Cost of Living Comparison Between United States and Botswana Cost of Living Comparison Between United States and Botswana

Name: Botswana
Address: BW

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,643 in United States versus $295 in Botswana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,857 in United States versus $466 in Botswana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,070 in United States versus $636 in Botswana.

Living in United States is roughly 796% more expensive than Botswana on average.

United States (97% above) and Botswana (78% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.04 $20.04

$7.58 P 99.0

164.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 $76.0

$29.97 P 392

153.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.42 $11.42

$6.04 P 78.9

89.07%

Cappuccino

$5.39 $5.39

$2.17 P 28.39

148.39%

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

$2.55 $2.55

$0.90 P 11.77

183.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.51 P 6.63

300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.14 $6.14

$2.17 P 28.40

182.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.18 $7.18

$3.00 P 39.14

139.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.41 P 18.46

-26.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.65 $3.65

$0.79 P 10.37

362.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$1.75 P 22.83

170.29%

Eggs

$4.38 $4.38

$2.17 P 28.29

101.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 $12.76

$7.40 P 96.8

72.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.42 $12.42

$5.33 P 69.7

133.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.41 $16.41

$5.39 P 70.4

204.45%

Apples (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$1.66 P 21.71

226.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.34 P 17.57

23.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$1.79 P 23.40

156.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$1.52 P 19.89

223.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.34 P 17.49

117.91%

Onion (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.30 P 17.04

140.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.12 P 14.59

101.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$0.85 P 11.05

170.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.89 $9.89

$3.60 P 47.00

174.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.10 $15.10

$4.36 P 56.9

246.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.62 P 21.15

17.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 $3.66

$1.98 P 25.88

84.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 $2.48

$0.50 P 6.57

396.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.8 $64.8

$28.32 P 370

128.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 $3.84

$0.57 P 7.45

573.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.63 P 34.32

-33.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.58 $30.58

$2.90 P 37.96

954.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.11 P 14.49

-13.51%

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

$30.5K $30.5K

$22.5K P 293.4K

35.74%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$16.6K P 216.7K

59.05%

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

$204 $204

$64.2 P 838

218.27%

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

$57.3 $57.3

$26.02 P 340

120.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$76.3 P 997

-6.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.67 $46.67

$32.94 P 430

41.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.12 $22.12

$10.56 P 138

109.47%

Cinema Ticket

$13.84 $13.84

$6.89 P 90.0

100.87%

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

$1,384 $1,384

$165 P 2,156

738.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K $22.7K

$3,551 P 46.4K

539.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 $53.0

$43.69 P 571

21.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.17 $43.17

$21.78 P 285

98.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 $90.6

$74.9 P 979

20.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$87.0 P 1,137

31.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,766 $1,766

$244 P 3,186

624.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 $1,459

$147 P 1,925

890.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,832 $2,832

$523 P 6,831

441.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,411 $2,411

$346 P 4,523

596.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,287 $3,287

$2,067 P 27.0K

59.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$1,270 P 16.6K

108.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,379 $4,379

$870 P 11.4K

403.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

9.12

-28.62%

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

Last update for United States: May 30, 2026

Last update for Botswana: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,637 in United States, $39.00 in Botswana. Capital cities: $2,591 in Washington, DC vs $244 in Gaborone.

National salary averages: $4,500 in United States, $968 in Botswana. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 4097% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 508% more in United States.

Public transport is 733% more expensive in United States.

Salaries are 365% higher in United States, giving Botswana stronger purchasing power.

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 $418 per month in Botswana and $3,212 in United States, there's a 668% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Botswana is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 United States beats 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 United States, it works in regional areas but 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; United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.