Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Botswana 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Botswana is 35.2% higher than in South Africa (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Botswana is 16.6% higher than in South Africa | |
| Rent Prices in Botswana are 47.1% lower than in South Africa | |
| Restaurant Prices in Botswana are 13.1% lower than in South Africa | |
| Groceries Prices in Botswana are 6.2% higher than in South Africa | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Botswana is 44.4% lower than in South Africa | |
Restaurants | South Africa Edit |
Botswana Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant |
160.00 R (115.72 P) |
138.26 R (100.00 P) |
-13.6 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course |
700.00 R (506.28 P) |
414.79 R (300.00 P) |
-40.7 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) |
89.50 R (64.73 P) |
110.61 R (80.00 P) |
+23.6 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) |
40.00 R (28.93 P) |
41.48 R (30.00 P) |
+3.7 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
45.00 R (32.55 P) |
51.85 R (37.50 P) |
+15.2 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) |
35.54 R (25.70 P) |
40.79 R (29.50 P) |
+14.8 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) |
17.45 R (12.62 P) |
15.48 R (11.20 P) |
-11.3 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) |
13.54 R (9.79 P) |
9.47 R (6.85 P) |
-30.0 % |
Markets | South Africa Edit |
Botswana Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) |
73.62 R (53.24 P) |
93.52 R (67.64 P) |
+27.0 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) |
16.05 R (11.61 P) |
13.24 R (9.58 P) |
-17.5 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) |
12.76 R (9.23 P) |
15.39 R (11.13 P) |
+20.6 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) |
40.49 R (29.28 P) |
39.82 R (28.80 P) |
-1.6 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) |
61.65 R (44.59 P) |
58.47 R (42.29 P) |
-5.1 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) |
37.03 R (26.78 P) |
43.06 R (31.14 P) |
+16.3 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) |
54.48 R (39.40 P) |
45.15 R (32.65 P) |
-17.1 % |
| Apples (1 lb) |
12.35 R (8.93 P) |
13.79 R (9.97 P) |
+11.7 % |
| Banana (1 lb) |
11.54 R (8.34 P) |
11.34 R (8.20 P) |
-1.7 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) |
11.98 R (8.67 P) |
15.54 R (11.24 P) |
+29.6 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) |
12.28 R (8.88 P) |
13.01 R (9.41 P) |
+5.9 % |
| Potato (1 lb) |
9.90 R (7.16 P) |
12.33 R (8.92 P) |
+24.6 % |
| Onion (1 lb) |
10.52 R (7.61 P) |
10.42 R (7.54 P) |
-0.9 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) |
18.60 R (13.45 P) |
19.58 R (14.16 P) |
+5.3 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) |
16.93 R (12.25 P) |
15.94 R (11.53 P) |
-5.9 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) |
85.00 R (61.48 P) |
103.70 R (75.00 P) |
+22.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) |
23.87 R (17.27 P) |
31.02 R (22.44 P) |
+29.9 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
30.70 R (22.20 P) |
37.94 R (27.44 P) |
+23.6 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) |
52.00 R (37.61 P) |
69.13 R (50.00 P) |
+32.9 % |
Transportation | South Africa Edit |
Botswana Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) |
30.00 R (21.70 P) |
9.68 R (7.00 P) |
-67.7 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) |
800.00 R (578.60 P) |
553.06 R (400.00 P) |
-30.9 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) |
20.00 R (14.47 P) |
11.06 R (8.00 P) |
-44.7 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) |
32.19 R (23.28 P) |
73.43 R (53.11 P) |
+128.1 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) |
85.00 R (61.48 P) |
55.31 R (40.00 P) |
-34.9 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
86.76 R (62.75 P) |
78.41 R (56.71 P) |
-9.6 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) |
370,000.00 R (267,603.74 P) |
345,660.33 R (250,000.00 P) |
-6.6 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) |
420,796.63 R (304,342.58 P) |
327,225.12 R (236,666.67 P) |
-22.2 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | South Africa Edit |
Botswana Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment |
2,001.68 R (1,447.72 P) |
1,107.84 R (801.25 P) |
-44.7 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data |
564.68 R (408.41 P) |
486.94 R (352.18 P) |
-13.8 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) |
732.63 R (529.87 P) |
1,406.15 R (1,017.00 P) |
+91.9 % |
Sports And Leisure | South Africa Edit |
Botswana Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult |
561.62 R (406.19 P) |
632.17 R (457.22 P) |
+12.6 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) |
180.96 R (130.88 P) |
218.92 R (158.33 P) |
+21.0 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat |
120.00 R (86.79 P) |
124.44 R (90.00 P) |
+3.7 % |
Childcare | South Africa Edit |
Botswana Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child |
3,428.30 R (2,479.53 P) |
3,190.16 R (2,307.29 P) |
-6.9 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child |
81,293.82 R (58,796.03 P) |
65,022.55 R (47,027.78 P) |
-20.0 % |
Clothing And Shoes | South Africa Edit |
Botswana Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) |
874.43 R (632.43 P) |
817.02 R (590.91 P) |
-6.6 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) |
551.94 R (399.19 P) |
440.91 R (318.89 P) |
-20.1 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) |
1,640.21 R (1,186.29 P) |
1,483.68 R (1,073.08 P) |
-9.5 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes |
1,415.91 R (1,024.06 P) |
1,843.52 R (1,333.33 P) |
+30.2 % |
Rent Per Month | South Africa Edit |
Botswana Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre |
8,099.93 R (5,858.30 P) |
4,413.82 R (3,192.31 P) |
-45.5 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre |
6,556.13 R (4,741.74 P) |
2,765.28 R (2,000.00 P) |
-57.8 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre |
16,175.35 R (11,698.88 P) |
9,556.02 R (6,911.43 P) |
-40.9 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre |
12,769.83 R (9,235.82 P) |
6,320.65 R (4,571.43 P) |
-50.5 % |
Buy Apartment Price | South Africa Edit |
Botswana Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre |
1,692.88 R (1,224.38 P) |
1,814.36 R (1,312.24 P) |
+7.2 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre |
1,279.52 R (925.42 P) |
68,506.94 R (49,547.88 P) |
+5,254.1 % |
Salaries And Financing | South Africa Edit |
Botswana Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) |
23,594.13 R (17,064.53 P) |
15,307.11 R (11,070.92 P) |
-35.1 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 11.56 | 10.37 | -10.3 % |
| Last update: | April 2025 | March 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 663 | 30 |
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