Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gaborone and Bonwapitse

For one person, living is cheaper in Bonwapitse: $567 a month against $845 in Gaborone, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Gaborone
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Gaborone Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in Bonwapitse
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Bonwapitse Living Index

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Gaborone

🇧🇼 Botswana

$845

/mo nomad

Bonwapitse

🇧🇼 Botswana

$567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gaborone and in Bonwapitse

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

A single person spends $845 per month in Gaborone vs $567 in Bonwapitse, rent included.

Gaborone $845
Bonwapitse $567

A couple spends around $1,307 per month in Gaborone vs $914 in Bonwapitse, rent included.

Gaborone $1,307
Bonwapitse $914

A family of three spends $1,768 per month in Gaborone vs $1,260 in Bonwapitse, rent included.

Gaborone $1,768
Bonwapitse $1,260

Gaborone costs about 49% more than Bonwapitse, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Gaborone and Bonwapitse are more affordable than the global median – Gaborone 38% lower, Bonwapitse 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.88 P 147

$11.04 P 149

-1.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.05 P 392

$28.88 P 390

0.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.76 P 77.8

$5.91 P 79.7

-2.54%

Cappuccino

$2.35 P 31.67

$2.29 P 30.83

2.62%

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

$0.68 P 9.24

$0.75 P 10.14

-9.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 P 5.46

$0.43 P 5.84

-6.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 P 27.17

$2.02 P 27.32

-0.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 P 33.44

$2.61 P 35.19

-4.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 P 19.94

$1.48 P 20.01

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 P 11.30

$0.83 P 11.18

1.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 P 24.04

$1.79 P 24.11

-0.56%

Eggs

$2.44 P 32.90

$2.51 P 33.81

-2.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.52 P 88.0

$6.16 P 83.1

5.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.43 P 59.8

$4.44 P 60.0

-0.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.99 P 67.3

$5.12 P 69.1

-2.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.59 P 21.40

$1.64 P 22.17

-3.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 P 19.49

$1.45 P 19.62

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 P 26.74

$1.97 P 26.53

0.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 P 22.47

$1.66 P 22.42

0.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 P 17.47

$1.28 P 17.27

1.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 P 16.29

$1.21 P 16.36

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 P 17.27

$1.33 P 17.96

-3.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 P 13.10

$0.96 P 12.98

1.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 P 48.56

$3.52 P 47.46

2.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.25 P 57.3

$4.28 P 57.7

-0.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 P 18.68

$1.40 P 18.84

-1.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 P 24.04

$1.79 P 24.20

-0.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 P 8.40

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.95 P 404

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 P 8.14

$0.61 P 8.18

-1.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 P 33.24

$2.51 P 33.84

-1.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 P 39.52

$2.85 P 38.45

2.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 P 17.84

$1.33 P 17.97

-0.75%

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

$30.0K P 404.8K

$30.7K P 413.9K

-2.19%

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

$20.1K P 271.2K

$20.2K P 272.7K

-0.53%

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

$61.0 P 823

$58.7 P 792

3.88%

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

$18.34 P 247

$18.90 P 255

-2.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.67 P 589

$43.37 P 585

0.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.07 P 460

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.29 P 220

Cinema Ticket

$6.23 P 84.1

$6.18 P 83.4

0.81%

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

$129 P 1,744

$126 P 1,697

2.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,545 P 34.3K

$2,472 P 33.4K

2.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.15 P 650

$46.71 P 630

3.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.72 P 226

$16.54 P 223

1.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.1 P 972

$71.0 P 958

1.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.6 P 1,060

$78.0 P 1,052

0.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$353 P 4,763

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$209 P 2,824

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$534 P 7,198

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 Gaborone: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bonwapitse: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gaborone

$209 24.8%

Bonwapitse

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Gaborone

$172 20.3%

Bonwapitse

$172 30.3% 0.1% $0.1

Eating Out

Gaborone

$152 18%

Bonwapitse

$154 27.1% 1.1% $1.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gaborone

$123 14.6%

Bonwapitse

$121 21.3% 1.6% $2

Clothing & Footwear

Gaborone

$97 11.5%

Bonwapitse

$96 16.8% 1.5% $1.5

Sport & Entertainment

Gaborone

$47 5.5%

Bonwapitse

$12 * 2.2% 73.4% $34

Getting Around

Gaborone

$45 5.4%

Bonwapitse

$13 * 2.3% 71% $32

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Gaborone versus $29 in Bonwapitse. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $172 vs $172 – making Gaborone the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇼 Gaborone

🇧🇼 Bonwapitse

🕒 Local time

00:07 12:07 AM

Same time as Gaborone

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

231,626 Capital

568

💱 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

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Gaborone Bonwapitse 190 km

From you

Gaborone
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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

Gaborone vs Bonwapitse: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gaborone costs about 49% more than Bonwapitse, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,267 per month in Gaborone and $851 in Bonwapitse. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $845 in Gaborone and $567 in Bonwapitse. That makes Bonwapitse about 33% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $129 per month in Gaborone and $126 in Bonwapitse. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Bonwapitse, where all-in costs run around $567, than in Gaborone at $845. In Bonwapitse it covers expenses comfortably, while in Gaborone it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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