Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Gaborone

For one person, living is cheaper in Gaborone: $866 a month against $1,806 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Gaborone
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Gaborone Living Index

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Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,806

/mo nomad

Gaborone

🇧🇼 Botswana

$866

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Athens and in Gaborone

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,806 in Athens versus $866 in Gaborone.

Athens $1,806
Gaborone $866

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,731 in Athens versus $1,301 in Gaborone.

Athens $2,731
Gaborone $1,301

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,656 in Athens versus $1,737 in Gaborone.

Athens $3,656
Gaborone $1,737

Living in Athens is roughly 109% more expensive than in Gaborone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens is 35% above, Gaborone is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.66 €14.87

$11.04 P 148

50.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 €59.1

$29.11 P 390

127.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.06 €9.87

$5.87 P 78.6

88.42%

Cappuccino

$4.14 €3.69

$2.37 P 31.70

74.68%

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

$2.80 €2.50

$0.71 P 9.45

294.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.51

$0.44 P 5.87

29.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 €5.03

$1.98 P 26.47

184.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 €4.87

$2.56 P 34.24

113.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.75

$1.47 P 19.66

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 €1.26

$0.87 P 11.59

62.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.83 €2.53

$1.98 P 26.48

42.93%

Eggs

$5.04 €4.50

$2.54 P 34.06

98.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.35 €13.70

$6.45 P 86.4

137.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.34 €9.23

$4.77 P 63.9

116.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.97 €16.93

$4.88 P 65.4

288.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 €1.93

$1.64 P 22.01

32.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 €1.70

$1.40 P 18.73

36.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 €1.23

$1.95 P 26.07

-29.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$1.65 P 22.13

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 €0.98

$1.31 P 17.53

-16.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €1.00

$1.15 P 15.40

-1.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 €0.99

$1.28 P 17.20

-14.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.74

$0.93 P 12.50

-10.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.60 €4.99

$3.71 P 49.75

50.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 €9.09

$4.39 P 58.8

132.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.95

$1.43 P 19.23

52.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 €2.19

$1.74 P 23.26

40.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 €1.23

$0.67 P 9.00

105.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.87 €27.55

$30.16 P 404

2.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 €3.90

$0.64 P 8.60

582.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 €0.93

$2.61 P 35.04

-60.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.11 €15.27

$2.86 P 38.37

498.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.07

$1.32 P 17.74

75.00%

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

$28.0K €25.0K

$19.6K P 263.0K

42.57%

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

$28.0K €25.0K

$19.9K P 266.4K

40.92%

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

$210 €187

$60.2 P 807

248.48%

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

$26.70 €23.83

$19.85 P 266

34.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 €26.89

$42.94 P 575

-29.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.6 €48.72

$34.16 P 458

59.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.03 €23.23

$16.03 P 215

62.38%

Cinema Ticket

$10.78 €9.62

$5.98 P 80.1

80.27%

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

$575 €513

$130 P 1,740

342.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K €11.7K

$2,526 P 33.8K

419.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.2 €83.1

$48.16 P 645

93.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.68 €36.30

$16.58 P 222

145.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.9

$74.0 P 991

40.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €115

$78.3 P 1,049

63.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 €674

$363 P 4,860

108.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$652 €582

$219 P 2,941

197.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 €1,154

$542 P 7,263

138.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 €1,038

$354 P 4,741

228.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,008 €3,577

$2,021 P 27.1K

98.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,452 €3,081

$1,252 P 16.8K

175.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,243 €1,110

$450 P 6,033

176.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

11.33

-60.46%

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

Last update for Athens: October 5, 2026

Last update for Gaborone: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens

$652 36.5%

Gaborone

$219 25.5% 66.4% $433

Groceries & Markets

Athens

$315 17.6%

Gaborone

$174 20.2% 44.8% $141

Eating Out

Athens

$269 15%

Gaborone

$154 17.9% 42.7% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens

$267 14.9%

Gaborone

$123 14.3% 53.9% $144

Clothing & Footwear

Athens

$165 9.2%

Gaborone

$98 11.4% 40.8% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Athens

$76 4.3%

Gaborone

$46 5.4% 39.5% $30

Getting Around

Athens

$46 2.6%

Gaborone

$47 5.4% 1.4% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Athens and $363 in Gaborone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 176% 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: $66.0 in Athens vs $29.00 in Gaborone for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $315 vs $174 per month, with Gaborone cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Athens

🇧🇼 Gaborone

🕒 Local time

07:03 7:03 AM

06:03 6:03 AM

1 h behind Athens

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,090,508 Capital

231,626 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Botswana Pula BWP P

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 BWP = 7.46 USD

100 BWP = 6.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BWP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Botswana Pula exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 13.4 BWP (100 BWP = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 15.03 BWP (100 BWP = 6.65 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Athens Gaborone 6,970 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Athens
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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

Athens vs Gaborone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gaborone wins on cost – living expenses run 109% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gaborone the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 176% higher in Athens, 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: $756 in Athens versus $363 in Gaborone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Gaborone – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $66.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,806 per month in Athens versus $866 in Gaborone – a 109% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $866 in Gaborone versus $1,806 in Athens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gaborone but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Gaborone the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Gaborone delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $866 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Gaborone hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Gaborone 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 Gaborone gentler on the wallet – expenses run 109% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.