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: $792 in Santa Fe versus $658 in Maseru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,230 in Santa Fe versus $1,103 in Maseru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,668 in Santa Fe versus $1,549 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 41% lower, Maseru 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.10 ARS 10.1K

$11.29 LSL 184

-37.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.29 ARS 23.3K

$25.33 LSL 412

-35.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.70 ARS 11.0K

$10.98 LSL 179

-29.87%

Cappuccino

$1.65 ARS 2,355

$1.80 LSL 29.30

-8.33%

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

$1.34 ARS 1,910

$1.26 LSL 20.54

6.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 ARS 1,619

$0.80 LSL 13.06

41.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 ARS 1,721

$2.01 LSL 32.77

-40.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 ARS 3,541

$2.23 LSL 36.27

11.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 ARS 1,461

$0.98 LSL 15.98

4.08%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 ARS 1,407

$0.72 LSL 11.77

37.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 ARS 2,644

$2.20 LSL 35.81

-15.91%

Eggs

$1.51 ARS 2,164

$1.37 LSL 22.24

10.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 ARS 12.9K

$6.94 LSL 113

30.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.02 ARS 8,594

$5.71 LSL 92.9

5.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.16 ARS 11.7K

$5.53 LSL 90.0

47.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ARS 2,713

$1.64 LSL 26.64

15.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 ARS 3,133

$2.04 LSL 33.15

7.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.91 ARS 1,305

$2.46 LSL 40.03

-63.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.72 ARS 3,891

$2.20 LSL 35.75

23.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 ARS 743

$1.43 LSL 23.31

-63.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,066

$1.52 LSL 24.71

-4.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 ARS 1,329

$1.32 LSL 21.56

-29.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ARS 2,551

$0.80 LSL 13.02

123.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.46 ARS 4,945

$4.77 LSL 77.6

-27.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.61 ARS 6,588

$7.18 LSL 117

-35.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ARS 1,865

$0.96 LSL 15.59

36.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 ARS 4,517

$1.38 LSL 22.46

128.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 ARS 1,389

$0.72 LSL 11.63

34.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.87 LSL 453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 ARS 1,459

$0.63 LSL 10.28

61.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 ARS 1,299

$0.58 LSL 9.37

56.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.89 ARS 8,416

$10.21 LSL 166

-42.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ARS 1,525

$1.14 LSL 18.48

-6.14%

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

$29.9K ARS 42.7M

$19.9K LSL 323.8K

50.07%

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

$29.0K ARS 41.4M

$14.9K LSL 242.4K

94.69%

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

$54.8 ARS 78.3K

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

$7.82 ARS 11.2K

$13.58 LSL 221

-42.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.89 ARS 21.3K

$31.77 LSL 517

-53.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.37 ARS 56.2K

$21.67 LSL 353

81.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.69 ARS 19.6K

Cinema Ticket

$4.85 ARS 6,931

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

$224 ARS 319.4K

$48.25 LSL 785

363.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,076 ARS 1.5M

$1,121 LSL 18.2K

-3.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.7 ARS 86.8K

$42.66 LSL 694

42.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 ARS 87.1K

$39.64 LSL 645

53.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 ARS 153.6K

$97.7 LSL 1,589

10.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.5 ARS 134.9K

$142 LSL 2,309

-33.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$309 ARS 441.6K

$145 LSL 2,352

113.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 ARS 287.3K

$72.1 LSL 1,174

178.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$600 ARS 856.6K

$405 LSL 6,593

47.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ARS 460.2K

$157 LSL 2,547

105.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,263 ARS 1.8M

$379 LSL 6,168

233.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,021 ARS 1.5M

$532 LSL 8,648

92.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$827 ARS 1.2M

$643 LSL 10.5K

28.73%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for Maseru: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $309 in Santa Fe and $145 in Maseru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Fe pays 29% 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 $207 vs $183, 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 ($792 vs $658 including rent). Maseru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Santa Fe pays 29% 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: $309 in Santa Fe versus $145 in Maseru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in Santa Fe versus $48.25 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.