cost
Cost of Living Index
Lesotho38.2 / 100
South Africa89.8 / 0
Comparison
Side-by-side data for relocation, travel, hiring, and investment decisions. Values are shown with source-backed metric definitions so trade-offs are easy to compare.
Bars and radar use 0-100 better scores. Tooltips keep the raw source values visible.
Chart summary: Lesotho leads Cost of Living Index with 100 out of 100; Lesotho leads Safety Index with 100 out of 100; Lesotho leads Median Monthly Rent with 100 out of 100; South Africa leads House Price to Income with 100 out of 100. A complete normalized score table follows.
| Metric | Place | Raw value | Normalized score | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index | Lesotho | 38.2 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Cost of Living Index | South Africa | 89.8 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Safety Index | Lesotho | 87.8 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Safety Index | South Africa | 77.3 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Median Monthly Rent | Lesotho | $2,544 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Median Monthly Rent | South Africa | $2,607 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | Lesotho | 15.0x | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | South Africa | 13.9x | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | Lesotho | $81/mo | 0 out of 100 | 2024 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | South Africa | $522/mo | 100 out of 100 | 2024 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | Lesotho | 16.3% | 100 out of 100 | 2025 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | South Africa | 32.4% | 0 out of 100 | 2025 | World Bank Open Data |
| Healthcare Access Index | Lesotho | 77.6 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Healthcare Access Index | South Africa | 62.5 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | Lesotho | 67.5 years | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | South Africa | 73.5 years | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
cost
safety
housing
housing
jobs
jobs
health
health
Winner
South Africa wins on 12 of 22 metrics compared to Lesotho.
Winner logic counts row wins after applying each metric direction. Exact ties do not count. Methodology
Top trade-offs
Lesotho leads cost, safety, and rent; South Africa leads housing, salary, and health.
cost
Lesotho
38.2
South Africa
89.8
safety
Lesotho
87.8
South Africa
77.3
housing
Lesotho
$2,544
South Africa
$2,607
housing
Lesotho
15.0x
South Africa
13.9x
jobs
Lesotho
$81/mo
South Africa
$522/mo
jobs
Lesotho
16.3%
South Africa
32.4%
health
Lesotho
77.6
South Africa
62.5
health
Lesotho
67.5 years
South Africa
73.5 years
environment
environment
infrastructure
demographics
Lesotho
1.1%
South Africa
1.2%
education
Lesotho
79.2
South Africa
76.2
transport
Lesotho
92.6
South Africa
71.3
safety
Lesotho
38.2 per 100k
South Africa
43.7 per 100k
safety
Lesotho
66.0 per 100k
South Africa
61.0 per 100k
health
Lesotho
23.9%
South Africa
13.5%
quality
Lesotho
6.3
South Africa
8
housing
Lesotho
$14,355/sqm
South Africa
$1,704/sqm
religion
Lesotho
8.5%
South Africa
77.3%
religion
Lesotho
11.1%
South Africa
76.2%
religion
Lesotho
18.4%
South Africa
48.4%
Some city-level values are modeled estimates when official city-level data is unavailable.
Each metric keeps its source, year, last refreshed date, and confidence label visible. Review methodology or Data Sources.