Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gaborone and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Gaborone: $866 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $820 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

42

Cost of Living Index in Gaborone
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Gaborone Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Gaborone

🇧🇼 Botswana

$866

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gaborone and in Cebu

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 Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $866 in Gaborone versus $934 in Cebu.

Gaborone $866
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,301 in Gaborone versus $1,415 in Cebu.

Gaborone $1,301
Cebu $1,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,737 in Gaborone versus $1,896 in Cebu.

Gaborone $1,737
Cebu $1,896

Living in Gaborone costs roughly 7% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Gaborone 35% lower, Cebu 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.04 P 148

$3.03 ₱190

264.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.11 P 390

$23.48 ₱1,473

23.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.87 P 78.6

$4.09 ₱256

43.52%

Cappuccino

$2.37 P 31.70

$2.52 ₱158

-5.95%

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

$0.71 P 9.45

$1.54 ₱96.9

-53.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 P 5.87

$0.49 ₱30.98

-10.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 P 26.47

$1.79 ₱112

10.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 P 34.24

$2.26 ₱142

13.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 P 19.66

$1.95 ₱122

-24.62%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 P 11.59

$1.43 ₱89.7

-39.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 P 26.48

$1.02 ₱63.8

94.12%

Eggs

$2.54 P 34.06

$2.06 ₱129

23.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.45 P 86.4

$9.81 ₱615

-34.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.77 P 63.9

$4.61 ₱289

3.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.88 P 65.4

$7.70 ₱483

-36.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.64 P 22.01

$3.31 ₱207

-50.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 P 18.73

$1.45 ₱90.9

-3.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 P 26.07

$2.36 ₱148

-17.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 P 22.13

$1.54 ₱96.4

7.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 P 17.53

$2.36 ₱148

-44.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 P 15.40

$1.99 ₱125

-42.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 P 17.20

$1.15 ₱72.1

11.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 P 12.50

$0.67 ₱42.15

38.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 P 49.75

$3.00 ₱188

23.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.39 P 58.8

$6.35 ₱398

-30.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 P 19.23

$1.31 ₱81.9

9.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 P 23.26

$1.73 ₱108

0.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 P 9.00

$0.25 ₱15.78

168.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.16 P 404

$12.65 ₱793

138.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 P 8.60

$0.74 ₱46.32

-13.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.61 P 35.04

$0.21 ₱13.11

1142.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 P 38.37

$4.33 ₱271

-33.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 P 17.74

$1.33 ₱83.5

-0.75%

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

$19.6K P 263.0K

$21.8K ₱1.4M

-9.82%

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

$19.9K P 266.4K

$19.4K ₱1.2M

2.48%

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

$60.2 P 807

$121 ₱7,563

-50.08%

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

$19.85 P 266

$14.45 ₱907

37.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.94 P 575

$28.29 ₱1,774

51.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.16 P 458

$32.68 ₱2,050

4.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.03 P 215

$6.39 ₱401

150.86%

Cinema Ticket

$5.98 P 80.1

$5.46 ₱342

9.52%

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

$130 P 1,740

$273 ₱17.1K

-52.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,526 P 33.8K

$8,156 ₱511.5K

-69.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.16 P 645

$49.57 ₱3,109

-2.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.58 P 222

$24.87 ₱1,560

-33.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.0 P 991

$76.6 ₱4,804

-3.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.3 P 1,049

$59.3 ₱3,717

32.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$363 P 4,860

$506 ₱31.7K

-28.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$219 P 2,941

$309 ₱19.4K

-29.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$542 P 7,263

$1,052 ₱66.0K

-48.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 P 4,741

$619 ₱38.8K

-42.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,021 P 27.1K

$2,915 ₱182.9K

-30.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,252 P 16.8K

$1,867 ₱117.1K

-32.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$450 P 6,033

$341 ₱21.4K

32.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

7.2

57.36%

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

Last update for Gaborone: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gaborone

$219 25.5%

Cebu

$309 33.5% 41% $90

Groceries & Markets

Gaborone

$174 20.2%

Cebu

$210 22.7% 21% $37

Eating Out

Gaborone

$154 17.9%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 42.6% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gaborone

$123 14.3%

Cebu

$163 17.7% 32.8% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Gaborone

$98 11.4%

Cebu

$95 10.2% 3.1% $3

Getting Around

Gaborone

$47 5.4%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 66.8% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Gaborone

$46 5.4%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 5.4% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $363 in Gaborone and $506 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gaborone pays 32% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $29.00 in Gaborone vs $23.00 in Cebu. Groceries flip the comparison at $174 vs $210, with Gaborone cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇼 Gaborone

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

08:14 8:14 AM

14:14 2:14 PM

6 h ahead of Gaborone

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

231,626 Capital

964,169

💱 Currency

Botswana Pula BWP P

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 BWP = 7.46 USD

100 BWP = 6.65 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to BWP – Botswana Pula Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇼 Botswana Pula (P)

Botswana Pula exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 13.4 BWP (100 BWP = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 15.03 BWP (100 BWP = 6.65 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to BWP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Gaborone Cebu 11,280 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Gaborone
Cebu

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 Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gaborone is cheaper overall, especially in groceries. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 32% higher in Gaborone, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $363 in Gaborone versus $506 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $866 per month in Gaborone versus $934 in Cebu – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Gaborone runs roughly 138% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Gaborone gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Gaborone is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cebu, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Gaborone and Cebu are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Gaborone gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.