Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Botswana Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Botswana

Name: Botswana
Address: BW

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,020 in South Africa versus $294 in Botswana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,587 in South Africa versus $468 in Botswana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,154 in South Africa versus $641 in Botswana.

Living in South Africa is roughly 247% more expensive than in Botswana on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: South Africa 24% lower, Botswana 78% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.14 R 151

$7.47 P 99.0

22.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.14 R 648

$29.66 P 393

31.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.19 R 85.9

$6.22 P 82.4

-16.56%

Cappuccino

$1.98 R 32.73

$2.19 P 28.94

-9.59%

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

$1.00 R 16.57

$0.90 P 11.89

11.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 R 13.01

$0.53 P 7.04

49.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 36.61

$2.20 P 29.12

0.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 R 42.58

$3.00 P 39.68

-14.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R 18.56

$1.43 P 18.91

-21.68%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 R 16.01

$0.80 P 10.62

21.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.55

$1.83 P 24.21

-15.85%

Eggs

$2.25 R 37.22

$2.16 P 28.54

4.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 R 130

$7.47 P 98.9

5.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 R 75.8

$5.14 P 68.1

-10.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.68 R 111

$5.52 P 73.1

21.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 R 26.06

$1.69 P 22.42

-7.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.35

$1.40 P 18.53

5.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.18

$1.80 P 23.78

-15.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.98

$1.58 P 20.91

-4.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R 20.85

$1.39 P 18.34

-9.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R 21.11

$1.29 P 17.09

-1.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.99

$1.17 P 15.53

-6.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 R 16.04

$0.85 P 11.32

14.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 R 46.95

$3.72 P 49.27

-23.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 R 86.1

$4.22 P 55.9

23.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.91

$1.61 P 21.26

-14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 R 28.44

$2.05 P 27.19

-16.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 28.50

$0.50 P 6.60

244.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.22 R 732

$27.56 P 365

60.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 19.06

$0.62 P 8.22

85.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 R 17.64

$2.69 P 35.67

-60.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 R 78.4

$3.07 P 40.61

54.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 21.24

$1.13 P 14.99

13.27%

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

$20.4K R 337.1K

$22.5K P 297.4K

-9.32%

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

$24.0K R 397.0K

$16.6K P 219.3K

44.82%

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

$113 R 1,869

$64.6 P 855

74.90%

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

$32.35 R 536

$26.03 P 345

24.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.46 R 686

$76.0 P 1,006

-45.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.04 R 514

$32.64 P 432

-4.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.72 R 161

$10.63 P 141

-8.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 R 110

$6.59 P 87.2

1.21%

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

$186 R 3,072

$165 P 2,187

12.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,399 R 72.8K

$3,498 P 46.3K

25.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 R 830

$45.03 P 596

11.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.37 R 503

$21.31 P 282

42.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 R 1,546

$75.0 P 993

24.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 R 1,332

$88.5 P 1,172

-9.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 R 7,261

$235 P 3,118

86.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 R 6,155

$149 P 1,966

150.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R 14.9K

$518 P 6,853

74.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$705 R 11.7K

$349 P 4,614

102.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,116 R 18.5K

$2,043 P 27.0K

-45.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$793 R 13.1K

$1,273 P 16.9K

-37.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,506 R 24.9K

$849 P 11.2K

77.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

9.12

26.64%

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

Last update for South Africa: July 13, 2026

Last update for Botswana: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $368 in South Africa, $39.00 in Botswana. Capital cities: $292 in Bloemfontein vs $245 in Gaborone.

National salary averages: $1,513 in South Africa, $961 in Botswana. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 844% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 192% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 433% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 57% higher in South Africa, 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

South Africa vs Botswana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $414 per month in Botswana and $1,083 in South Africa, there's a 162% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

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.

Rent in South Africa 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.

In Botswana, $1,200 covers most cities easily; in South Africa it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Botswana wins on affordability; South Africa may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.