Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Botswana 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Botswana is 32.3% higher than in South Africa (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Botswana is 14.1% higher than in South Africa | |
| Rent Prices in Botswana are 48.3% lower than in South Africa | |
| Restaurant Prices in Botswana are 14.9% lower than in South Africa | |
| Groceries Prices in Botswana are 4.1% higher than in South Africa | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Botswana is 44.0% lower than in South Africa | |
Restaurants | South Africa Edit |
Botswana Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant |
160.00 R (118.01 P) |
135.59 R (100.00 P) |
-15.3 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course |
700.00 R (516.28 P) |
406.76 R (300.00 P) |
-41.9 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) |
90.00 R (66.38 P) |
108.47 R (80.00 P) |
+20.5 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) |
40.00 R (29.50 P) |
40.68 R (30.00 P) |
+1.7 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
45.00 R (33.19 P) |
50.84 R (37.50 P) |
+13.0 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) |
35.79 R (26.39 P) |
40.00 R (29.50 P) |
+11.8 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) |
17.58 R (12.97 P) |
15.23 R (11.24 P) |
-13.4 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) |
13.64 R (10.06 P) |
9.31 R (6.87 P) |
-31.7 % |
Markets | South Africa Edit |
Botswana Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) |
73.68 R (54.34 P) |
91.71 R (67.64 P) |
+24.5 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) |
16.08 R (11.86 P) |
12.98 R (9.58 P) |
-19.2 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) |
12.79 R (9.43 P) |
15.10 R (11.13 P) |
+18.0 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) |
40.63 R (29.97 P) |
39.05 R (28.80 P) |
-3.9 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) |
61.77 R (45.56 P) |
57.34 R (42.29 P) |
-7.2 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) |
37.05 R (27.33 P) |
42.23 R (31.14 P) |
+14.0 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) |
54.56 R (40.24 P) |
44.28 R (32.65 P) |
-18.9 % |
| Apples (1 lb) |
12.35 R (9.11 P) |
13.52 R (9.97 P) |
+9.5 % |
| Banana (1 lb) |
11.54 R (8.51 P) |
11.12 R (8.20 P) |
-3.7 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) |
11.98 R (8.84 P) |
15.24 R (11.24 P) |
+27.1 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) |
12.31 R (9.08 P) |
12.76 R (9.41 P) |
+3.6 % |
| Potato (1 lb) |
9.93 R (7.32 P) |
12.09 R (8.92 P) |
+21.8 % |
| Onion (1 lb) |
10.50 R (7.75 P) |
10.22 R (7.54 P) |
-2.7 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) |
18.63 R (13.74 P) |
19.20 R (14.16 P) |
+3.1 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) |
16.93 R (12.49 P) |
15.63 R (11.53 P) |
-7.7 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) |
85.00 R (62.69 P) |
101.69 R (75.00 P) |
+19.6 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) |
23.84 R (17.58 P) |
30.42 R (22.44 P) |
+27.6 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
30.53 R (22.52 P) |
37.20 R (27.44 P) |
+21.9 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) |
52.00 R (38.35 P) |
67.79 R (50.00 P) |
+30.4 % |
Transportation | South Africa Edit |
Botswana Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) |
30.00 R (22.13 P) |
9.49 R (7.00 P) |
-68.4 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) |
800.00 R (590.03 P) |
542.35 R (400.00 P) |
-32.2 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) |
20.00 R (14.75 P) |
10.85 R (8.00 P) |
-45.8 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) |
32.19 R (23.74 P) |
72.01 R (53.11 P) |
+123.7 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) |
85.00 R (62.69 P) |
54.23 R (40.00 P) |
-36.2 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
86.68 R (63.93 P) |
76.89 R (56.71 P) |
-11.3 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) |
370,000.00 R (272,888.38 P) |
338,966.42 R (250,000.00 P) |
-8.4 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) |
421,858.58 R (311,135.96 P) |
320,888.21 R (236,666.67 P) |
-23.9 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | South Africa Edit |
Botswana Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment |
2,005.75 R (1,479.31 P) |
1,086.39 R (801.25 P) |
-45.8 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data |
568.56 R (419.34 P) |
477.51 R (352.18 P) |
-16.0 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) |
733.92 R (541.29 P) |
1,378.92 R (1,017.00 P) |
+87.9 % |
Sports And Leisure | South Africa Edit |
Botswana Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult |
564.78 R (416.55 P) |
619.93 R (457.22 P) |
+9.8 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) |
177.53 R (130.94 P) |
214.68 R (158.33 P) |
+20.9 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat |
120.00 R (88.50 P) |
122.03 R (90.00 P) |
+1.7 % |
Childcare | South Africa Edit |
Botswana Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child |
3,417.32 R (2,520.39 P) |
3,128.38 R (2,307.29 P) |
-8.5 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child |
80,773.66 R (59,573.50 P) |
63,763.35 R (47,027.78 P) |
-21.1 % |
Clothing And Shoes | South Africa Edit |
Botswana Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) |
875.17 R (645.47 P) |
801.19 R (590.91 P) |
-8.5 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) |
551.60 R (406.82 P) |
432.37 R (318.89 P) |
-21.6 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) |
1,642.40 R (1,211.33 P) |
1,454.95 R (1,073.08 P) |
-11.4 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes |
1,418.43 R (1,046.15 P) |
1,807.82 R (1,333.33 P) |
+27.5 % |
Rent Per Month | South Africa Edit |
Botswana Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre |
8,140.90 R (6,004.21 P) |
4,328.34 R (3,192.31 P) |
-46.8 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre |
6,582.34 R (4,854.71 P) |
2,711.73 R (2,000.00 P) |
-58.8 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre |
16,237.06 R (11,975.42 P) |
9,394.54 R (6,928.81 P) |
-42.1 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre |
12,838.67 R (9,468.99 P) |
6,198.24 R (4,571.43 P) |
-51.7 % |
Buy Apartment Price | South Africa Edit |
Botswana Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre |
1,720.85 R (1,269.19 P) |
1,779.23 R (1,312.24 P) |
+3.4 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre |
1,292.20 R (953.05 P) |
67,180.26 R (49,547.88 P) |
+5,098.9 % |
Salaries And Financing | South Africa Edit |
Botswana Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) |
23,504.88 R (17,335.70 P) |
15,010.68 R (11,070.92 P) |
-36.1 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 11.55 | 10.37 | -10.2 % |
| Last update: | April 2025 | March 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 685 | 30 |
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