The cost of living is the amount of money needed to cover basic expenses such as housing, food, taxes, and healthcare in a certain place and time period. The cost of living is often used to compare how expensive it is to live in one city versus another. The cost of living is tied to wages.
A single person estimated monthly costs are 447$ (6,037P) without rent. The cost of living in Botswana is, on average, 54.26% lower than in the United States. Rent in Botswana is, on average, 83.70% lower than in the United States.
| Restaurants | Edit | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 100.00 P | 20.00-200.00 |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 400.00 P | 250.00-650.00 |
| McMeal at Mcdonald’s (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 77.50 P | 70.00-100.00 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5-liter draught) | 19.00 P | 15.00-40.00 |
| Imported Beer (0.33-liter bottle) | 22.00 P | 17.00-45.00 |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 29.75 P | 20.00-40.00 |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33-liter bottle) | 10.95 P | 8.00-20.00 |
| Water (0.33-liter bottle) | 6.62 P | 5.00-15.00 |
 Markets | Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 liter) | 14.68 P | 12.00-23.00 |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (500g) | 9.21 P | 5.00-15.00 |
| Rice (white), (1kg) | 19.50 P | 14.00-35.00 |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 26.93 P | 15.54-40.00 |
| Local Cheese (1kg) | 74.41 P | 40.00-220.00 |
| Chicken Fillets (1kg) | 60.65 P | 25.00-95.00 |
| Beef Round (1kg) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 59.52 P | 37.00-100.00 |
| Apples (1kg) | 22.05 P | 8.00-32.00 |
| Banana (1kg) | 16.47 P | 10.00-40.00 |
| Oranges (1kg) | 24.53 P | 8.00-65.00 |
| Tomato (1kg) | 17.15 P | 8.00-25.00 |
| Potato (1kg) | 17.17 P | 8.00-45.00 |
| Onion (1kg) | 14.41 P | 8.00-30.00 |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 14.38 P | 8.00-25.00 |
| Water (1.5-liter bottle) | 11.46 P | 6.00-30.00 |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 80.00 P | 45.00-150.00 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5-liter bottle) | 18.53 P | 10.00-28.57 |
| Imported Beer (0.33-liter bottle) | 21.58 P | 15.00-30.00 |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 50.00 P | 40.00-60.00 |
 Transportation | Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 6.00 P | 5.00-7.00 |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 264.00 P | 132.00-400.00 |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 7.00 P | 6.00-10.00 |
| Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff) | 30.00 P | 25.00-40.00 |
| Taxi 1 hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 40.00 P | 30.00-60.00 |
| Gasoline (1 liter) | 12.05 P | 8.00-17.00 |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 235,000.00 P | 170,000.00-250,000.00 |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 227,500.00 P | 180,000.00-250,000.00 |
| Utilities (Monthly) | Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 85m2 Apartment | 555.00 P | 400.00-984.21 |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local (No Discounts or Plans) | 1.49 P | 0.80-2.00 |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 649.62 P | 400.00-1,900.00 |
 Sports And Leisure | Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 414.19 P | 200.00-600.00 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 83.75 P | 20.00-150.00 |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 75.00 P | 55.00-120.00 |
 Childcare | Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 1,754.17 P | 1,200.00-3,000.00 |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 62,500.00 P | 36,000.00-120,000.00 |
 Clothing And Shoes | Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 481.54 P | 250.00-699.00 |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, …) | 302.31 P | 200.00-420.00 |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 701.54 P | 350.00-1,000.00 |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 774.92 P | 350.00-1,500.00 |
| Rent Per Month | Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 2,906.67 P | 2,000.00-5,000.00 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 2,415.38 P | 1,800.00-4,000.00 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 7,250.00 P | 4,500.00-18,000.00 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 5,081.25 P | 3,500.00-9,150.00 |
 Buy Apartment Price | Edit | |
| Price per Square Meter to Buy an Apartment in City Centre | 15,547.33 P | 10,000.00-25,000.00 |
| Price per Square Meter to Buy an Apartment Outside of Centre | 450,000.00 P | 150,000.00-700,000.00 |
 Salaries And Financing | Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 10,388.89 P | |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 10.40 | 7.50-15.00 |
Prices in Botswana
This country had 870 entries in the past 12 months by 52 different contributors.
Last update: September 2022
Our data for each country are based on all entries from all cities in that country.
How much is it to live in Botswana?
As a whole, Botswana is ranked on the lower end of one of the most expensive places to live in the world. The average price for a one-bedroom apartment in the city center costs around 3,000 Pula ($295) as opposed to living outside of the city center where rent would be 2,175 Pula ($214).
How much is an apartment in Botswana?
Cost of living in Botswana chart
| Accommodation (monthly rent) | |
|---|---|
| Three-bedroom apartment in the city center | BWP 9,111 |
| Three-bedroom apartment outside of the city center | BWP 5,200 |
| One-bedroom apartment in the city center | BWP 3,200 |
| One-bedroom apartment outside the city center | BWP 3,000 |
Can foreigners live in Botswana?
Expats planning to work in Botswana, or live in the country for more than 3 months will need a Residence Permit. To apply for a Residence Permit, you’ll need to show that you can financially support yourself while living in Botswana.
Is Botswana good for work?
Botswana is one of Africa’s success stories, having built on a booming diamond industry to reduce poverty and provide its citizens with some of Africa’s highest living standards. According to Doing Business, it is also a very friendly place for entrepreneurs, ranking 12th out of 185 countries.
What is a good salary in Botswana?
The gross salary range for people working in Botswana is typically from 2,243.00 BWP (minimum salary) to 15,720.00 BWP (highest average, the actual maximum salary is higher). This is the total monthly salary including bonuses.