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: $295 in Botswana versus $713 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $467 in Botswana versus $1,132 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $638 in Botswana versus $1,551 in China.

Living in Botswana costs about 59% less than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Botswana 78% lower, China 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.28 P 95.6

$2.86 ¥19.36

154.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.54 P 388

$23.29 ¥158

26.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.10 P 80.1

$4.83 ¥32.66

26.29%

Cappuccino

$2.20 P 28.85

$3.04 ¥20.52

-27.63%

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

$0.90 P 11.74

$0.45 ¥3.03

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 P 6.69

$0.27 ¥1.81

88.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 P 29.91

$0.99 ¥6.71

130.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 P 39.32

$2.03 ¥13.74

47.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 P 17.89

$1.75 ¥11.86

-22.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 P 11.02

$1.67 ¥11.31

-49.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 P 24.13

$0.97 ¥6.56

89.69%

Eggs

$2.26 P 29.59

$1.54 ¥10.45

46.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.72 P 101

$13.30 ¥89.9

-41.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.24 P 68.8

$3.21 ¥21.69

63.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.49 P 72.1

$10.79 ¥73.0

-49.12%

Apples (1kg)

$1.76 P 23.03

$1.81 ¥12.27

-2.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 P 17.52

$1.31 ¥8.84

2.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 P 22.60

$1.50 ¥10.15

14.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 P 20.03

$1.14 ¥7.74

34.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 P 17.78

$0.73 ¥4.90

86.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 P 16.43

$0.87 ¥5.86

43.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 P 15.29

$0.57 ¥3.85

105.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 P 11.32

$0.54 ¥3.63

59.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 P 46.83

$3.53 ¥23.88

1.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.22 P 55.4

$11.71 ¥79.2

-63.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 P 21.10

$0.84 ¥5.67

91.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 P 26.44

$1.67 ¥11.29

20.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 P 7.15

$0.41 ¥2.75

31.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.81 P 365

$20.78 ¥141

33.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 P 8.21

$1.36 ¥9.21

-53.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 P 34.43

$0.33 ¥2.21

693.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 P 38.60

$6.86 ¥46.40

-57.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 P 14.93

$1.12 ¥7.57

1.79%

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

$22.3K P 293.1K

$19.2K ¥129.8K

16.42%

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

$16.8K P 220.1K

$16.9K ¥114.4K

-0.83%

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

$64.8 P 849

$51.8 ¥350

24.98%

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

$26.13 P 343

$9.85 ¥66.6

165.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.2 P 1,026

$11.13 ¥75.3

602.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.56 P 427

$39.10 ¥264

-16.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.60 P 139

$14.89 ¥101

-28.81%

Cinema Ticket

$6.55 P 86.0

$6.25 ¥42.24

4.80%

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

$164 P 2,153

$404 ¥2,732

-59.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,598 P 47.2K

$17.8K ¥120.5K

-79.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.99 P 577

$46.11 ¥312

-4.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.43 P 281

$32.27 ¥218

-33.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.7 P 993

$72.7 ¥491

4.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.2 P 1,131

$72.9 ¥493

18.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$243 P 3,186

$445 ¥3,009

-45.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$149 P 1,955

$255 ¥1,727

-41.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$519 P 6,811

$927 ¥6,266

-43.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 P 4,471

$532 ¥3,600

-35.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,031 P 26.6K

$4,943 ¥33.4K

-58.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,263 P 16.6K

$2,492 ¥16.9K

-49.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$846 P 11.1K

$1,057 ¥7,148

-19.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.12

4.06

124.63%

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

Last update for Botswana: June 9, 2026

Last update for China: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $38.00 in Botswana, $286 in China. Capital cities: $238 in Gaborone vs $913 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $949 in Botswana, $862 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 653% higher in China.

Dining out costs 75% more in China.

Public transport is 500% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 10% higher in Botswana, giving Botswana stronger purchasing power.

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 $410 per month in Botswana and $871 in China, there's a 112% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Botswana is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.