Cost of Living Comparison Between Gaborone and Gabane Cost of Living Comparison Between Gaborone and Gabane

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $830 per month in Gaborone vs $357 in Gabane, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,300 per month in Gaborone vs $547 in Gabane, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,769 per month in Gaborone vs $736 in Gabane, rent included.

Gaborone costs about 132% more than Gabane, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Gaborone and Gabane are more affordable than the global median – Gaborone 38% lower, Gabane 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.51 P 98.8

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.29 P 398

$18.67 P 246

62.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.09 P 80.1

$6.55 P 86.2

-7.02%

Cappuccino

$2.21 P 29.01

$1.66 P 21.81

33.13%

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

$0.84 P 11.01

$0.64 P 8.45

31.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 P 6.60

$0.64 P 8.47

-21.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.18 P 28.66

$2.26 P 29.69

-3.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 P 38.84

$2.21 P 29.04

33.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 P 18.55

$0.99 P 13.08

42.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 P 10.68

$0.87 P 11.46

-6.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 P 23.04

Eggs

$2.34 P 30.74

$1.46 P 19.22

60.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.64 P 101

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.19 P 68.3

$7.65 P 101

-32.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.57 P 73.3

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 P 23.53

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 P 19.08

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 P 25.16

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 P 21.13

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 P 18.53

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 P 16.41

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 P 15.67

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 P 12.25

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.49 P 45.96

Wine (Bottle)

$4.19 P 55.1

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 P 22.02

$2.29 P 30.06

-27.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 P 28.52

$2.31 P 30.32

-6.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 P 6.53

$0.53 P 7.04

-5.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.18 P 410

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 P 7.72

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.72 P 35.73

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 P 39.91

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 P 14.54

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

$22.4K P 294.4K

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

$16.8K P 220.3K

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

$68.4 P 900

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

$26.66 P 351

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.4 P 1,057

$75.1 P 987

7.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.16 P 423

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.69 P 193

$3.64 P 47.87

303.57%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 P 86.5

$3.81 P 50.1

72.70%

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

$186 P 2,453

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,782 P 49.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.91 P 551

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.94 P 315

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 P 978

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100.0 P 1,315

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$241 P 3,166

$212 P 2,793

13.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$143 P 1,886

$141 P 1,853

1.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$525 P 6,901

$377 P 4,956

39.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$336 P 4,423

$262 P 3,447

28.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,009 P 26.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,283 P 16.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$459 P 6,037

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.12

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

Last update for Gaborone: June 14, 2026

Last update for Gabane: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $241 in Gaborone versus $212 in Gabane. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Gaborone versus $19.00 in Gabane. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $181 vs $79.0 – making Gabane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Gabane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Gaborone is pricier by about 132%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,245 per month in Gaborone and $536 in Gabane. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gabane, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 130% more in Gaborone, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Gaborone and $19.00 in Gabane. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $830 in Gaborone and $357 in Gabane, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Gabane – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Gabane. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Gaborone makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.