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

Name: Botswana
Address: BW

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $712 in China versus $292 in Botswana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,131 in China versus $468 in Botswana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,549 in China versus $644 in Botswana.

Living in China is roughly 144% more expensive than in Botswana on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.77 ¥18.71

$7.33 P 97.1

-62.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.05 ¥162

$29.66 P 393

-18.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.73 ¥31.91

$6.05 P 80.1

-21.82%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ¥20.77

$2.25 P 29.83

36.89%

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

$0.44 ¥2.99

$0.84 P 11.19

-47.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.98

$0.54 P 7.16

-46.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ¥6.80

$2.19 P 29.04

-53.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 ¥14.02

$3.01 P 39.86

-30.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 ¥12.38

$1.38 P 18.23

32.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.94

$0.86 P 11.37

88.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.58

$1.74 P 23.03

-44.25%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.90

$2.17 P 28.70

-25.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 ¥90.1

$7.34 P 97.2

81.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ¥22.74

$5.17 P 68.5

-34.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 ¥72.1

$5.68 P 75.2

88.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.25

$1.73 P 22.93

4.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.43

$1.33 P 17.60

-6.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.88

$1.70 P 22.54

-14.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.73

$1.52 P 20.16

-24.34%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.91

$1.39 P 18.37

-47.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.99

$1.25 P 16.55

-28.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥4.05

$1.18 P 15.64

-49.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ¥3.58

$0.87 P 11.47

-39.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 ¥22.91

$3.72 P 49.25

-8.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.73 ¥79.2

$4.21 P 55.7

178.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥5.22

$1.65 P 21.78

-53.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.97

$2.05 P 27.15

-20.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ¥2.77

$0.53 P 7.05

-22.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.24 ¥143

$28.33 P 375

-25.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ¥9.12

$0.63 P 8.34

114.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 ¥2.40

$2.61 P 34.51

-86.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.70 ¥45.23

$3.06 P 40.51

118.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ¥7.98

$1.09 P 14.40

8.26%

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

$19.8K ¥133.4K

$22.7K P 300.6K

-12.97%

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

$16.5K ¥111.6K

$16.6K P 220.4K

-0.69%

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

$51.7 ¥349

$64.4 P 853

-19.67%

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

$10.09 ¥68.1

$25.83 P 342

-60.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.38 ¥76.8

$76.9 P 1,018

-85.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.24 ¥265

$31.84 P 422

23.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.84 ¥100

$10.58 P 140

40.26%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 ¥42.53

$6.54 P 86.6

-3.67%

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

$414 ¥2,793

$165 P 2,187

150.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K ¥117.5K

$3,619 P 47.9K

381.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.77 ¥316

$44.54 P 590

5.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.08 ¥223

$21.61 P 286

53.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.9 ¥479

$75.7 P 1,002

-6.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.5 ¥503

$87.8 P 1,163

-15.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 ¥2,971

$236 P 3,123

86.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 ¥1,706

$147 P 1,944

72.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 ¥6,150

$509 P 6,743

78.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$531 ¥3,582

$343 P 4,542

54.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,778 ¥32.3K

$2,006 P 26.6K

138.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,403 ¥16.2K

$1,254 P 16.6K

91.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,058 ¥7,140

$838 P 11.1K

26.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

9.12

-55.48%

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

Last update for China: July 28, 2026

Last update for Botswana: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $287 in China, $39.00 in Botswana. Capital cities: $909 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $245 in Gaborone.

National salary averages: $857 in China, $934 in Botswana. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 636% higher in China.

Dining out costs 75% more in China.

Public transport is 500% more expensive in China.

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

China vs Botswana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $413 per month in Botswana and $873 in China, there's a 111% 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.