Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gaborone and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Gaborone: $866 a month against $1,589 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 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
78

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
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Sofia Living Index

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Gaborone

🇧🇼 Botswana

$866

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gaborone and in Sofia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $866 in Gaborone versus $1,589 in Sofia.

Gaborone $866
Sofia $1,589

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,301 in Gaborone versus $2,456 in Sofia.

Gaborone $1,301
Sofia $2,456

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,737 in Gaborone versus $3,324 in Sofia.

Gaborone $1,737
Sofia $3,324

Living in Gaborone costs roughly 46% less than in Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gaborone is 35% below, Sofia is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.04 P 148

$17.10 BGN 29.93

-35.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.11 P 390

$66.9 BGN 117

-56.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.87 P 78.6

$11.77 BGN 20.59

-50.13%

Cappuccino

$2.37 P 31.70

$3.42 BGN 5.99

-30.70%

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

$0.71 P 9.45

$2.42 BGN 4.23

-70.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 P 5.87

$1.86 BGN 3.26

-76.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 P 26.47

$3.33 BGN 5.83

-40.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 P 34.24

$4.53 BGN 7.92

-43.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 P 19.66

$1.92 BGN 3.36

-23.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 P 11.59

$1.51 BGN 2.64

-42.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 P 26.48

$2.21 BGN 3.88

-10.41%

Eggs

$2.54 P 34.06

$4.40 BGN 7.69

-42.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.45 P 86.4

$11.56 BGN 20.22

-44.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.77 P 63.9

$8.79 BGN 15.38

-45.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.88 P 65.4

$16.97 BGN 29.71

-71.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.64 P 22.01

$2.17 BGN 3.79

-24.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 P 18.73

$2.04 BGN 3.57

-31.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 P 26.07

$1.84 BGN 3.22

5.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 P 22.13

$4.29 BGN 7.51

-61.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 P 17.53

$1.03 BGN 1.80

27.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 P 15.40

$0.93 BGN 1.62

23.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 P 17.20

$1.20 BGN 2.11

6.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 P 12.50

$0.92 BGN 1.62

1.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 P 49.75

$4.30 BGN 7.53

-13.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.39 P 58.8

$7.33 BGN 12.83

-40.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 P 19.23

$1.18 BGN 2.06

21.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 P 23.26

$1.87 BGN 3.28

-6.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 P 9.00

$0.87 BGN 1.52

-22.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.16 P 404

$28.14 BGN 49.24

7.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 P 8.60

$1.74 BGN 3.04

-63.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.61 P 35.04

$0.96 BGN 1.68

171.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 P 38.37

$15.54 BGN 27.19

-81.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 P 17.74

$1.79 BGN 3.14

-26.26%

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

$19.6K P 263.0K

$30.0K BGN 52.5K

-34.54%

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

$19.9K P 266.4K

$26.4K BGN 46.1K

-24.60%

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

$60.2 P 807

$156 BGN 273

-61.41%

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

$19.85 P 266

$21.21 BGN 37.11

-6.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.94 P 575

$15.64 BGN 27.37

174.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.16 P 458

$46.76 BGN 81.8

-26.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.03 P 215

$27.74 BGN 48.54

-42.21%

Cinema Ticket

$5.98 P 80.1

$10.02 BGN 17.53

-40.32%

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

$130 P 1,740

$766 BGN 1,341

-83.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,526 P 33.8K

$12.8K BGN 22.4K

-80.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.16 P 645

$89.7 BGN 157

-46.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.58 P 222

$40.88 BGN 71.5

-59.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.0 P 991

$106 BGN 186

-30.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.3 P 1,049

$105 BGN 183

-25.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$363 P 4,860

$796 BGN 1,393

-54.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$219 P 2,941

$607 BGN 1,063

-63.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$542 P 7,263

$1,563 BGN 2,735

-65.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 P 4,741

$1,060 BGN 1,855

-66.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,021 P 27.1K

$4,357 BGN 7,626

-53.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,252 P 16.8K

$3,250 BGN 5,688

-61.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$450 P 6,033

$1,740 BGN 3,044

-74.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

2.89

292.04%

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

Last update for Gaborone: October 4, 2026

Last update for Sofia: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gaborone

$219 25.5%

Sofia

$607 37.9% 177% $388

Groceries & Markets

Gaborone

$174 20.2%

Sofia

$287 17.9% 65.3% $113

Eating Out

Gaborone

$154 17.9%

Sofia

$256 16% 66.4% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gaborone

$123 14.3%

Sofia

$193 12% 56.8% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Gaborone

$98 11.4%

Sofia

$154 9.6% 57.3% $56

Getting Around

Gaborone

$47 5.4%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 18.1% $8.4

Sport & Entertainment

Gaborone

$46 5.4%

Sofia

$67 4.2% 44.8% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $363 in Gaborone and $796 in Sofia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays 286% 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 $67.0 in Sofia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $174 vs $287 per month, with Gaborone cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇼 Gaborone

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

07:18 7:18 AM

08:18 8:18 AM

1 h ahead of Gaborone

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

231,626 Capital

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Botswana Pula BWP P

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 BWP = 7.46 USD

100 BWP = 6.65 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.509 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to BWP – Botswana Pula Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇼 Botswana Pula (P)

Botswana Pula exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 13.4 BWP (100 BWP = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 15.03 BWP (100 BWP = 6.65 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.509 EUR).

USD to BWP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Gaborone Sofia 7,490 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Gaborone
Sofia

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 Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gaborone is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 84% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 286% lower in Sofia. 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 $796 in Sofia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Sofia. 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 $67.0 in Sofia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $866 in Gaborone versus $1,589 in Sofia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gaborone but tight or insufficient in Sofia. 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 Sofia, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Gaborone and Sofia 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 84% less than in Sofia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.