Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Botswana Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Botswana

Name: Botswana
Address: BW

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,547 per month in Australia vs $262 in Botswana, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,678 per month in Australia vs $415 in Botswana, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,808 per month in Australia vs $568 in Botswana, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 872% higher than in Botswana on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 85% above the global median, while Botswana is 81% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.74 A$24.73

$10.45 P 137

69.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.9 A$121

$29.72 P 390

192.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.35 A$15.82

$6.04 P 79.4

87.91%

Cappuccino

$3.99 A$5.57

$2.33 P 30.64

71.24%

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

$2.97 A$4.14

$0.83 P 10.89

257.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 A$3.50

$0.46 P 6.07

445.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.75 A$10.80

$1.97 P 25.94

293.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.07 A$11.25

$2.48 P 32.58

225.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 A$2.46

$1.51 P 19.79

16.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 A$4.00

$0.86 P 11.27

233.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 A$3.31

$1.93 P 25.36

22.80%

Eggs

$5.11 A$7.13

$2.47 P 32.41

106.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.13 A$14.13

$6.22 P 81.7

62.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.57 A$13.35

$5.12 P 67.3

86.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.59 A$21.74

$5.02 P 66.0

210.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.83 A$5.34

$1.53 P 20.12

150.33%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.36

$1.44 P 18.92

117.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.67

$1.91 P 25.14

75.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.88 A$6.80

$1.61 P 21.18

203.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 A$4.07

$1.47 P 19.29

98.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.29

$1.26 P 16.59

87.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.43

$1.21 P 15.96

103.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 A$2.38

$0.90 P 11.82

88.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$39.46 A$55.0

$3.66 P 48.01

978.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.69 A$20.48

$4.36 P 57.2

236.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.07 A$7.07

$1.44 P 18.87

252.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 A$7.48

$1.77 P 23.27

202.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.84 A$3.96

$0.59 P 7.71

381.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.3 A$136

$30.52 P 401

218.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 A$4.96

$0.62 P 8.16

474.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 A$2.34

$2.69 P 35.27

-37.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.94 A$57.1

$3.07 P 40.36

1233.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.88

$1.36 P 17.91

-0.74%

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

$29.1K A$40.5K

$20.5K P 268.9K

41.96%

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

$29.5K A$41.1K

$20.8K P 272.7K

41.98%

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

$207 A$289

$61.7 P 810

236.51%

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

$29.34 A$40.91

$19.67 P 258

49.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 A$83.7

$41.52 P 545

44.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.3 A$82.6

$34.49 P 453

71.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.28 A$28.27

$16.59 P 218

22.24%

Cinema Ticket

$16.04 A$22.36

$6.25 P 82.1

156.64%

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

$2,194 A$3,059

$145 P 1,901

1415.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K A$26.0K

$2,331 P 30.6K

699.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.1 A$113

$48.17 P 633

68.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.9 A$79.3

$21.02 P 276

170.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 A$165

$73.4 P 965

61.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 A$176

$80.0 P 1,050

58.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 A$2,282

$292 P 3,840

459.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,306 A$1,821

$184 P 2,420

608.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,589 A$3,609

$464 P 6,089

458.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 A$2,737

$331 P 4,349

492.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,394 A$11.7K

$2,031 P 26.7K

313.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,140 A$8,560

$1,300 P 17.1K

372.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,067 A$5,670

$855 P 11.2K

375.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

11.67

-49.19%

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

Last update for Australia: September 6, 2026

Last update for Botswana: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,426 in Australia vs $34.00 in Botswana. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,845 in Canberra and $310 in Gaborone.

Average salary: $3,945 in Australia vs $955 in Botswana. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 4094% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 673% more in Australia.

Public transport is 3900% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 313% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Botswana.

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

Australia vs Botswana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Botswana is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 431% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Botswana, contributing to the overall 431% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

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

Botswana 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.