Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Botswana

For one person, living is cheaper in Botswana: $841 a month against $1,843 in Italy, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Italy
Botswana
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,843
/mo nomad
🇧🇼 Botswana
$841
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Italy 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 Italy and in Botswana actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,843 in Italy versus $841 in Botswana.

  • Italy $1,843
  • Botswana $841

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,816 in Italy versus $1,289 in Botswana.

  • Italy $2,816
  • Botswana $1,289

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,788 in Italy versus $1,737 in Botswana.

  • Italy $3,788
  • Botswana $1,737

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,038 to $2,555, compared to $3–$1,034 in Botswana. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Living in Italy is roughly 119% more expensive than in Botswana on average.

Italy (35% above) and Botswana (38% below) straddle the global median.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Italy
Botswana
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.46 €18.32
$9.99 P 134
104.80%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.5 €71.2
$28.81 P 388
175.95%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.15 €9.99
$5.91 P 79.5
88.66%
Cappuccino
$2.04 €1.83
$2.36 P 31.73
-13.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 €2.78
$0.74 P 9.95
318.92%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.40 €1.25
$0.44 P 5.97
218.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.51 €4.94
$1.91 P 25.70
188.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.74 €5.14
$2.41 P 32.48
138.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Italy
Botswana
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 €1.41
$1.49 P 20.00
5.37%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 €2.13
$0.83 P 11.19
186.75%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.90 €2.60
$1.79 P 24.03
62.01%
Eggs
$4.07 €3.65
$2.44 P 32.76
66.80%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.44 €15.62
$6.53 P 87.8
167.08%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.56 €11.25
$4.58 P 61.6
174.24%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.17 €18.06
$5.00 P 67.3
303.40%
Apples (1kg)
$2.58 €2.31
$1.54 P 20.74
67.53%
Banana (1kg)
$2.19 €1.96
$1.37 P 18.41
59.85%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.68 €2.40
$2.00 P 26.92
34.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.27 €2.93
$1.59 P 21.35
105.66%
Potato (1kg)
$1.90 €1.70
$1.38 P 18.53
37.68%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$1.30 P 17.54
40.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.57 €1.40
$1.30 P 17.54
20.77%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 €0.49
$0.89 P 12.00
-38.20%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.69 €5.99
$3.72 P 50.0
79.84%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.99 €7.15
$4.24 P 57.1
88.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 €1.59
$1.46 P 19.64
21.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.35 €2.11
$1.80 P 24.17
30.56%
🚌 Getting Around
Italy
Botswana
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.91 €1.71
$0.67 P 9.02
185.07%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$43.44 €38.90
$30.26 P 407
43.56%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.62 €5.03
$0.61 P 8.19
821.31%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.71 €1.54
$2.51 P 33.81
-31.87%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.64 €30.12
$2.89 P 38.83
1064.01%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.03 €1.82
$1.32 P 17.76
53.79%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.3K €31.6K
$30.9K P 415.7K
14.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.7K €32.9K
$20.4K P 273.9K
80.53%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
Botswana
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$227 €203
$59.8 P 804
279.10%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.59 €10.38
$18.87 P 254
-38.58%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.38 €27.21
$43.45 P 585
-30.08%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Italy
Botswana
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.8 €46.37
$32.65 P 439
58.56%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.70 €21.22
$16.51 P 222
43.55%
Cinema Ticket
$10.60 €9.50
$6.20 P 83.4
70.97%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Italy
Botswana
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$568 €508
$141 P 1,902
301.57%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.5K €10.3K
$2,233 P 30.0K
416.15%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Italy
Botswana
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$90.5 €81.1
$49.33 P 664
83.52%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.55 €34.53
$20.76 P 279
85.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 €91.9
$76.8 P 1,033
33.66%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131 €117
$87.6 P 1,178
49.62%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Italy
Botswana
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$826 €739
$288 P 3,880
186.23%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$646 €579
$206 P 2,768
214.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,400 €1,254
$505 P 6,789
177.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,054 €944
$324 P 4,359
225.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,662 €3,280
$1,976 P 26.6K
85.32%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,301 €2,061
$1,242 P 16.7K
85.23%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Italy
Botswana
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,886 €1,689
$851 P 11.5K
121.54%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.56
11.33
-68.58%

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

Last update for Italy: October 24, 2026

Last update for Botswana: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Italy
$646
Botswana
$206 68.2% $440
Groceries & Markets
Italy
$348
Botswana
$171 50.7% $176
Eating Out
Italy
$279
Botswana
$145 47.9% $134
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
$269
Botswana
$122 54.5% $146
Clothing & Footwear
Italy
$163
Botswana
$106 35.4% $58
Sport & Entertainment
Italy
$73
Botswana
$45 38.3% $28
Getting Around
Italy
$65
Botswana
$46 29.3% $19

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $729 in Italy, $259 in Botswana. Capital cities: $1,297 in Rome vs $353 in Gaborone.

National salary averages: $1,890 in Italy, $957 in Botswana. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 181% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 152% more in Italy.

Public transport is 43% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 97% higher in Italy, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Botswana.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Italy
🇧🇼 Botswana
🕒 Local time
12:54 12:54 PM
13:54 1:54 PM
1 h ahead of Italy
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
58,850,717
2,480,244
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

BWP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Botswana Pula exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 13.45 BWP (100 BWP = 7.43 USD). 1 EUR = 15.02 BWP (100 BWP = 6.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Italy Botswana 7,530 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Italy
  • 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
Italy vs Botswana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: Botswana or Italy?
At $841 per month in Botswana and $1,843 in Italy, Botswana comes out about 54% cheaper. 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 cheaper in Botswana: 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 Italy?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $729 in Italy and $259 in Botswana. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
How do I choose between living in Botswana and in Italy?
It depends on what you’re after: Botswana wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.

Italy vs other spots: cost of living compared

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