Cost of Living inGaborone, Botswana
Image credit: NASA Astronauts
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 Gaborone. 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.Gaborone 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
MixedStrong public funding and relatively low patient cost-sharing help, but public coverage looks thinner and country-level outcomes are weaker.
Private care
LimitedThe private footprint is not very visible yet 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
LimitedThe private footprint is still thin, price 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 · 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 |
|---|---|
| Administrative & Support Services | — |
| Agriculture & Farming | — |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | — |
| Construction | — |
| Education | — |
| Finance & Insurance | — |
| Healthcare & Social Work | — |
| Hospitality & Food Service | — |
| Information & Technology | — |
| Manufacturing | — |
| Mining & Quarrying | — |
| Other Services | — |
| Professional & Scientific Services | — |
| Public Administration & Defence | — |
| Real Estate | — |
| Retail & Wholesale Trade | — |
| Transport & Logistics | — |
| Utilities | — |
2024 annual wages in Gaborone, Botswana · 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 — no invented facts, no extra data sources.
How far does your money go in Gaborone compared with the US?
Your money goes about 2.6x further in Gaborone 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 Gaborone cheaper or more expensive overall than New York City?
Gaborone is cheaper overall than New York City — overall living costs are about 67% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City) for Gaborone. 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 Gaborone compare with New York City?
Rent in Gaborone 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 Gaborone?
Groceries in Gaborone 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 Gaborone
Gaborone is the capital and largest city of Botswana, sitting on the southern Kalahari plain near the South African border at around 1,000 meters elevation. It is a planned capital, designated in 1965 ahead of independence specifically because it was a small, neutral site between competing chiefdoms, and most of its present scale has been built since. The economy is anchored by the country's diamond industry through Debswana's headquarters, government administration, the Bank of Botswana and regional financial services, and the University of Botswana. Climate is hot semi-arid with hot summers, cool dry winters, and a single summer rainy season. English is the official working language alongside widely used Setswana, and the pula is the currency. Sir Seretse Khama International Airport and the A1 highway to Pretoria anchor connectivity. Relocation interest centers on stable governance and regional headquarters roles.
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