Cost of Living Comparison Between Gaborone and Palapye Cost of Living Comparison Between Gaborone and Palapye

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $827 in Gaborone versus $624 in Palapye.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,299 in Gaborone versus $1,025 in Palapye.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,771 in Gaborone versus $1,426 in Palapye.

Living in Gaborone is roughly 32% more expensive than in Palapye, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Gaborone 38% lower, Palapye 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.45 P 98.6

$7.53 P 99.7

-1.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.07 P 398

$29.93 P 396

0.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.85 P 77.4

$6.05 P 80.1

-3.31%

Cappuccino

$2.17 P 28.74

$2.20 P 29.09

-1.36%

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

$0.83 P 11.03

$0.83 P 11.00

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 P 6.31

$0.51 P 6.77

-5.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 P 29.50

$2.20 P 29.10

1.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 P 39.03

$3.07 P 40.62

-3.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 P 18.44

$1.18 P 15.61

17.80%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 P 11.56

$0.54 P 7.12

61.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 P 23.07

$1.74 P 22.99

Eggs

$2.30 P 30.41

$2.39 P 31.70

-3.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.33 P 97.1

$7.42 P 98.3

-1.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.99 P 66.0

$5.04 P 66.8

-0.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.45 P 72.2

$5.74 P 76.0

-5.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 P 24.33

$1.75 P 23.16

5.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 P 18.33

$0.95 P 12.60

45.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 P 25.37

$1.85 P 24.49

3.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 P 21.52

$1.61 P 21.27

1.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 P 18.89

$0.62 P 8.19

130.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 P 16.14

$0.61 P 8.11

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 P 14.90

$1.15 P 15.21

-1.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 P 11.33

$0.90 P 11.97

-4.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.60 P 47.71

$3.64 P 48.18

-1.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.30 P 56.9

$4.19 P 55.4

2.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 P 22.30

$1.67 P 22.09

0.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 P 28.53

$2.18 P 28.81

-1.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 P 6.62

$0.53 P 7.08

-5.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.61 P 405

$16.45 P 218

86.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.58 P 7.63

$0.47 P 6.19

23.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.72 P 35.96

$2.72 P 36.03

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 P 39.28

$2.90 P 38.40

2.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 P 15.08

$0.97 P 12.81

17.53%

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

$22.4K P 296.9K

$22.8K P 302.1K

-1.71%

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

$16.8K P 222.3K

$17.1K P 226.6K

-1.87%

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

$69.9 P 926

$29.63 P 392

135.94%

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

$26.69 P 353

$26.58 P 352

0.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.7 P 1,055

$79.6 P 1,054

0.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.23 P 440

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.08 P 200

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 P 89.7

$6.87 P 91.0

-1.46%

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

$184 P 2,441

$44.86 P 594

310.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,829 P 50.7K

$3,873 P 51.3K

-1.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.82 P 567

$14.62 P 194

192.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.93 P 317

$11.07 P 147

116.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.5 P 973

$47.70 P 632

54.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 P 1,296

$55.3 P 732

76.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$245 P 3,238

$89.0 P 1,178

174.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$146 P 1,935

$91.2 P 1,207

60.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$532 P 7,045

$258 P 3,419

106.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$335 P 4,438

$264 P 3,495

26.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,030 P 26.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,258 P 16.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$452 P 5,983

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Palapye: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $245 in Gaborone and $89.0 in Palapye. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $30.00 in Gaborone vs $30.00 in Palapye. Groceries flip the comparison at $178 vs $168, with Palapye cheaper for home cooking.

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 Palapye: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Palapye is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,241 in Gaborone and $937 in Palapye to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $245 in Gaborone versus $89.0 in Palapye. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Gaborone. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Palapye – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $30.00 in Gaborone. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Palapye gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Palapye 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 Palapye gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Gaborone. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.