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 $2,185 per month in Australia vs $294 in Botswana, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,220 per month in Australia vs $468 in Botswana, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,254 per month in Australia vs $641 in Botswana, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 643% higher than in Botswana on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 64% above the global median, while Botswana is 78% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 A$23.11

$7.47 P 99.0

116.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 A$110

$29.66 P 393

160.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 A$13.52

$6.22 P 82.4

52.25%

Cappuccino

$3.46 A$4.94

$2.19 P 28.94

57.99%

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

$2.68 A$3.83

$0.90 P 11.89

197.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 A$3.12

$0.53 P 7.04

313.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.61 A$9.44

$2.20 P 29.12

200.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 A$10.14

$3.00 P 39.68

136.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 A$2.21

$1.43 P 18.91

8.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 A$3.53

$0.80 P 10.62

208.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 A$3.00

$1.83 P 24.21

14.75%

Eggs

$4.24 A$6.06

$2.16 P 28.54

96.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 A$12.24

$7.47 P 98.9

14.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.60 A$12.28

$5.14 P 68.1

67.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 A$19.73

$5.52 P 73.1

150.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 A$4.53

$1.69 P 22.42

87.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 A$3.88

$1.40 P 18.53

94.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 A$4.23

$1.80 P 23.78

64.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 A$6.15

$1.58 P 20.91

172.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.52

$1.39 P 18.34

77.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 A$2.99

$1.29 P 17.09

62.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 A$3.13

$1.17 P 15.53

87.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 A$2.18

$0.85 P 11.32

80.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.29 A$44.69

$3.72 P 49.27

741.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.94 A$19.91

$4.22 P 55.9

230.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.46 A$6.37

$1.61 P 21.26

177.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 A$7.16

$2.05 P 27.19

144.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 A$4.29

$0.50 P 6.60

500.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.0 A$137

$27.56 P 365

248.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 A$5.09

$0.62 P 8.22

474.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.50

$2.69 P 35.67

-34.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.88 A$54.1

$3.07 P 40.61

1133.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.65

$1.13 P 14.99

1.77%

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

$29.4K A$41.9K

$22.5K P 297.4K

30.73%

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

$23.1K A$33.0K

$16.6K P 219.3K

39.36%

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

$174 A$248

$64.6 P 855

168.73%

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

$26.88 A$38.39

$26.03 P 345

3.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 A$75.3

$76.0 P 1,006

-30.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.69 A$68.1

$32.64 P 432

46.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.51 A$23.57

$10.63 P 141

55.32%

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 A$19.61

$6.59 P 87.2

108.35%

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

$1,555 A$2,220

$165 P 2,187

841.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$18.1K

$3,498 P 46.3K

262.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.6 A$99.4

$45.03 P 596

54.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 A$73.2

$21.31 P 282

140.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 A$145

$75.0 P 993

35.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 A$160

$88.5 P 1,172

26.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 A$1,941

$235 P 3,118

477.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 A$1,542

$149 P 1,966

627.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,300 A$3,285

$518 P 6,853

344.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,751 A$2,501

$349 P 4,614

402.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,618 A$10.9K

$2,043 P 27.0K

272.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,762 A$8,228

$1,273 P 16.9K

352.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,023 A$5,745

$849 P 11.2K

374.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

9.12

-30.37%

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

Last update for Australia: July 12, 2026

Last update for Botswana: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,231 in Australia vs $39.00 in Botswana. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,549 in Canberra and $245 in Gaborone.

Average salary: $3,775 in Australia vs $961 in Botswana. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 3056% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 542% more in Australia.

Public transport is 2133% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 293% 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 432% 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 432% 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.