Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between India and Botswana

For one person, living is cheaper in India: $399 a month against $841 in Botswana, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

India
Botswana
🇮🇳 India
$399
/mo nomad
🇧🇼 Botswana
$841
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in India and in Botswana

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in India and in Botswana actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $399 in India versus $841 in Botswana.

  • India $399
  • Botswana $841

Estimated couple costs with rent: $639 in India versus $1,289 in Botswana.

  • India $639
  • Botswana $1,289

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $879 in India versus $1,737 in Botswana.

  • India $879
  • Botswana $1,737

Internal cost variation is higher in Botswana: monthly costs span $3 to $1,034, compared to $230–$813 in India. City choice carries more weight in Botswana.

Living in India costs about 53% less than in Botswana on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: India 71% lower, Botswana 38% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
India
Botswana
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.14 ₹204
$9.99 P 135
-78.58%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$10.46 ₹995
$28.81 P 388
-63.69%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.80 ₹361
$5.91 P 79.6
-35.70%
Cappuccino
$1.68 ₹160
$2.36 P 31.77
-28.81%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.38 ₹35.99
$0.74 P 9.96
-48.65%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.15 ₹14.60
$0.44 P 5.98
-65.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.87 ₹178
$1.91 P 25.73
-2.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.18 ₹303
$2.41 P 32.52
31.95%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
India
Botswana
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.62 ₹59.2
$1.49 P 20.03
-58.39%
White Bread (500g)
$0.50 ₹47.76
$0.83 P 11.20
-39.76%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.63 ₹60.3
$1.79 P 24.06
-64.80%
Eggs
$0.96 ₹91.3
$2.44 P 32.81
-60.66%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.85 ₹461
$6.53 P 87.9
-25.73%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.84 ₹271
$4.58 P 61.7
-37.99%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
-
$5.00 P 67.4
-
Apples (1kg)
$2.00 ₹190
$1.54 P 20.77
29.87%
Banana (1kg)
$0.65 ₹61.4
$1.37 P 18.44
-52.55%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.97 ₹92.3
$2.00 P 26.95
-51.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.47 ₹44.30
$1.59 P 21.38
-70.44%
Potato (1kg)
$0.34 ₹31.87
$1.38 P 18.56
-75.36%
Onion (1kg)
$0.42 ₹39.73
$1.30 P 17.56
-67.69%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.47 ₹44.39
$1.30 P 17.56
-63.85%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.31 ₹29.67
$0.89 P 12.01
-65.17%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.08 ₹483
$3.72 P 50.1
36.56%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.31 ₹695
$4.24 P 57.1
72.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.63 ₹155
$1.46 P 19.67
11.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.76 ₹262
$1.80 P 24.20
53.33%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
$5.11 ₹486
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
India
Botswana
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.26 ₹24.86
$0.67 P 9.04
-61.19%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.58 ₹816
$30.26 P 408
-71.65%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.00 ₹94.7
$0.61 P 8.20
63.93%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.27 ₹25.74
$2.51 P 33.86
-89.24%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.54 ₹146
$2.89 P 38.88
-46.71%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.07 ₹102
$1.32 P 17.78
-18.94%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$11.2K ₹1.1M
$30.9K P 416.3K
-63.71%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.1K ₹1.9M
$20.4K P 274.2K
-1.50%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
India
Botswana
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$37.08 ₹3,527
$59.8 P 805
-37.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$3.58 ₹340
$18.87 P 254
-81.03%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$7.15 ₹680
$43.45 P 585
-83.54%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
India
Botswana
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$15.00 ₹1,427
$32.65 P 440
-54.06%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.17 ₹682
$16.51 P 222
-56.57%
Cinema Ticket
$3.20 ₹304
$6.20 P 83.5
-48.39%
🧸 Childcare & Education
India
Botswana
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$58.8 ₹5,592
$141 P 1,904
-58.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,667 ₹158.5K
$2,233 P 30.1K
-25.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
India
Botswana
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$23.03 ₹2,191
$49.33 P 665
-53.31%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.17 ₹2,299
$20.76 P 280
16.43%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$41.20 ₹3,918
$76.8 P 1,035
-46.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$29.62 ₹2,817
$87.6 P 1,179
-66.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
India
Botswana
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$146 ₹13.9K
$288 P 3,885
-49.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$96.4 ₹9,165
$206 P 2,772
-53.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$343 ₹32.6K
$505 P 6,799
-32.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$234 ₹22.2K
$324 P 4,364
-27.82%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,177 ₹111.9K
$1,976 P 26.6K
-40.44%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$633 ₹60.2K
$1,242 P 16.7K
-49.03%
💵 Salaries & Financials
India
Botswana
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$409 ₹38.9K
$851 P 11.5K
-51.97%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.93
11.33
-21.18%

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

Last update for India: October 25, 2026

Last update for Botswana: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
India
$102
Botswana
$171 67.7% $69
Accommodation & Living
India
$96
Botswana
$206 114% $109
Eating Out
India
$67
Botswana
$145 118% $79
Clothing & Footwear
India
$53
Botswana
$106 98.6% $52
Monthly Utilities & Internet
India
$48
Botswana
$122 155% $74
Sport & Entertainment
India
$21
Botswana
$45 111% $24
Getting Around
India
$12
Botswana
$46 285% $34

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $120 in India, $259 in Botswana. Capital cities: $277 in Delhi vs $353 in Gaborone.

National salary averages: $412 in India, $957 in Botswana. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 116% higher in Botswana.

Dining out costs 164% more in Botswana.

Public transport is 275% more expensive in Botswana.

Salaries are about 2.3 times higher in Botswana, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Botswana.

Good to know
🇮🇳 India
🇧🇼 Botswana
🕒 Local time
14:54 2:54 PM
11:24 11:24 AM
3 h 30 min behind India
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,326,093,247
2,480,244
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BWP, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 95.1 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.45 EUR).

Botswana Pula exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 13.47 BWP (100 BWP = 7.42 USD). 1 EUR = 14.99 BWP (100 BWP = 6.67 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • India Botswana 8,080 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • India
  • Botswana

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
India vs Botswana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: Botswana or India?
At $841 per month in Botswana and $399 in India, there’s a 111% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Where are groceries and transport cheaper: Botswana or India?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in India: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
How do rents compare between Botswana and India?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $259 in Botswana and $120 in India. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
How do I choose between living in Botswana and in India?
It depends on what you’re after: India wins on affordability; Botswana may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.

India vs other spots: cost of living compared

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