Cost of Living in Botswana

The cost of living in Botswana is moderate, and how far your money goes depends on where you settle and how you shop. Rent is low by international standards, and locally produced food is cheap. Beef is especially good value, since Botswana is a major cattle producer. The big-ticket items are imported goods, cars, private healthcare, and international school fees.

Gaborone, the capital, is the most expensive place to live. This is where most of the good jobs and the better housing are, and where expat families find the private clinics and international schools they want. Live closer to how locals do, and you can get by comfortably without spending a fortune.

Cost of accommodation in Botswana

Monthly rent is one of the biggest expenses for anyone moving to Botswana, and in Gaborone it's higher again. You'll pay a premium for a home near the city's transport links and good schools, so you'll find better value the further out you look.

The deal looks good next to many European and North American cities, and you get far more space for your money. Rentals in the better suburbs are usually walled and gated, and many have an electric fence; that security is normally built into the rent rather than billed on top of it. Landlords often fold water and electricity into the rent too, so always check what a quoted figure actually covers before you sign.

Renting Expat Accommodation in Botswana

Cost of transport in Botswana

Getting around Botswana costs far less than in most European or North American countries. Combis, the shared minibuses that cover fixed routes around the cities, are the cheapest way to get about, and you can grab a shared taxi for routes the combis don't reach. They're easy on the wallet, but they get packed at peak times, and the vehicles are a mixed bag, so many newcomers give them a miss. Ride-hailing apps such as Bolt and inDrive operate in Gaborone, and they're a comfortable, well-priced alternative when you'd rather not drive.

Most expats still end up behind the wheel, because the towns are spread out and there's little public transport once it's dark. A brand-new car is dear once import costs are added, but you don't have to buy new. Botswana has one of the busiest used car markets anywhere. Most of that stock is second-hand Japanese vehicles that dealers import through Durban and Walvis Bay, and a sound used car won't break the bank. Fuel is cheap by Western standards. Budget for insurance, licensing, servicing, and tyres on top, and a car is still a reasonable value over time.

Transport and Driving in Botswana

Cost of groceries in Botswana

Groceries in Botswana are easy on the wallet compared to Europe or North America, especially if you cook from scratch. Supermarkets bring in much of their stock from South Africa, so the big chains and brands look familiar to anyone who's shopped there, and prices are tied closely to the rand.

Beef is the standout bargain, since this is cattle country and the national herd is huge. Maise, beans, sorghum, and seasonal vegetables are cheap too. You'll pay much more for imported cheese, breakfast cereals, and anything else shipped in from abroad, so sticking to local staples is where the savings are.

Cost of entertainment and eating out in Botswana

Eating out and entertainment in Botswana won't dent your budget the way they would in a pricier posting, as long as you're happy to go where the locals go. A takeaway plate of pap and seswaa, the shredded, slow-cooked beef that turns up at just about every gathering, costs a fraction of a sit-down meal. You'll find restaurants, cinemas, coffee shops, and bars clustered in Gaborone's shopping malls, and prices there are modest by Western standards.

Spend your weekends at a braai, the local bar, a weekend market, or a game drive within reach of town, and you'll get plenty out of the place without the sting of a big-city bill.

Cost of education in Botswana

Education is the highest single cost for many expat families in Botswana. Send your children to an international school, and you'll pay far more than you would at a local public school, although the teaching is strong and the qualifications are recognised abroad: most schools follow a globally accepted curriculum, usually the British (Cambridge) system or the IB. Public schools teach in English and Setswana and charge only token fees, but standards are uneven, which is why most expat families go private.

Botswana's international school fees still look reasonable next to the equivalent schools back home, and there's enough choice that parents can match a school to their budget without settling for less.

Education and Schools in Botswana

Cost of healthcare in Botswana

Public healthcare in Botswana is cheap, and the government has put real money into it, but the service is patchy. Public clinics and hospitals charge next to nothing, although they often run short of medicines, and the queues are long, so most expats pay for private care instead. Private hospitals are a different standard, and they'll usually want payment up front.

Take out private health cover before you arrive. The monthly premium isn't trivial, but one spell in a private hospital without it can cost you dearly. Make sure you're covered for emergency evacuation, since the most serious cases are often flown to South Africa for treatment.

Healthcare in Botswana