Cost of Living Comparison Between Botswana and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Botswana and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $261 in Botswana versus $719 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $415 in Botswana versus $1,147 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $569 in Botswana versus $1,574 in China.

Living in Botswana costs about 64% less than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Botswana 81% lower, China 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.09 P 133

$2.92 ¥19.58

245.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.40 P 387

$22.23 ¥149

32.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.85 P 77.1

$5.13 ¥34.34

14.04%

Cappuccino

$2.40 P 31.67

$2.99 ¥20.03

-19.73%

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

$0.80 P 10.47

$0.52 ¥3.50

53.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 P 5.56

$0.28 ¥1.87

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.97 P 25.96

$1.05 ¥7.04

87.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 P 31.02

$2.26 ¥15.17

4.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 P 18.86

$1.81 ¥12.11

-20.99%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 P 11.64

$1.68 ¥11.23

-47.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 P 25.02

$0.90 ¥6.05

111.11%

Eggs

$2.46 P 32.38

$1.56 ¥10.43

57.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.96 P 78.5

$13.24 ¥88.7

-54.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.06 P 66.6

$3.49 ¥23.40

44.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.03 P 66.2

$11.23 ¥75.2

-55.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.52 P 19.98

$1.86 ¥12.43

-18.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 P 18.16

$1.26 ¥8.47

9.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 P 25.20

$1.53 ¥10.22

24.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 P 21.71

$1.26 ¥8.45

30.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 P 18.16

$0.73 ¥4.91

89.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 P 16.37

$0.88 ¥5.89

40.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 P 16.57

$0.65 ¥4.33

93.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 P 11.49

$0.58 ¥3.88

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.72 P 49.04

$3.71 ¥24.84

0.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.54 P 59.9

$11.80 ¥79.0

-61.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 P 18.04

$0.85 ¥5.69

61.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 P 23.35

$1.67 ¥11.19

5.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 P 8.11

$0.29 ¥1.93

113.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.84 P 406

$22.67 ¥152

36.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.57 P 7.45

$1.50 ¥10.07

-62.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.52 P 33.23

$0.35 ¥2.32

620.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 P 40.09

$7.29 ¥48.84

-58.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 P 17.87

$1.22 ¥8.18

11.48%

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

$20.7K P 272.3K

$19.0K ¥127.2K

8.84%

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

$20.5K P 270.1K

$17.4K ¥116.2K

18.21%

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

$60.5 P 796

$54.0 ¥362

12.00%

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

$19.89 P 262

$8.41 ¥56.4

136.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.75 P 550

$10.82 ¥72.5

285.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.52 P 455

$40.41 ¥271

-14.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.97 P 224

$14.63 ¥98.0

15.99%

Cinema Ticket

$6.16 P 81.2

$6.60 ¥44.18

-6.67%

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

$148 P 1,947

$452 ¥3,025

-67.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,329 P 30.7K

$19.2K ¥128.9K

-87.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.31 P 636

$44.23 ¥296

9.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.54 P 271

$35.46 ¥238

-42.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 P 991

$74.7 ¥500

0.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.7 P 1,049

$78.6 ¥527

1.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$289 P 3,804

$394 ¥2,642

-26.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$187 P 2,457

$243 ¥1,630

-23.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$465 P 6,118

$845 ¥5,660

-45.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$336 P 4,420

$481 ¥3,221

-30.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,045 P 26.9K

$4,609 ¥30.9K

-55.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,297 P 17.1K

$2,327 ¥15.6K

-44.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$848 P 11.2K

$1,060 ¥7,100

-20.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.67

3.47

236.31%

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

Last update for Botswana: September 13, 2026

Last update for China: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $34.00 in Botswana, $294 in China. Capital cities: $309 in Gaborone vs $985 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $961 in Botswana, $867 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 765% higher in China.

Dining out costs 110% more in China.

Public transport is 750% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 11% higher in Botswana, 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

Botswana vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $428 per month in Botswana and $837 in China, there's a 96% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Botswana: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in China is consistently higher than in Botswana across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Botswana, $1,200 covers most cities easily; in China it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Botswana wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.