Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gaborone and Nis

For one person, living is cheaper in Gaborone: $845 a month against $1,029 in Nis, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Gaborone
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Gaborone Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Nis
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Nis Living Index

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Gaborone

🇧🇼 Botswana

$845

/mo nomad

Nis

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,029

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gaborone and in Nis

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $845 in Gaborone versus $1,029 in Nis.

Gaborone $845
Nis $1,029

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,307 in Gaborone versus $1,526 in Nis.

Gaborone $1,307
Nis $1,526

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,768 in Gaborone versus $2,022 in Nis.

Gaborone $1,768
Nis $2,022

Living in Gaborone costs roughly 18% less than in Nis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Gaborone 38% lower, Nis 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.88 P 147

$8.71 RSD 917

24.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.05 P 392

$33.20 RSD 3,498

-12.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.76 P 77.8

$9.73 RSD 1,025

-40.80%

Cappuccino

$2.35 P 31.67

$1.93 RSD 204

21.76%

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

$0.68 P 9.24

$2.28 RSD 240

-70.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 P 5.46

$1.80 RSD 190

-77.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 P 27.17

$3.71 RSD 391

-45.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 P 33.44

$4.36 RSD 459

-43.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 P 19.94

$1.08 RSD 114

37.04%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 P 11.30

$0.72 RSD 76.2

16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 P 24.04

$1.68 RSD 177

5.95%

Eggs

$2.44 P 32.90

$2.32 RSD 245

5.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.52 P 88.0

$7.41 RSD 781

-12.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.43 P 59.8

$5.77 RSD 608

-23.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.99 P 67.3

$10.97 RSD 1,156

-54.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.59 P 21.40

$1.08 RSD 114

47.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 P 19.49

$1.70 RSD 179

-14.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 P 26.74

$1.42 RSD 150

39.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 P 22.47

$2.07 RSD 218

-19.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 P 17.47

$0.79 RSD 83.1

64.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 P 16.29

$0.74 RSD 77.6

63.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 P 17.27

$0.64 RSD 67.9

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 P 13.10

$0.57 RSD 60.2

70.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 P 48.56

$4.46 RSD 469

-19.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.25 P 57.3

$5.58 RSD 588

-23.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 P 18.68

$0.69 RSD 72.2

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 P 24.04

$1.36 RSD 143

30.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 P 8.40

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.95 P 404

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 P 8.14

$1.86 RSD 195

-67.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 P 33.24

$0.69 RSD 72.3

256.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 P 39.52

$8.28 RSD 872

-64.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 P 17.84

$1.86 RSD 196

-29.03%

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

$30.0K P 404.8K

$30.6K RSD 3.2M

-1.82%

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

$20.1K P 271.2K

$23.2K RSD 2.4M

-13.41%

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

$61.0 P 823

$156 RSD 16.5K

-61.02%

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

$18.34 P 247

$19.16 RSD 2,019

-4.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.67 P 589

$22.67 RSD 2,389

92.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.07 P 460

$29.61 RSD 3,120

15.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.29 P 220

$15.29 RSD 1,611

6.54%

Cinema Ticket

$6.23 P 84.1

$4.62 RSD 487

34.85%

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

$129 P 1,744

$247 RSD 26.0K

-47.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,545 P 34.3K

$4,809 RSD 506.7K

-47.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.15 P 650

$86.5 RSD 9,114

-44.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.72 P 226

$39.99 RSD 4,214

-58.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.1 P 972

$100 RSD 10.6K

-28.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.6 P 1,060

$109 RSD 11.5K

-28.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$353 P 4,763

$418 RSD 44.1K

-15.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$209 P 2,824

$290 RSD 30.6K

-27.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$534 P 7,198

$626 RSD 66.0K

-14.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 P 4,802

$450 RSD 47.4K

-20.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,034 P 27.4K

$2,650 RSD 279.3K

-23.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,260 P 17.0K

$1,862 RSD 196.2K

-32.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$451 P 6,087

$922 RSD 97.1K

-51.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

5.11

121.72%

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

Last update for Gaborone: October 26, 2026

Last update for Nis: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gaborone

$209 24.8%

Nis

$290 28.2% 38.6% $81

Groceries & Markets

Gaborone

$172 20.3%

Nis

$180 17.5% 5% $8.7

Eating Out

Gaborone

$152 18%

Nis

$166 16.1% 9% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gaborone

$123 14.6%

Nis

$198 19.3% 61.2% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Gaborone

$97 11.5%

Nis

$151 14.7% 55.9% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Gaborone

$47 5.5%

Nis

$39 3.8% 16.5% $7.7

Getting Around

Gaborone

$45 5.4%

Nis

$5.3 * 0.5% 88.3% $40

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $353 in Gaborone and $418 in Nis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nis pays about 2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $29 in Gaborone vs $33 in Nis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $172 vs $180 per month, with Gaborone cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇼 Gaborone

🇷🇸 Nis

🕒 Local time

21:44 9:44 PM

20:44 8:44 PM

1 h behind Gaborone

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

231,626 Capital

78,470

💱 Currency

Botswana Pula BWP P

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

100 BWP = 7.41 USD

100 BWP = 6.66 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.49 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RSD, USD, EUR to BWP – Botswana Pula Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇼 Botswana Pula (P)

Botswana Pula exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 13.49 BWP (100 BWP = 7.41 USD). 1 EUR = 15.02 BWP (100 BWP = 6.66 EUR).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 105 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.49 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.53 EUR).

USD to BWP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Gaborone Nis 7,570 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Gaborone
Nis

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 Nis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gaborone is about 18% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 51% lower in Gaborone. 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: $353 in Gaborone versus $418 in Nis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Nis. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $845 per month in Gaborone versus $1,029 in Nis – Gaborone is about 18% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $845 in Gaborone versus $1,029 in Nis, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Gaborone but tight or insufficient in Nis. The gap between the two cities makes Gaborone the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Gaborone and Nis are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Gaborone wins on affordability, Nis on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.