Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Botswana

Name: Botswana
Address: BW

For one person, living is cheaper in Botswana: $841 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $22,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Botswana
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Botswana Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

🇧🇼 Botswana

$841

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,734 in the United States versus $841 in Botswana.

United States $2,734
Botswana $841

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,985 in the United States versus $1,289 in Botswana.

United States $3,985
Botswana $1,289

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,235 in the United States versus $1,737 in Botswana.

United States $5,235
Botswana $1,737

Internal cost variation is higher in the United States: monthly costs span $979 to $5,160, compared to $3–$1,034 in Botswana. City choice carries more weight in the United States.

Living in the United States is roughly 225% more expensive than in Botswana on average.

The United States (101% above) and Botswana (38% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 $20.03

$9.99 P 135

100.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$28.81 P 388

177.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$5.91 P 79.6

99.66%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$2.36 P 31.77

135.17%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$0.74 P 9.96

259.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.44 P 5.98

393.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$1.91 P 25.73

220.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$2.41 P 32.52

229.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.49 P 20.03

-30.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$0.83 P 11.20

332.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.79 P 24.06

152.51%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$2.44 P 32.81

75.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$6.53 P 87.9

102.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$4.58 P 61.7

175.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$5.00 P 67.4

252.00%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$1.54 P 20.77

244.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.37 P 18.44

23.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.00 P 26.95

122.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$1.59 P 21.38

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.38 P 18.56

115.22%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.30 P 17.56

142.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.30 P 17.56

69.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.89 P 12.01

164.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$3.72 P 50.1

195.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$4.24 P 57.1

254.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.46 P 19.67

41.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$1.80 P 24.20

110.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.67 P 9.04

189.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

$30.26 P 408

96.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$0.61 P 8.20

486.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$2.51 P 33.86

-25.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

$2.89 P 38.88

932.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.32 P 17.78

-22.73%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$30.9K P 416.3K

-6.94%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$20.4K P 274.2K

28.75%

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

$218 $218

$59.8 P 805

264.73%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$18.87 P 254

231.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$43.45 P 585

71.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$32.65 P 440

28.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

$16.51 P 222

38.16%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$6.20 P 83.5

137.10%

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

$1,489 $1,489

$141 P 1,904

953.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$2,233 P 30.1K

1031.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$49.33 P 665

10.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

$20.76 P 280

105.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 $94.1

$76.8 P 1,035

22.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$87.6 P 1,179

29.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$288 P 3,885

475.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$206 P 2,772

555.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$505 P 6,799

431.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 $2,169

$324 P 4,364

569.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 $3,283

$1,976 P 26.6K

66.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$1,242 P 16.7K

99.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 $4,296

$851 P 11.5K

404.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

11.33

-42.19%

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

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Last update for Botswana: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 49.3%

Botswana

$206 24.5% 84.7% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

United States

$415 15.2%

Botswana

$171 20.4% 58.7% $244

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Botswana

$122 14.5% 65.6% $233

Eating Out

United States

$328 12%

Botswana

$145 17.3% 55.8% $183

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Botswana

$106 12.5% 23% $32

Getting Around

United States

$80 2.9%

Botswana

$46 5.5% 42.4% $34

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$71 2.6%

Botswana

$45 5.4% 36.8% $26

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,620 in the United States, $259 in Botswana. Capital cities: $2,768 in Washington, DC vs $353 in Gaborone.

National salary averages: $4,549 in the United States, $957 in Botswana. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 525% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 159% more in the United States.

Public transport is 110% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are about 4.8 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇧🇼 Botswana

🕒 Local time

03:28 3:28 AM

09:28 9:28 AM

6 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

2,480,244

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Botswana Pula BWP P

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

100 BWP = 7.42 USD

100 BWP = 6.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BWP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇧🇼 Botswana Pula (P)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 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).

BWP to USD in detail →

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United States Botswana 13,570 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

United States
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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

United States vs Botswana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $841 per month in Botswana and $2,734 in the United States, there’s a 225% 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 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.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 in the United States and $259 in Botswana. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Botswana, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in the United States 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; the United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.