Cost of Living inFrancistown, Botswana
Image credit: Pavel Ε pindler
Purchasing Power vs. United States
Based on GDP per capita (PPP). Botswana: $18,069/capita.
How Far Your Money Goes
Prices are 67% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Using the country-level NYC comparison for now. We do not have a defensible city-level aggregate cost index for this city yet.
Income Category
Happiness
3.4 / 10
#135 globally
GDP per Capita
City Population
Child Education
International and private school tuition + curriculum mix for relocating families.
International & private schools
Childcare & Domestic Help
Nanny, housekeeper, and driver pricing is not yet sourced for Francistown. We publish this section only when we can tie it to local job-board, agency, or country fallback evidence.
Getting Around
Neighborhood mobility profiles are rolling out city by city.Francistown is still missing a verified walkability, transit, airport, and rideshare profile.
Healthcare
System strength, outcome signals, facility coverage, and self-pay visibility in Botswana.
Method: country metrics come from public system indicators, facility coverage reflects mapped providers we can inventory, direct pricing only reflects observed self-pay pages, and relative care cost can fall back to broad cost-of-living healthcare indices. Sparse pricing does not imply sparse healthcare availability.
Healthcare system
LimitedLow out-of-pocket burden help, but coverage looks thinner and doctor staffing is lighter.
Public care
LimitedStrong public funding and relatively low patient cost-sharing help, but public coverage looks thinner and country-level outcomes are weaker.
Private care
LimitedThe tracked private-style network still looks thin and self-pay pricing transparency is still sparse weigh on this rating.
UHC coverage
60/100
2023
Physicians
0.38/1k
2023
Hospital beds
2.36/1k
2022
Out of pocket
4%
2023
Outcome signals
Life expectancy
69.3 yrs
2024
Maternal mortality
155/100k
2023
Neonatal mortality
17.6/1k
2024
International patient readiness
LimitedPrice transparency is still sparse and headline outcomes are less reassuring weigh on this rating.
Pricing transparency
LimitedPublished self-pay prices are scarce and few facilities expose web pages we can verify weigh on this rating.
Facility coverage
Self-pay pricing visibility
No verified self-pay prices are published for the tracked facilities in Botswana yet.
This usually reflects low online price transparency rather than a lack of healthcare providers.
Notable facilities
System metrics: World Bank WDI Β· Updated 2026-06-01
Safety & Governance
Street Safety
Source: Numbeo where a city row is matched; otherwise World Bank WGI and country-level safety context.
Political Stability
World Bank WGI scale: -2.5 to +2.5.
Wages by Sector
| Sector | Median |
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| Administrative & Support Services | β |
| Agriculture & Farming | β |
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| Education | β |
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| Hospitality & Food Service | β |
| Information & Technology | β |
| Manufacturing | β |
| Mining & Quarrying | β |
| Other Services | β |
| Professional & Scientific Services | β |
| Public Administration & Defence | β |
| Real Estate | β |
| Retail & Wholesale Trade | β |
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2024 annual wages in Francistown, Botswana Β· Source: ILO ILOSTAT (national)
Price Comparison vs. US
Visa Information (US passport)
Short-stay entry
US passport holders can stay up to 90 days without a visa.
Quick comparison FAQ
Structured from the deltas already shown on this page β no invented facts, no extra data sources.
How far does your money go in Francistown compared with the US?
Your money goes about 2.6x further in Francistown than in the US, based on the current PPP estimate. We are using the country-level cost index for Botswana here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
Is Francistown cheaper or more expensive overall than New York City?
Francistown is cheaper overall than New York City β overall living costs are about 67% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City) for Francistown. We are using the country-level cost index for Botswana here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
How does rent in Francistown compare with New York City?
Rent in Francistown is about 93% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City). We are using the country-level cost index for Botswana here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
How expensive are groceries and restaurants in Francistown?
Groceries in Francistown are about 68% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City), and restaurant prices are about 70% cheaper than the same benchmark. We are using the country-level cost index for Botswana here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
About Francistown
Francistown is the second-largest city in Botswana, with about 103,417 residents, sitting in the northeast of the country near the borders with Zimbabwe and South Africa. It was founded in the 1860s as one of southern Africa's first gold-mining towns and remains an important regional commercial centre, with the local economy combining mining (gold, copper, and historically nickel), regional trade serving northeastern Botswana and cross-border commerce with Zimbabwe, and administrative services. English is the official working language with Setswana universally spoken and significant Kalanga and Ndebele use. The city is the gateway to the Tuli Block conservation area. Climate is hot semi-arid with very hot summers, mild dry winters, and a single rainy season from November to March. Foreign residency is typically employment-tied.
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