Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Gaborone

For one person, living is cheaper in Gaborone: $866 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Gaborone
Learn more

Gaborone Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Gaborone

🇧🇼 Botswana

$866

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Istanbul and in Gaborone

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,526 in Istanbul versus $866 in Gaborone.

Istanbul $1,526
Gaborone $866

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,399 in Istanbul versus $1,301 in Gaborone.

Istanbul $2,399
Gaborone $1,301

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,272 in Istanbul versus $1,737 in Gaborone.

Istanbul $3,272
Gaborone $1,737

Living in Istanbul is roughly 76% more expensive than in Gaborone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Istanbul is 14% above, Gaborone is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.88 ₺585

$11.04 P 148

7.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 ₺2,714

$29.11 P 390

89.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 ₺450

$5.87 P 78.6

55.71%

Cappuccino

$4.24 ₺209

$2.37 P 31.70

78.90%

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

$1.75 ₺86.0

$0.71 P 9.45

146.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$0.44 P 5.87

22.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺231

$1.98 P 26.47

136.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₺294

$2.56 P 34.24

133.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₺62.1

$1.47 P 19.66

-14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

$0.87 P 11.59

9.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₺114

$1.98 P 26.48

16.67%

Eggs

$2.47 ₺122

$2.54 P 34.06

-2.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₺520

$6.45 P 86.4

63.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 ₺276

$4.77 P 63.9

17.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ₺1,045

$4.88 P 65.4

334.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

$1.64 P 22.01

17.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$1.40 P 18.73

63.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

$1.95 P 26.07

-34.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 ₺90.8

$1.65 P 22.13

11.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

$1.31 P 17.53

-48.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺29.31

$1.15 P 15.40

-48.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₺65.4

$1.28 P 17.20

3.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.10

$0.93 P 12.50

-36.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺116

$3.71 P 49.75

-36.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 ₺664

$4.39 P 58.8

206.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₺119

$1.43 P 19.23

69.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₺174

$1.74 P 23.26

103.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 ₺40.64

$0.67 P 9.00

23.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₺3,273

$30.16 P 404

120.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

$0.64 P 8.60

110.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

$2.61 P 35.04

-67.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

$2.86 P 38.37

279.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ₺72.3

$1.32 P 17.74

11.36%

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

$51.6K ₺2.5M

$19.6K P 263.0K

163.01%

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

$44.4K ₺2.2M

$19.9K P 266.4K

123.58%

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

$89.2 ₺4,395

$60.2 P 807

48.23%

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

$11.60 ₺572

$19.85 P 266

-41.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.10 ₺793

$42.94 P 575

-62.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.3 ₺3,805

$34.16 P 458

126.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 ₺1,116

$16.03 P 215

41.36%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 ₺411

$5.98 P 80.1

39.46%

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

$974 ₺48.0K

$130 P 1,740

649.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$2,526 P 33.8K

920.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₺2,597

$48.16 P 645

9.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

$16.58 P 222

136.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ₺5,083

$74.0 P 991

39.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 ₺4,759

$78.3 P 1,049

23.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₺49.0K

$363 P 4,860

174.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₺31.0K

$219 P 2,941

186.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 ₺99.7K

$542 P 7,263

273.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ₺56.9K

$354 P 4,741

226.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

$2,021 P 27.1K

56.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

$1,252 P 16.8K

46.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,203 ₺59.3K

$450 P 6,033

167.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

11.33

262.67%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Last update for Gaborone: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$629 41.2%

Gaborone

$219 25.5% 65.1% $410

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$264 17.3%

Gaborone

$174 20.2% 34.1% $90

Eating Out

Istanbul

$218 14.3%

Gaborone

$154 17.9% 29.4% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$131 8.6%

Gaborone

$98 11.4% 25.6% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.7%

Gaborone

$123 14.3% 5.2% $6.1

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$94 6.1%

Gaborone

$46 5.4% 50.9% $48

Getting Around

Istanbul

$75 4.9%

Gaborone

$47 5.4% 38.2% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $994 in Istanbul and $363 in Gaborone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Istanbul pays 167% 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: $55.0 in Istanbul vs $29.00 in Gaborone for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $264 vs $174 per month, with Gaborone cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇧🇼 Gaborone

🕒 Local time

14:46 2:46 PM

13:46 1:46 PM

1 h behind Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

231,626 Capital

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Botswana Pula BWP P

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

100 BWP = 7.46 USD

100 BWP = 6.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BWP, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.2 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

Botswana Pula exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 13.4 BWP (100 BWP = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 15.02 BWP (100 BWP = 6.66 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Istanbul Gaborone 7,310 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
Gaborone

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

Istanbul vs Gaborone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gaborone is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 76% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 167% higher in Istanbul, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $994 in Istanbul versus $363 in Gaborone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Istanbul. 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 $55.0 in Istanbul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $866 in Gaborone versus $1,526 in Istanbul, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gaborone but tight or insufficient in Istanbul. 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 Istanbul, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Istanbul and Gaborone 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 76% less than in Istanbul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.