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: $2,642 in United States versus $294 in Botswana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,857 in United States versus $468 in Botswana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,072 in United States versus $641 in Botswana.

Living in United States is roughly 799% more expensive than in Botswana on average.

United States (98% above) and Botswana (78% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.63 $19.63

$7.47 P 99.0

162.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.4 $75.4

$29.66 P 393

154.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.57 $11.57

$6.22 P 82.4

86.01%

Cappuccino

$5.22 $5.22

$2.19 P 28.94

138.36%

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

$2.49 $2.49

$0.90 P 11.89

176.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$0.53 P 7.04

288.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 $5.91

$2.20 P 29.12

168.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 $7.13

$3.00 P 39.68

137.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.43 P 18.91

-23.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 $3.56

$0.80 P 10.62

345.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$1.83 P 24.21

159.02%

Eggs

$4.34 $4.34

$2.16 P 28.54

100.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.68 $12.68

$7.47 P 98.9

69.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.28 $12.28

$5.14 P 68.1

138.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.60 $16.60

$5.52 P 73.1

200.72%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$1.69 P 22.42

205.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.40 P 18.53

21.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$1.80 P 23.78

147.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$1.58 P 20.91

203.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.39 P 18.34

110.79%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$1.29 P 17.09

139.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.17 P 15.53

89.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$0.85 P 11.32

164.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.90 $9.90

$3.72 P 49.27

166.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$4.22 P 55.9

262.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.61 P 21.26

18.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.05 P 27.19

74.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 $2.46

$0.50 P 6.60

392.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.6 $64.6

$27.56 P 365

134.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.77 $3.77

$0.62 P 8.22

508.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.69 P 35.67

-36.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.08 $30.08

$3.07 P 40.61

879.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.13 P 14.99

-15.04%

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

$29.9K $29.9K

$22.5K P 297.4K

32.96%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$16.6K P 219.3K

57.86%

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

$210 $210

$64.6 P 855

225.41%

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

$56.3 $56.3

$26.03 P 345

116.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.9 $72.9

$76.0 P 1,006

-4.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.39 $45.39

$32.64 P 432

39.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.60 $21.60

$10.63 P 141

103.20%

Cinema Ticket

$14.04 $14.04

$6.59 P 87.2

113.05%

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

$1,377 $1,377

$165 P 2,187

733.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K $22.4K

$3,498 P 46.3K

539.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 $52.7

$45.03 P 596

17.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.41 $42.41

$21.31 P 282

99.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.8 $91.8

$75.0 P 993

22.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$88.5 P 1,172

28.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 $1,765

$235 P 3,118

649.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,462 $1,462

$149 P 1,966

884.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,849 $2,849

$518 P 6,853

450.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,369 $2,369

$349 P 4,614

579.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,364 $3,364

$2,043 P 27.0K

64.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,665 $2,665

$1,273 P 16.9K

109.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,378 $4,378

$849 P 11.2K

415.97%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Botswana: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,635 in United States, $39.00 in Botswana. Capital cities: $1,625 in Washington, MI vs $245 in Gaborone.

National salary averages: $4,500 in United States, $961 in Botswana. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 4092% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 508% more in United States.

Public transport is 733% more expensive in United States.

Salaries are 368% higher in United States, 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

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

At $414 per month in Botswana and $3,259 in United States, there's a 688% 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 United States 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 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; United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.