Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Eswatini

Name: Eswatini
Address: SZ

For one person, living is cheaper in Eswatini: $730 a month against $2,727 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $24,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Eswatini
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Eswatini Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,727

/mo nomad

🇸🇿 Eswatini

$730

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in Eswatini

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the United States and in Eswatini actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,727 per month in the United States vs $730 in Eswatini, rent included.

United States $2,727
Eswatini $730

A couple spends around $4,009 per month in the United States vs $1,247 in Eswatini, rent included.

United States $4,009
Eswatini $1,247

A family of three spends $5,291 per month in the United States vs $1,763 in Eswatini, rent included.

United States $5,291
Eswatini $1,763

The cost of living in the United States is about 273% higher than in Eswatini on average.

The United States sits 101% above the global median, while Eswatini is 46% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.73 $19.73

$5.69 SZL 93.6

246.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 $81.0

$32.19 SZL 530

151.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 $11.98

$5.88 SZL 96.7

103.74%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$2.03 SZL 33.38

175.37%

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

$2.78 $2.78

$0.96 SZL 15.82

189.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$0.51 SZL 8.32

311.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.98 $5.98

$1.86 SZL 30.63

221.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.92 $7.92

$1.96 SZL 32.19

304.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.26 SZL 20.73

-18.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.97 SZL 16.05

286.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$1.65 SZL 27.18

170.30%

Eggs

$4.34 $4.34

$1.62 SZL 26.63

167.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.75 $12.75

$13.55 SZL 223

-5.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.27 $12.27

$6.66 SZL 110

84.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.29 $17.29

$4.98 SZL 82.0

247.19%

Apples (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$2.37 SZL 39.04

124.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$0.67 SZL 10.98

149.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$1.49 SZL 24.52

189.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.03 $5.03

$1.38 SZL 22.67

264.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.54 SZL 25.30

82.47%

Onion (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.57 SZL 25.88

94.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.72 SZL 11.88

208.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.82 SZL 13.55

186.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.92 $10.92

$2.98 SZL 49.00

266.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$5.30 SZL 87.3

180.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$0.88 SZL 14.56

138.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 $3.62

$1.38 SZL 22.69

162.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 $2.46

$0.75 SZL 12.39

228.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.7 $65.7

$24.40 SZL 402

169.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$1.86 SZL 30.61

92.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.55 SZL 25.56

22.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.51 $29.51

$3.44 SZL 56.7

757.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.26 SZL 20.69

-19.05%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$14.4K SZL 237.8K

95.87%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$16.8K SZL 276.7K

54.45%

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

$221 $221

$82.8 SZL 1,363

166.65%

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

$61.3 $61.3

$34.56 SZL 569

77.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.3 $73.3

$27.58 SZL 454

165.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.89 $44.89

$21.11 SZL 347

112.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.65 $22.65

$2.80 SZL 46.15

708.93%

Cinema Ticket

$15.16 $15.16

$3.74 SZL 61.6

305.35%

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

$1,471 $1,471

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.0K $25.0K

$6,360 SZL 104.7K

293.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 $53.5

$34.82 SZL 573

53.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.76 $43.76

$19.45 SZL 320

124.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 $92.0

$71.4 SZL 1,176

28.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$54.9 SZL 904

107.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,654 $1,654

$205 SZL 3,371

707.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 $1,332

$140 SZL 2,311

848.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,669 $2,669

$605 SZL 9,949

341.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,207 $2,207

$451 SZL 7,425

389.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,054 $3,054

$343 SZL 5,642

790.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,522 $2,522

$257 SZL 4,237

879.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,391 $4,391

$690 SZL 11.4K

536.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

9.12

-28.18%

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

Last update for the United States: October 18, 2026

Last update for Eswatini: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 48.9%

Eswatini

$140 19.2% 89.5% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

United States

$413 15.1%

Eswatini

$191 26.2% 53.6% $221

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Eswatini

$145 19.9% 59.2% $210

Eating Out

United States

$326 12%

Eswatini

$107 14.6% 67.3% $220

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Eswatini

$81 11.1% 40.5% $55

Getting Around

United States

$89 3.3%

Eswatini

$37 5.1% 58.2% $52

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$75 2.8%

Eswatini

$29 3.9% 62% $47

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,612 in the United States vs $113 in Eswatini. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,743 in Washington, DC and $273 in Mbabane.

Average salary: $4,548 in the United States vs $638 in Eswatini. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1327% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 525% more in the United States.

Public transport is 440% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are 613% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇸🇿 Eswatini

🕒 Local time

16:09 4:09 PM

22:09 10:09 PM

6 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

1,230,506

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Eswatini Lilangeni SZL L

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 SZL = 6.08 USD

100 SZL = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SZL, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇸🇿 Eswatini Lilangeni (L)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Eswatini Lilangeni exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 16.46 SZL (100 SZL = 6.08 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 SZL (100 SZL = 5.4 EUR).

SZL to USD in detail →

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Between locations

United States Eswatini 14,130 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

United States
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

United States vs Eswatini: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Eswatini is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 273% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,612 versus $113 in Eswatini.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Eswatini, adding to the overall 273% price gap.

$1,200 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Eswatini, but in the United States it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Eswatini is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.