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: $711 in China versus $296 in Botswana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,131 in China versus $470 in Botswana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,550 in China versus $644 in Botswana.

Living in China is roughly 140% more expensive than Botswana on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.75 ¥18.83

$7.34 P 101

-62.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.03 ¥165

$30.40 P 418

-20.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.96 ¥33.95

$6.25 P 85.9

-20.64%

Cappuccino

$3.12 ¥21.37

$2.19 P 30.13

42.47%

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

$0.48 ¥3.26

$0.85 P 11.63

-43.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.84

$0.54 P 7.48

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 ¥6.73

$2.29 P 31.41

-57.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥14.69

$2.91 P 40.05

-26.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 ¥12.53

$1.37 P 18.79

33.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.54

$0.84 P 11.56

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.21

$1.84 P 25.26

-50.54%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.66

$2.21 P 30.36

-29.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.97 ¥88.9

$7.71 P 106

68.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.25 ¥22.23

$5.29 P 72.7

-38.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.51 ¥72.0

$5.43 P 74.6

93.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.41

$1.69 P 23.20

7.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.90

$1.36 P 18.65

-4.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.26

$1.73 P 23.74

-13.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.87

$1.53 P 21.08

-24.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.20

$1.34 P 18.46

-43.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 ¥6.07

$1.29 P 17.68

-31.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 ¥3.97

$1.18 P 16.15

-50.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.95

$0.85 P 11.65

-31.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.50 ¥23.95

$3.74 P 51.4

-6.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.55 ¥79.1

$4.56 P 62.7

153.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥5.31

$1.61 P 22.07

-51.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥11.03

$2.03 P 27.84

-20.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥3.01

$0.53 P 7.28

-16.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.15 ¥145

$28.14 P 387

-24.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ¥9.35

$0.61 P 8.43

122.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 ¥2.44

$2.61 P 35.92

-86.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.61 ¥45.28

$2.90 P 39.80

127.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥7.74

$1.13 P 15.59

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

$19.7K ¥135.2K

$22.4K P 308.1K

-11.96%

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

$17.1K ¥117.0K

$16.7K P 229.5K

2.29%

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

$50.9 ¥349

$64.6 P 887

-21.18%

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

$10.03 ¥68.7

$25.75 P 354

-61.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.33 ¥77.6

$77.8 P 1,069

-85.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.13 ¥275

$32.82 P 451

22.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.97 ¥103

$10.46 P 144

43.12%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 ¥41.74

$6.79 P 93.4

-10.31%

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

$418 ¥2,860

$164 P 2,257

154.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.3K ¥118.2K

$3,615 P 49.7K

377.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.40 ¥318

$43.62 P 599

6.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.92 ¥226

$21.37 P 294

54.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.1 ¥487

$77.2 P 1,061

-7.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.9 ¥499

$88.3 P 1,213

-17.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 ¥3,003

$237 P 3,260

84.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$259 ¥1,775

$147 P 2,018

76.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$926 ¥6,341

$511 P 7,017

81.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$548 ¥3,754

$342 P 4,702

60.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,047 ¥34.6K

$2,008 P 27.6K

151.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,666 ¥18.3K

$1,291 P 17.7K

106.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,074 ¥7,357

$823 P 11.3K

30.53%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Botswana: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $286 in China, $39.00 in Botswana. Capital cities: $886 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $241 in Gaborone.

National salary averages: $834 in China, $997 in Botswana. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 633% higher in China.

Dining out costs 75% more in China.

Public transport is 500% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 20% 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

China vs Botswana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $417 per month in Botswana and $873 in China, there's a 109% 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.