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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $833 per month in Gaborone vs $371 in Gabane, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,325 per month in Gaborone vs $560 in Gabane, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,817 per month in Gaborone vs $748 in Gabane, rent included.

Gaborone costs about 124% more than Gabane, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Gaborone and Gabane are more affordable than the global median – Gaborone 38% lower, Gabane 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.38 P 101

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.50 P 405

$18.57 P 255

58.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.89 P 80.9

$6.90 P 94.8

-14.64%

Cappuccino

$2.17 P 29.80

$1.66 P 22.85

30.72%

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

$0.81 P 11.15

$0.70 P 9.61

15.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 P 6.98

$0.70 P 9.60

-27.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 P 31.09

$2.28 P 31.35

-0.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 P 41.40

$2.27 P 31.17

32.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 P 20.17

$0.95 P 13.08

54.74%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 P 11.00

$0.92 P 12.61

-13.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 P 23.92

Eggs

$2.39 P 32.79

$1.53 P 21.00

56.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.71 P 106

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.94 P 67.9

$7.59 P 104

-34.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.53 P 75.9

Apples (1kg)

$1.76 P 24.21

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 P 19.95

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 P 25.40

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 P 21.90

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 P 19.57

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 P 16.48

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 P 16.27

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 P 12.38

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.63 P 49.94

Wine (Bottle)

$4.48 P 61.5

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 P 22.89

$2.18 P 29.98

-23.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 P 29.42

$2.22 P 30.45

-3.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 P 6.95

$0.54 P 7.48

-5.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.84 P 424

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 P 8.61

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.59 P 35.55

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 P 42.00

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 P 15.61

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

$22.1K P 303.8K

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

$17.0K P 233.3K

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

$70.6 P 970

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

$26.52 P 364

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.5 P 1,093

$75.3 P 1,035

5.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.73 P 450

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.90 P 205

$3.62 P 49.75

311.60%

Cinema Ticket

$6.54 P 89.9

$3.76 P 51.7

73.94%

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

$181 P 2,492

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,886 P 53.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.17 P 579

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.51 P 337

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 P 1,037

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.0 P 1,360

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$241 P 3,307

$212 P 2,917

13.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$144 P 1,982

$142 P 1,945

1.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 P 7,356

$387 P 5,313

38.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$336 P 4,623

$270 P 3,712

24.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,068 P 28.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,299 P 17.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 P 6,973

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Gabane: April 28, 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 $29.00 in Gaborone versus $19.00 in Gabane. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $180 vs $78.0 – 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 124%, 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 $1,250 per month in Gaborone and $557 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 131% 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 $29.00 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 $833 in Gaborone and $371 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.