Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gaborone and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Gaborone: $866 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Gaborone
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Gaborone Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

Jump to prices

Gaborone

🇧🇼 Botswana

$866

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gaborone and in Istanbul

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $866 in Gaborone versus $1,526 in Istanbul.

Gaborone $866
Istanbul $1,526

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,301 in Gaborone versus $2,399 in Istanbul.

Gaborone $1,301
Istanbul $2,399

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,737 in Gaborone versus $3,272 in Istanbul.

Gaborone $1,737
Istanbul $3,272

Living in Gaborone costs roughly 43% less than in Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gaborone is 35% below, Istanbul is 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.04 P 149

$11.88 ₺585

-7.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.11 P 392

$55.1 ₺2,715

-47.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.87 P 78.9

$9.14 ₺450

-35.78%

Cappuccino

$2.37 P 31.83

$4.24 ₺209

-44.10%

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

$0.71 P 9.49

$1.75 ₺86.0

-59.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 P 5.89

$0.54 ₺26.84

-18.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 P 26.58

$4.69 ₺231

-57.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 P 34.38

$5.97 ₺294

-57.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 P 19.74

$1.26 ₺62.1

16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 P 11.64

$0.95 ₺46.82

-8.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 P 26.58

$2.31 ₺114

-14.29%

Eggs

$2.54 P 34.19

$2.47 ₺122

2.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.45 P 86.7

$10.55 ₺520

-38.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.77 P 64.2

$5.60 ₺276

-14.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.88 P 65.7

$21.21 ₺1,045

-76.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.64 P 22.10

$1.93 ₺95.1

-15.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 P 18.80

$2.29 ₺113

-38.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 P 26.17

$1.28 ₺63.1

52.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 P 22.22

$1.84 ₺90.8

-10.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 P 17.60

$0.67 ₺32.87

95.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 P 15.46

$0.59 ₺29.31

94.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 P 17.27

$1.33 ₺65.4

-3.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 P 12.55

$0.59 ₺29.11

57.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 P 49.95

$2.36 ₺116

57.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.39 P 59.0

$13.47 ₺664

-67.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 P 19.31

$2.42 ₺119

-40.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 P 23.35

$3.54 ₺174

-50.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 P 9.04

$0.83 ₺40.65

-19.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.16 P 406

$66.5 ₺3,274

-54.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 P 8.63

$1.35 ₺66.6

-52.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.61 P 35.18

$0.85 ₺42.06

207.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 P 38.52

$10.86 ₺535

-73.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 P 17.82

$1.47 ₺72.3

-10.20%

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

$19.6K P 264.1K

$51.6K ₺2.5M

-61.98%

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

$19.9K P 267.5K

$44.4K ₺2.2M

-55.27%

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

$60.2 P 810

$89.2 ₺4,396

-32.54%

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

$19.85 P 267

$11.60 ₺572

71.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.94 P 578

$16.10 ₺793

166.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.16 P 460

$77.3 ₺3,806

-55.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.03 P 216

$22.66 ₺1,116

-29.26%

Cinema Ticket

$5.98 P 80.4

$8.34 ₺411

-28.30%

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

$130 P 1,747

$974 ₺48.0K

-86.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,526 P 34.0K

$25.8K ₺1.3M

-90.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.16 P 648

$52.7 ₺2,597

-8.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.58 P 223

$39.16 ₺1,930

-57.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.0 P 995

$103 ₺5,084

-28.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.3 P 1,053

$96.6 ₺4,760

-18.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$363 P 4,880

$994 ₺49.0K

-63.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$219 P 2,952

$629 ₺31.0K

-65.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$542 P 7,292

$2,024 ₺99.7K

-73.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 P 4,760

$1,155 ₺56.9K

-69.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,021 P 27.2K

$3,160 ₺155.7K

-36.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,252 P 16.8K

$1,838 ₺90.5K

-31.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$450 P 6,058

$1,203 ₺59.3K

-62.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

41.09

-72.43%

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

Last update for Gaborone: October 4, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gaborone

$219 25.5%

Istanbul

$629 41.2% 187% $410

Groceries & Markets

Gaborone

$174 20.2%

Istanbul

$264 17.3% 51.8% $90

Eating Out

Gaborone

$154 17.9%

Istanbul

$218 14.3% 41.6% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gaborone

$123 14.3%

Istanbul

$117 7.7% 4.9% $6.1

Clothing & Footwear

Gaborone

$98 11.4%

Istanbul

$131 8.6% 34.4% $34

Getting Around

Gaborone

$47 5.4%

Istanbul

$75 4.9% 61.8% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Gaborone

$46 5.4%

Istanbul

$94 6.1% 104% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $363 in Gaborone and $994 in Istanbul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Istanbul pays 167% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $29.00 in Gaborone vs $55.0 in Istanbul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $174 vs $264 per month, with Gaborone cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇼 Gaborone

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

12:22 12:22 PM

13:22 1:22 PM

1 h ahead of Gaborone

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

231,626 Capital

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Botswana Pula BWP P

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 BWP = 7.43 USD

100 BWP = 6.63 EUR

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to BWP – Botswana Pula Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇼 Botswana Pula (P)

Botswana Pula exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 13.45 BWP (100 BWP = 7.43 USD). 1 EUR = 15.08 BWP (100 BWP = 6.63 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.27 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.21 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

USD to BWP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Gaborone Istanbul 7,310 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Gaborone
Istanbul

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 Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gaborone is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 76% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 167% lower in Istanbul. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $363 in Gaborone versus $994 in Istanbul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Istanbul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Gaborone – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $55.0 in Istanbul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $866 in Gaborone versus $1,526 in Istanbul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gaborone but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. The gap between the two cities makes Gaborone the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Gaborone and Istanbul 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 76% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.