Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Francistown and Gaborone

For one person, living is cheaper in Gaborone: $845 a month against $1,034 in Francistown, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Francistown outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Gaborone
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Gaborone Living Index

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Francistown

🇧🇼 Botswana

$1,034

/mo nomad

Gaborone

🇧🇼 Botswana

$845

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Francistown and in Gaborone

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

A single person spends $1,034 per month in Francistown vs $845 in Gaborone, rent included.

Francistown $1,034
Gaborone $845

A couple spends around $866 per month in Francistown vs $1,307 in Gaborone, rent included.

Francistown $866
Gaborone $1,307

A family of three spends $697 per month in Francistown vs $1,768 in Gaborone, rent included.

Francistown $697
Gaborone $1,768

Francistown costs about 22% more than Gaborone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Francistown and Gaborone are more affordable than the global median – Francistown 24% lower, Gaborone 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.88 P 147

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.05 P 392

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.76 P 77.8

Cappuccino

$2.35 P 31.67

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

$0.68 P 9.24

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 P 5.46

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.46 P 19.75

$2.01 P 27.17

-27.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 P 33.44

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 P 17.48

$1.48 P 19.94

-12.16%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 P 9.15

$0.84 P 11.30

-19.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 P 24.04

Eggs

$1.85 P 24.98

$2.44 P 32.90

-24.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.52 P 88.0

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.00 P 80.9

$4.43 P 59.8

35.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.34 P 85.6

$4.99 P 67.3

27.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.08 P 14.54

$1.59 P 21.40

-32.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 P 19.08

$1.45 P 19.49

-2.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 P 19.73

$1.98 P 26.74

-26.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 P 19.01

$1.67 P 22.47

-15.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 P 21.82

$1.30 P 17.47

24.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 P 19.18

$1.21 P 16.29

17.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 P 12.67

$1.28 P 17.27

-26.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 P 10.98

$0.97 P 13.10

-16.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.43 P 73.3

$3.60 P 48.56

50.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.25 P 57.3

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 P 18.98

$1.38 P 18.68

2.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 P 24.04

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 P 7.66

$0.62 P 8.40

-8.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.95 P 404

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 P 8.14

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 P 33.24

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 P 39.52

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 P 17.84

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

$30.0K P 404.8K

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

$20.1K P 271.2K

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

$61.0 P 823

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

$18.34 P 247

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.67 P 589

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.30 P 395

$34.07 P 460

-14.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.29 P 220

Cinema Ticket

$6.23 P 84.1

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

$110 P 1,486

$129 P 1,744

-14.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,773 P 23.9K

$2,545 P 34.3K

-30.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.5 P 776

$48.15 P 650

19.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.82 P 443

$16.72 P 226

96.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 P 1,450

$72.1 P 972

49.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 P 1,469

$78.6 P 1,060

38.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$353 P 4,763

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$726 P 9,799

$209 P 2,824

247.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$400 P 5,400

$534 P 7,198

-24.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 P 4,802

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,034 P 27.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,260 P 17.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$451 P 6,087

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

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

Last update for Francistown: October 26, 2026

Last update for Gaborone: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Francistown

–

Gaborone

$209 24.8%

Groceries & Markets

Francistown

–

Gaborone

$172 20.3%

Eating Out

Francistown

–

Gaborone

$152 18%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Francistown

–

Gaborone

$123 14.6%

Clothing & Footwear

Francistown

–

Gaborone

$97 11.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Francistown

–

Gaborone

$47 5.5%

Getting Around

Francistown

–

Gaborone

$45 5.4%

Good to know

🇧🇼 Francistown

🇧🇼 Gaborone

🕒 Local time

00:55 12:55 AM

Same time as Francistown

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,079

231,626 Capital

💱 Currency

Botswana Pula BWP P

📈 Exchange rate

100 BWP = 7.41 USD

100 BWP = 6.66 EUR

100 BWP = 7.41 USD

100 BWP = 6.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Francistown Gaborone 420 km

From you

Francistown
Gaborone

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

Francistown vs Gaborone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,034 in Francistown, $845 in Gaborone – Gaborone comes out roughly 18% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,552 per month in Francistown and $1,267 in Gaborone. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Kindergarten costs $110 per month in Francistown and $129 in Gaborone. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,034 in Francistown and $845 in Gaborone. That makes Gaborone about 18% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Gaborone, where all-in costs run around $845, than in Francistown at $1,034. In Gaborone it covers expenses comfortably, while in Francistown it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Francistown has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $845 in Gaborone to $1,034 in Francistown. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.