Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Botswana Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Botswana

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,718 in Italy versus $294 in Botswana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,621 in Italy versus $468 in Botswana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,524 in Italy versus $641 in Botswana.

Living in Italy is roughly 484% more expensive than in Botswana on average.

Italy (29% above) and Botswana (78% below) straddle the global median.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Italy
Botswana
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.58 €15.40
$7.47 P 99.0
135.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$82.5 €72.2
$29.66 P 393
177.98%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.72 €10.26
$6.22 P 82.4
88.42%
Cappuccino
$1.92 €1.68
$2.19 P 28.94
-12.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.99 €2.62
$0.90 P 11.89
232.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.19
$0.53 P 7.04
156.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.76 €5.04
$2.20 P 29.12
161.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.22 €4.57
$3.00 P 39.68
74.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Italy
Botswana
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.69 €1.48
$1.43 P 18.91
18.18%
White Bread (500g)
$2.33 €2.04
$0.80 P 10.62
191.25%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.05 €2.67
$1.83 P 24.21
66.67%
Eggs
$3.99 €3.49
$2.16 P 28.54
84.72%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.68 €14.61
$7.47 P 98.9
123.29%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.57 €11.01
$5.14 P 68.1
144.55%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.53 €17.98
$5.52 P 73.1
271.92%
Apples (1kg)
$2.56 €2.24
$1.69 P 22.42
51.48%
Banana (1kg)
$2.20 €1.93
$1.40 P 18.53
57.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.68 €2.35
$1.80 P 23.78
48.89%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.37 €2.95
$1.58 P 20.91
113.29%
Potato (1kg)
$2.04 €1.79
$1.39 P 18.34
46.76%
Onion (1kg)
$1.88 €1.65
$1.29 P 17.09
45.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.29
$1.17 P 15.53
25.64%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.54 €0.47
$0.85 P 11.32
-36.47%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.00 €6.13
$3.72 P 49.27
88.17%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.09 €6.21
$4.22 P 55.9
68.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.80 €1.58
$1.61 P 21.26
11.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.51 €2.20
$2.05 P 27.19
22.44%
🚌 Getting Around
Italy
Botswana
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.96 €1.72
$0.50 P 6.60
292.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.58 €36.42
$27.56 P 365
50.87%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.80 €5.08
$0.62 P 8.22
835.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.60 €1.40
$2.69 P 35.67
-40.52%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.07 €30.71
$3.07 P 40.61
1042.35%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.13 €1.87
$1.13 P 14.99
88.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.6K €28.5K
$22.5K P 297.4K
45.02%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.8K €29.6K
$16.6K P 219.3K
104.00%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
Botswana
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$225 €197
$64.6 P 855
248.41%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.14 €11.51
$26.03 P 345
-49.52%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.19 €27.31
$76.0 P 1,006
-58.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Italy
Botswana
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.2 €50.1
$32.64 P 432
75.12%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.85 €22.64
$10.63 P 141
143.18%
Cinema Ticket
$10.34 €9.05
$6.59 P 87.2
56.90%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Italy
Botswana
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$564 €494
$165 P 2,187
241.37%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.3K €9,057
$3,498 P 46.3K
195.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Italy
Botswana
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$91.9 €80.5
$45.03 P 596
104.13%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.54 €35.51
$21.31 P 282
90.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.2 €86.0
$75.0 P 993
30.88%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$132 €116
$88.5 P 1,172
49.15%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Italy
Botswana
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$855 €749
$235 P 3,118
263.19%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$663 €581
$149 P 1,966
346.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,522 €1,333
$518 P 6,853
194.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,089 €954
$349 P 4,614
212.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,747 €3,282
$2,043 P 27.0K
83.42%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,299 €2,013
$1,273 P 16.9K
80.58%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Italy
Botswana
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,897 €1,661
$849 P 11.2K
123.51%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.41
9.12
-51.64%

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

Last update for Italy: July 11, 2026

Last update for Botswana: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $742 in Italy, $39.00 in Botswana. Capital cities: $1,328 in Rome vs $245 in Gaborone.

National salary averages: $1,912 in Italy, $961 in Botswana. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1803% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 517% more in Italy.

Public transport is 1367% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 99% higher in Italy, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Botswana.

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
Italy vs Botswana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: Botswana or Italy?
At $414 per month in Botswana and $1,822 in Italy, there's a 341% 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 Italy?
Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Botswana: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. 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 Italy?
Rent in Italy is consistently higher than in Botswana across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.
How far does $1,200 go in Botswana compared to Italy?
In Botswana, $1,200 covers most cities easily; in Italy it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
How do I choose between living in Botswana and in Italy?
It depends on what you're after: Botswana wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.

Italy vs other spots: cost of living compared

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