It is a surprise to many that travelling in Lesotho can be almost as expensive as travelling in South Africa. While transportation and most meals are cheaper, accommodation, particularly in the capital, Maseru, can be expensive. The cheapest hotel in Maseru is over US$30.00 per night! Sleeping in missions or agricultural training centres can save you some money. On the whole, most backpackers spend between US$20.00 and US$30.00 per day. The slow but far-reaching bus network will cost between US$0.50 and US$4.00 per trip. Car hire (available in Maseru but cheaper in South Africa) is around US$40.00 a day for a small car. If you're travelling around in a hire-car, staying at up-market hotels and eating steak, you could go through US$140.00 a day at a stretch.

The currency, called the loti (plural: maloti), is at a fixed value against the South African rand, and rands are accepted everywhere. If you're coming from South Africa, there'll be no need to change your money. When cashing travellers cheques, you can request rand, which saves having to convert unused loti later. Credit cards are accepted in the capital, but travellers cheques and cash are required for many purchases.

Tipping is mandatory in South Africa, and the practice is fairly common in Lesotho as a result. About 10% is the norm. When added to the GST of 10%, your bill can end up a lot more than the quoted price.

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