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: $811 in Santa Fe versus $667 in Maseru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,242 in Santa Fe versus $1,090 in Maseru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,673 in Santa Fe versus $1,513 in Maseru.

Living in Santa Fe is roughly 22% more expensive than in Maseru, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santa Fe 39% lower, Maseru 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.89 ARS 10.3K

$11.07 LSL 185

-37.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.18 ARS 24.2K

$25.13 LSL 419

-35.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ARS 11.3K

$11.04 LSL 184

-31.70%

Cappuccino

$1.63 ARS 2,433

$1.75 LSL 29.17

-6.86%

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

$1.28 ARS 1,920

$1.26 LSL 21.09

1.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 ARS 1,692

$0.74 LSL 12.28

52.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 ARS 1,796

$2.00 LSL 33.41

-40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 ARS 3,763

$2.23 LSL 37.18

13.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 ARS 1,536

$1.00 LSL 16.61

3.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 ARS 1,450

$0.75 LSL 12.56

29.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 ARS 2,741

$2.19 LSL 36.52

-16.44%

Eggs

$1.49 ARS 2,223

$1.31 LSL 21.81

13.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.09 ARS 13.6K

$7.22 LSL 120

25.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 ARS 8,793

$5.90 LSL 98.4

-0.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.15 ARS 12.2K

$5.76 LSL 96.1

41.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ARS 2,703

$1.67 LSL 27.87

8.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 ARS 3,202

$2.07 LSL 34.46

3.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.92 ARS 1,376

$2.54 LSL 42.33

-63.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 ARS 3,884

$2.21 LSL 36.90

17.65%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 ARS 782

$1.43 LSL 23.81

-63.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 ARS 2,136

$1.49 LSL 24.80

-4.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 ARS 1,391

$1.36 LSL 22.60

-31.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ARS 2,748

$0.83 LSL 13.86

121.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.46 ARS 5,175

$4.83 LSL 80.6

-28.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.72 ARS 7,052

$7.26 LSL 121

-34.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 ARS 1,867

$1.00 LSL 16.66

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 ARS 4,730

$1.43 LSL 23.90

120.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 ARS 1,515

$0.76 LSL 12.60

32.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 LSL 464

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 ARS 1,520

$0.59 LSL 9.83

72.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 ARS 1,389

$0.61 LSL 10.18

52.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 ARS 8,947

$10.05 LSL 168

-40.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 ARS 1,552

$1.20 LSL 19.98

-13.33%

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

$29.9K ARS 44.8M

$19.6K LSL 327.6K

52.49%

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

$29.8K ARS 44.6M

$15.2K LSL 253.5K

96.12%

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

$56.0 ARS 83.7K

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

$7.76 ARS 11.6K

$13.30 LSL 222

-41.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.80 ARS 22.1K

$31.61 LSL 527

-53.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.28 ARS 58.7K

$21.80 LSL 364

80.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.92 ARS 20.8K

Cinema Ticket

$5.02 ARS 7,499

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

$221 ARS 330.5K

$47.80 LSL 797

362.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,095 ARS 1.6M

$1,084 LSL 18.1K

1.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.8 ARS 91.0K

$42.49 LSL 709

43.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.2 ARS 88.4K

$39.70 LSL 662

49.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 ARS 162.1K

$98.5 LSL 1,643

10.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.9 ARS 144.8K

$140 LSL 2,339

-30.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$312 ARS 465.9K

$142 LSL 2,369

119.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 ARS 300.8K

$73.1 LSL 1,219

175.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$588 ARS 879.7K

$401 LSL 6,685

46.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$331 ARS 494.1K

$162 LSL 2,698

104.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,249 ARS 1.9M

$380 LSL 6,342

228.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,005 ARS 1.5M

$503 LSL 8,394

99.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$845 ARS 1.3M

$630 LSL 10.5K

34.27%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Maseru: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $312 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 $205 vs $187, 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 22% in total monthly costs ($811 vs $667 including rent). Maseru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 34% higher in Santa Fe, 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: $312 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 $47.80 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 22% less than in Santa Fe. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.