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: $1,056 in Santa Fe versus $692 in Maseru.

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

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

Living in Santa Fe is roughly 53% more expensive than in Maseru, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.12 ARS 15.3K

$9.35 LSL 152

8.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.79 ARS 57.0K

$24.52 LSL 398

54.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.60 ARS 19.0K

$8.92 LSL 145

41.26%

Cappuccino

$1.78 ARS 2,682

$2.03 LSL 32.99

-12.32%

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

$1.50 ARS 2,255

$1.08 LSL 17.55

38.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 ARS 2,074

$0.86 LSL 13.88

60.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 ARS 5,066

$1.90 LSL 30.80

76.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 ARS 7,699

$2.57 LSL 41.60

98.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 ARS 1,532

$1.22 LSL 19.81

-16.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 ARS 2,397

$0.83 LSL 13.47

91.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ARS 1,543

$1.86 LSL 30.17

-45.16%

Eggs

$1.54 ARS 2,327

$1.56 LSL 25.27

-1.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.29 ARS 12.5K

$6.78 LSL 110

22.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.11 ARS 9,222

$6.23 LSL 101

-1.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.38 ARS 15.7K

$6.29 LSL 102

65.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 ARS 3,011

$1.90 LSL 30.85

5.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 ARS 2,313

$2.30 LSL 37.30

-33.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.87 ARS 1,310

$2.87 LSL 46.52

-69.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 ARS 3,644

$2.52 LSL 40.86

-3.97%

Potato (1kg)

$0.54 ARS 821

$1.66 LSL 26.90

-67.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 ARS 1,040

$1.64 LSL 26.56

-57.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ARS 1,537

$1.60 LSL 25.89

-36.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ARS 1,550

$0.85 LSL 13.73

21.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.22 ARS 4,857

$5.33 LSL 86.3

-39.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.82 ARS 7,269

$7.49 LSL 121

-35.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ARS 1,903

$1.08 LSL 17.45

16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ARS 3,084

$1.58 LSL 25.58

29.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 ARS 1,545

$0.85 LSL 13.74

20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.79 LSL 515

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.01 ARS 1,527

$0.73 LSL 11.78

38.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,475

$0.70 LSL 11.37

40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.30 ARS 11.0K

$3.82 LSL 61.9

91.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ARS 1,733

$1.33 LSL 21.63

-13.53%

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

$20.0K ARS 30.2M

$22.3K LSL 361.6K

-10.26%

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

$30.1K ARS 45.4M

$16.9K LSL 273.2K

78.71%

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)

$19.75 ARS 29.8K

$14.97 LSL 243

31.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.87 ARS 31.5K

$39.23 LSL 636

-46.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.07 ARS 51.4K

$23.84 LSL 386

42.91%

Cinema Ticket

$4.75 ARS 7,162

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

$300 ARS 453.3K

$54.9 LSL 890

447.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,212 ARS 6.4M

$1,240 LSL 20.1K

239.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.4 ARS 133.4K

$48.88 LSL 792

80.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 ARS 92.1K

$58.0 LSL 939

5.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ARS 178.0K

$110 LSL 1,790

6.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 209.6K

$155 LSL 2,515

-10.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$512 ARS 772.2K

$95.6 LSL 1,549

435.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$366 ARS 551.4K

$57.1 LSL 926

539.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 ARS 1.4M

$443 LSL 7,177

103.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$592 ARS 892.4K

$179 LSL 2,909

229.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,384 ARS 3.6M

$403 LSL 6,531

491.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$538 LSL 8,717

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$826 ARS 1.2M

$650 LSL 10.5K

27.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

56.56

8.5

565.41%

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

Last update for Santa Fe: September 7, 2026

Last update for Maseru: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $512 in Santa Fe and $95.6 in Maseru. 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: $38.00 in Santa Fe vs $25.00 in Maseru. Groceries flip the comparison at $197 vs $200, 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

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

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

Average pay runs 27% 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: $512 in Santa Fe versus $95.6 in Maseru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $300 in Santa Fe versus $54.9 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 $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, 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 53% less than in Santa Fe. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.