🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $294 in Botswana versus $2,363 in United Kingdom.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $468 in Botswana versus $3,471 in United Kingdom.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $641 in Botswana versus $4,579 in United Kingdom.
🌍Living in Botswana costs about 88% less than in United Kingdom on average.
📊Botswana (78% below) and United Kingdom (77% above) straddle the global median.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Botswana
United Kingdom
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.47P 99.0
$20.23£15.05
-63.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$29.66P 393
$88.3£65.7
-66.41%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$6.22P 82.4
$10.35£7.70
-39.90%
Cappuccino
$2.19P 28.94
$4.77£3.55
-54.09%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90P 11.89
$2.44£1.82
-63.11%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53P 7.04
$1.73£1.29
-69.36%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.20P 29.12
$6.85£5.10
-67.88%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00P 39.68
$6.52£4.85
-53.99%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Botswana
United Kingdom
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.43P 18.91
$1.66£1.23
-13.86%
White Bread(500g)
$0.80P 10.62
$1.71£1.27
-53.22%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.83P 24.21
$2.21£1.64
-17.19%
Eggs
$2.16P 28.54
$4.09£3.04
-47.19%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$7.47P 98.9
$9.52£7.08
-21.53%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.14P 68.1
$9.02£6.71
-43.02%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$5.52P 73.1
$14.18£10.54
-61.07%
Apples(1kg)
$1.69P 22.42
$2.96£2.20
-42.91%
Banana(1kg)
$1.40P 18.53
$1.68£1.25
-16.67%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.80P 23.78
$2.84£2.11
-36.62%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.58P 20.91
$3.41£2.54
-53.67%
Potato(1kg)
$1.39P 18.34
$1.69£1.26
-17.75%
Onion(1kg)
$1.29P 17.09
$1.58£1.17
-18.35%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.17P 15.53
$1.12£0.84
4.46%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.85P 11.32
$1.53£1.14
-44.44%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.72P 49.27
$20.16£15.00
-81.55%
Wine(Bottle)
$4.22P 55.9
$10.47£7.79
-59.69%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61P 21.26
$2.87£2.14
-43.90%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.05P 27.19
$3.30£2.45
-37.88%
🚌 Getting Around
Botswana
United Kingdom
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.50P 6.60
$3.33£2.48
-84.98%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$27.56P 365
$96.3£71.6
-71.38%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.62P 8.22
$5.53£4.11
-88.79%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.69P 35.67
$1.60£1.19
68.12%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$3.07P 40.61
$27.51£20.47
-88.84%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.13P 14.99
$1.90£1.41
-40.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.5KP 297.4K
$38.1K£28.3K
-41.03%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$16.6KP 219.3K
$41.0K£30.5K
-59.60%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Botswana
United Kingdom
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$64.6P 855
$326£243
-80.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.03P 345
$17.18£12.78
51.51%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$76.0P 1,006
$42.96£31.96
76.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Botswana
United Kingdom
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$32.64P 432
$45.94£34.17
-28.95%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.63P 141
$15.87£11.81
-33.02%
Cinema Ticket
$6.59P 87.2
$13.80£10.26
-52.25%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Botswana
United Kingdom
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$165P 2,187
$1,723£1,281
-90.41%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$3,498P 46.3K
$20.9K£15.5K
-83.24%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Botswana
United Kingdom
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.03P 596
$90.3£67.2
-50.13%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$21.31P 282
$44.39£33.02
-51.99%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$75.0P 993
$103£76.7
-27.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.5P 1,172
$103£76.3
-13.67%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Botswana
United Kingdom
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$235P 3,118
$1,419£1,055
-83.40%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$149P 1,966
$1,143£850
-87.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$518P 6,853
$2,298£1,709
-77.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$349P 4,614
$1,873£1,393
-81.39%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,043P 27.0K
$5,728£4,260
-64.34%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,273P 16.9K
$4,339£3,228
-70.66%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Botswana
United Kingdom
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$849P 11.2K
$3,264£2,428
-74.01%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
9.12
5.75
58.61%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Botswana: July 11, 2026
Last update for United Kingdom: July 13, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $39.00 in Botswana, $1,266 in United Kingdom. Capital cities: $245 in Gaborone vs $2,937 in London.
💰National salary averages: $961 in Botswana, $3,192 in United Kingdom. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 3146% higher in United Kingdom.
⭐Dining out costs 600% more in United Kingdom.
⭐Public transport is 2967% more expensive in United Kingdom.
⭐Salaries are 232% higher in United Kingdom, 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 United Kingdom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: Botswana or United Kingdom?
At $414 per month in Botswana and $2,793 in United Kingdom, there's a 575% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Where are groceries and transport cheaper: Botswana or United Kingdom?
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.
How do rents compare between Botswana and United Kingdom?
Rent in United Kingdom 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.
How far does $1,200 go in Botswana compared to United Kingdom?
In Botswana, $1,200 covers most cities easily; in United Kingdom it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
How do I choose between living in Botswana and in United Kingdom?
It depends on what you're after: Botswana wins on affordability; United Kingdom may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.