Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gaborone and Tlokweng

For one person, living is cheaper in Tlokweng: $570 a month against $845 in Gaborone, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Gaborone, Botswana
Tlokweng, Botswana
Gaborone
🇧🇼 Botswana
$845
/mo nomad
Tlokweng
🇧🇼 Botswana
$570
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gaborone and in Tlokweng

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $845 in Gaborone versus $570 in Tlokweng.

  • Gaborone $845
  • Tlokweng $570

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,307 in Gaborone versus $916 in Tlokweng.

  • Gaborone $1,307
  • Tlokweng $916

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,768 in Gaborone versus $1,263 in Tlokweng.

  • Gaborone $1,768
  • Tlokweng $1,263

Living in Gaborone is roughly 48% more expensive than in Tlokweng, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Gaborone 38% lower, Tlokweng 58% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Gaborone
Tlokweng
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.88 P 147
$10.74 P 145
1.30%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$29.05 P 392
$28.83 P 389
0.76%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.76 P 77.8
$5.88 P 79.4
-2.04%
Cappuccino
$2.35 P 31.67
$2.30 P 31.06
2.17%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.68 P 9.24
$0.75 P 10.10
-9.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.40 P 5.46
$0.40 P 5.39
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.01 P 27.17
$2.03 P 27.43
-0.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.48 P 33.44
$2.52 P 34.00
-1.59%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Gaborone
Tlokweng
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.48 P 19.94
$1.54 P 20.81
-3.90%
White Bread (500g)
$0.84 P 11.30
$0.88 P 11.85
-4.55%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.78 P 24.04
$1.80 P 24.30
-1.11%
Eggs
$2.44 P 32.90
$2.46 P 33.20
-0.81%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.52 P 88.0
$6.16 P 83.1
5.84%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.43 P 59.8
$4.63 P 62.4
-4.32%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$4.99 P 67.3
$5.21 P 70.4
-4.22%
Apples (1kg)
$1.59 P 21.40
$1.59 P 21.48
-
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 P 19.49
$1.41 P 18.96
2.84%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.98 P 26.74
$2.07 P 27.97
-4.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.67 P 22.47
$1.68 P 22.61
-0.60%
Potato (1kg)
$1.30 P 17.47
$1.35 P 18.21
-3.70%
Onion (1kg)
$1.21 P 16.29
$1.19 P 16.06
1.68%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.28 P 17.27
$1.30 P 17.53
-1.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.97 P 13.10
$0.95 P 12.83
2.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.60 P 48.56
$3.60 P 48.54
-
Wine (Bottle)
$4.25 P 57.3
$4.28 P 57.8
-0.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.38 P 18.68
$1.46 P 19.66
-5.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78 P 24.04
$1.73 P 23.39
2.89%
🚌 Getting Around
Gaborone
Tlokweng
Difference
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
$0.64 P 8.70
-6.25%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.46 P 33.24
$2.48 P 33.48
-0.81%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.93 P 39.52
$2.98 P 40.21
-1.68%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.32 P 17.84
$1.39 P 18.77
-5.04%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.0K P 404.8K
$30.0K P 404.7K
0.04%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.1K P 271.2K
$20.4K P 274.9K
-1.33%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Gaborone
Tlokweng
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$61.0 P 823
$60.3 P 814
1.04%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.34 P 247
$18.73 P 253
-2.08%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.67 P 589
$43.33 P 585
0.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Gaborone
Tlokweng
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.07 P 460
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.29 P 220
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.23 P 84.1
$6.14 P 82.8
1.47%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Gaborone
Tlokweng
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$129 P 1,744
$125 P 1,685
3.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,545 P 34.3K
$2,511 P 33.9K
1.36%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Gaborone
Tlokweng
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.15 P 650
$46.79 P 631
2.91%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$16.72 P 226
$16.53 P 223
1.15%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.1 P 972
$72.9 P 983
-1.14%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.6 P 1,060
$79.2 P 1,069
-0.85%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Gaborone
Tlokweng
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$353 P 4,763
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$209 P 2,824
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$534 P 7,198
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$356 P 4,802
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,034 P 27.4K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,260 P 17.0K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Gaborone
Tlokweng
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$451 P 6,087
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.33
11.33
-

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

Last update for Gaborone: October 26, 2026

Last update for Tlokweng: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Gaborone
$209
Tlokweng
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Gaborone
$172
Tlokweng
$174 1.3% $2.3
Eating Out
Gaborone
$152
Tlokweng
$151 0.6% $0.9
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Gaborone
$123
Tlokweng
$122 0.5% $0.6
Clothing & Footwear
Gaborone
$97
Tlokweng
$97 0% $0
Sport & Entertainment
Gaborone
$47
Tlokweng
$12 * 73.6% $34
Getting Around
Gaborone
$45
Tlokweng
$13 * 71.2% $32

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $29 in Gaborone vs $29 in Tlokweng for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $172 vs $174 per month, with Gaborone cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇧🇼 Gaborone
🇧🇼 Tlokweng
🕒 Local time
00:57 12:57 AM
00:57 12:57 AM
Same time as Gaborone
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
231,626 Capital
35,982
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BWP – Botswana Pula Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Gaborone Tlokweng 6 km
From you
  • Gaborone
  • Tlokweng

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 Tlokweng: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tlokweng cheaper than Gaborone?
Tlokweng is about 33% cheaper overall, especially in leisure and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,267 in Gaborone and $854 in Tlokweng 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.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $129 in Gaborone versus $125 in Tlokweng. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
What are total monthly expenses in Gaborone and in Tlokweng?
All in, you’ll spend $845 per month in Gaborone versus $570 in Tlokweng – Tlokweng is about 33% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is $1,000 enough for either Gaborone or Tlokweng?
Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Tlokweng gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Which city is safer, Gaborone or Tlokweng?
Safety-wise, Gaborone and Tlokweng are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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