Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gaborone and Francistown

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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Gaborone

🇧🇼 Botswana

$845

/mo nomad

Francistown

🇧🇼 Botswana

$1,034

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gaborone and in Francistown

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

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

Gaborone $845
Francistown $1,034

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

Gaborone $1,307
Francistown $866

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

Gaborone $1,768
Francistown $697

Gaborone is about 18% cheaper than Francistown, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

$2.01 P 27.17

$1.46 P 19.75

37.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 P 33.44

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 P 19.94

$1.30 P 17.48

13.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 P 11.30

$0.68 P 9.15

23.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 P 24.04

Eggs

$2.44 P 32.90

$1.85 P 24.98

31.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.52 P 88.0

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.43 P 59.8

$6.00 P 80.9

-26.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.99 P 67.3

$6.34 P 85.6

-21.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.59 P 21.40

$1.08 P 14.54

47.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 P 19.49

$1.41 P 19.08

2.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 P 26.74

$1.46 P 19.73

35.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 P 22.47

$1.41 P 19.01

18.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 P 17.47

$1.62 P 21.82

-19.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 P 16.29

$1.42 P 19.18

-14.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 P 17.27

$0.94 P 12.67

36.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 P 13.10

$0.81 P 10.98

19.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 P 48.56

$5.43 P 73.3

-33.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.25 P 57.3

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 P 18.68

$1.41 P 18.98

-2.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 P 24.04

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 P 8.40

$0.57 P 7.66

8.77%

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)

$34.07 P 460

$29.30 P 395

16.28%

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)

$129 P 1,744

$110 P 1,486

17.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,545 P 34.3K

$1,773 P 23.9K

43.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.15 P 650

$57.5 P 776

-16.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.72 P 226

$32.82 P 443

-49.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.1 P 972

$107 P 1,450

-32.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.6 P 1,060

$109 P 1,469

-27.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$353 P 4,763

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$209 P 2,824

$726 P 9,799

-71.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$534 P 7,198

$400 P 5,400

33.28%

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 Francistown: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gaborone

$209 24.8%

Francistown

–

Groceries & Markets

Gaborone

$172 20.3%

Francistown

–

Eating Out

Gaborone

$152 18%

Francistown

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gaborone

$123 14.6%

Francistown

–

Clothing & Footwear

Gaborone

$97 11.5%

Francistown

–

Sport & Entertainment

Gaborone

$47 5.5%

Francistown

–

Getting Around

Gaborone

$45 5.4%

Francistown

–

Good to know

🇧🇼 Gaborone

🇧🇼 Francistown

🕒 Local time

00:55 12:55 AM

Same time as Gaborone

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

231,626 Capital

100,079

💱 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 Francistown 420 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 Francistown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

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

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $845 in Gaborone and $1,034 in Francistown. 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.