Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Botswana and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in Botswana: $841 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $22,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Botswana
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Botswana Living Index
131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index

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🇧🇼 Botswana

$841

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Botswana and in the United States

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Botswana and in the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $841 in Botswana versus $2,734 in the United States.

Botswana $841
United States $2,734

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,289 in Botswana versus $3,985 in the United States.

Botswana $1,289
United States $3,985

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,737 in Botswana versus $5,235 in the United States.

Botswana $1,737
United States $5,235

Internal cost variation is higher in the United States: monthly costs span $979 to $5,160, compared to $3–$1,034 in Botswana. City choice carries more weight in the United States.

Living in Botswana costs about 69% less than in the United States on average.

Botswana (38% below) and the United States (101% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.99 P 135

$20.03 $20.03

-50.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.81 P 388

$80.0 $80.0

-64.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.91 P 79.6

$11.80 $11.80

-49.92%

Cappuccino

$2.36 P 31.77

$5.55 $5.55

-57.48%

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

$0.74 P 9.96

$2.66 $2.66

-72.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 P 5.98

$2.17 $2.17

-79.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 P 25.73

$6.12 $6.12

-68.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 P 32.52

$7.94 $7.94

-69.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 P 20.03

$1.04 $1.04

43.27%

White Bread (500g)

$0.83 P 11.20

$3.59 $3.59

-76.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 P 24.06

$4.52 $4.52

-60.40%

Eggs

$2.44 P 32.81

$4.28 $4.28

-42.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.53 P 87.9

$13.22 $13.22

-50.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 P 61.7

$12.60 $12.60

-63.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.00 P 67.4

$17.60 $17.60

-71.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.54 P 20.77

$5.30 $5.30

-70.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 P 18.44

$1.69 $1.69

-18.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 P 26.95

$4.44 $4.44

-54.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 P 21.38

$4.77 $4.77

-66.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 P 18.56

$2.97 $2.97

-53.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 P 17.56

$3.15 $3.15

-58.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 P 17.56

$2.20 $2.20

-40.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 P 12.01

$2.35 $2.35

-62.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.72 P 50.1

$10.98 $10.98

-66.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.24 P 57.1

$15.05 $15.05

-71.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 P 19.67

$2.06 $2.06

-29.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 P 24.20

$3.79 $3.79

-52.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 P 9.04

$1.94 $1.94

-65.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.26 P 408

$59.4 $59.4

-49.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 P 8.20

$3.58 $3.58

-82.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 P 33.86

$1.88 $1.88

33.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.89 P 38.88

$29.84 $29.84

-90.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 P 17.78

$1.02 $1.02

29.41%

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

$30.9K P 416.3K

$28.8K $28.8K

7.45%

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

$20.4K P 274.2K

$26.2K $26.2K

-22.33%

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

$59.8 P 805

$218 $218

-72.58%

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

$18.87 P 254

$62.5 $62.5

-69.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.45 P 585

$74.5 $74.5

-41.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.65 P 440

$41.86 $41.86

-22.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.51 P 222

$22.81 $22.81

-27.62%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 P 83.5

$14.70 $14.70

-57.82%

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

$141 P 1,904

$1,489 $1,489

-90.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,233 P 30.1K

$25.3K $25.3K

-91.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 P 665

$54.3 $54.3

-9.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.76 P 280

$42.71 $42.71

-51.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 P 1,035

$94.1 $94.1

-18.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 P 1,179

$114 $114

-22.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$288 P 3,885

$1,659 $1,659

-82.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$206 P 2,772

$1,348 $1,348

-84.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$505 P 6,799

$2,682 $2,682

-81.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$324 P 4,364

$2,169 $2,169

-85.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,976 P 26.6K

$3,283 $3,283

-39.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,242 P 16.7K

$2,482 $2,482

-49.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$851 P 11.5K

$4,296 $4,296

-80.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

6.55

72.98%

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

Last update for Botswana: October 26, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Botswana

$206 24.5%

United States

$1.3K 49.3% 555% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Botswana

$171 20.4%

United States

$415 15.2% 142% $244

Eating Out

Botswana

$145 17.3%

United States

$328 12% 126% $183

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Botswana

$122 14.5%

United States

$355 13% 191% $233

Clothing & Footwear

Botswana

$106 12.5%

United States

$137 5% 30% $32

Getting Around

Botswana

$46 5.5%

United States

$80 2.9% 73.7% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Botswana

$45 5.4%

United States

$71 2.6% 58.2% $26

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $259 in Botswana, $1,620 in the United States. Capital cities: $353 in Gaborone vs $2,768 in Washington, DC.

National salary averages: $957 in Botswana, $4,549 in the United States. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 525% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 159% more in the United States.

Public transport is 110% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are about 4.8 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇧🇼 Botswana

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

10:32 10:32 AM

04:32 4:32 AM

6 h behind Botswana

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,480,244

340,110,988

💱 Currency

Botswana Pula BWP P

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 BWP = 7.42 USD

100 BWP = 6.67 EUR

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BWP – Botswana Pula Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇼 Botswana Pula (P)

Botswana Pula exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 13.47 BWP (100 BWP = 7.42 USD). 1 EUR = 14.99 BWP (100 BWP = 6.67 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

USD to BWP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Botswana United States 13,570 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Botswana
United States

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $841 per month in Botswana and $2,734 in the United States, there’s a 225% 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 cheaper in Botswana: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 in the United States and $259 in Botswana. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Botswana, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in the United States 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; the United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.