL 359

87.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.56 ARS 19.1K

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 ARS 7,172

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

$221 ARS 311.9K

$47.81 LSL 791

363.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,075 ARS 1.5M

$1,103 LSL 18.3K

-2.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.2 ARS 86.2K

$42.44 LSL 702

44.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.9 ARS 85.8K

$38.63 LSL 639

57.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 ARS 151.9K

$98.3 LSL 1,626

9.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 ARS 131.5K

$139 LSL 2,298

-32.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$320 ARS 450.5K

$142 LSL 2,355

124.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$202 ARS 285.0K

$73.3 LSL 1,213

176.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$583 ARS 821.1K

$407 LSL 6,736

43.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$325 ARS 457.8K

$158 LSL 2,618

105.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,245 ARS 1.8M

$382 LSL 6,319

226.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,030 ARS 1.5M

$516 LSL 8,532

99.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$848 ARS 1.2M

$633 LSL 10.5K

34.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

100

8.5

1076.47%

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

Last update for Santa Fe: April 25, 2026

Last update for Maseru: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $320 in Santa Fe and $142 in Maseru. 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: $16.00 in Santa Fe vs $25.00 in Maseru. Groceries flip the comparison at $209 vs $186, 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

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

Santa Fe and Maseru differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($816 vs $682 including rent). Maseru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Santa Fe pays 34% more on average, 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: $320 in Santa Fe versus $142 in Maseru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $221 in Santa Fe versus $47.81 in Maseru. 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, Santa Fe 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 20% less than in Santa Fe. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.