Cost of living in Botswana – 2015

I live in the capital of Botswana, Gaborone.

Surprisingly things are quite expensive here. If you come with GBP or USD in your pocket, then you're fine but once you are reliant on BWP your pockets become a bit lighter.

> I live just outside the city centre in a village called Tlokweng in a 24/7 secure compound. We pay P4,550 per month for a small 2 bedroom apartment with a kitchen so tiny you can't fit a fridge/freezer in it. The one element about renting in Botswana any expat has to be aware of is that some landlords apply a 10% rental increase every 12 months of occupancy, it's legally allowed and written into the tenancy agreement. I don't understand it or agree with it as you are progressively paying more to live in a place that progressively depreciates. If you choose to rent nearer the city centre or in a more desirable and secure place, then you're looking at around P10,000 minimum per month and these prices can easily go above P20,000 if you want a large property with a pool, etc within the high end areas.

> There are only two forms of public transport in Botswana and this is a taxi or a combi. The combi is the most affordable at P3.50 per person and this covers the entire journey from one station to the next station (no matter how far the journey is). Most of the drivers are mad and careless with too over confident in their driving ability. They can also be quite uncomfortable as it's a small van that seats approx 15 people but they try to squeeze more in if they can, which is worse when it's 38 degrees centigrade outside. They can be frustrating as sometimes they stop at certain stops and don't move until the combi is full (or near full), so they are not suitable if you're in a hurry. The taxi offers more convenience but at a much higher price and if your not local to Botswana, then you are likely to be charged higher (double, three times the normal amount). The trick is to use taxis with blue license plates as these are registered and have set fees. The other taxis are private and not registered so charge whatever they want to, however if you know a local then get them to give you the number for someone they trust. Only some are ripping people off but there are many taxi guys who are honest and charge fairly.

> Grocery shopping has seriously increased and there's no real difference between any of the supermarkets. My personal favourites are Woolworths (for food items mainly) and Spar. An average weekly shop can cost close to P1,000 if not more - you really notice the difference if you're shopping on a budget, you leave feeling you don't have much.

> I'm not in a position to use private health as I can't afford it, not that I'm saying it's too expensive, I just literally have very little spare cash at this present time. There are free clinics dotted around but you can spend the entire day waiting to be seen, best to go at night to a 24 hour clinic as you'll still wait but not as long. I also have to get medication for free, which involves leaving the house at 6.00am to get to the top of the queue at the NHS hospital. Again, if you don't get there early then expect to wait for a long time.

> I don't have any children as yet so don't pay for private education. However, I am lead to believe some fees can be several thousand per term and some can be double that.

> I don't drive so can't comment on petrol. Electricity is usually a case of buying units and most houses have a meter in which you input the unit code, so you can see how much electricity you're using and how fast. I would say around P200 will last a month. Be aware that Botswana doesn't produce its own electricity and buys it from South Africa, so when SA is struggling to meet their own demands then Botswana suffers... which results in prolonged load shedding. This is when your electricity is cut, no warning and no idea of how long and in extreme cases it can be gone for well over 12 hours, over random periods during the week and on numerous occasions.

> Internet has just gone through changes in Botswana and is slowly catching up with the rest of the world. It's affordable depending on the package you buy and there's quite a few suppliers. DStv is the only provider of satellite TV (there is a free TV channel called BTV but this not really aimed at non-Setswana speaking people. DStv is again affordable depending on what package you want but the cheap packages offer rubbish channels. If you want movies, sports, Sky news, etc then you pay around P600 per month but don't get me started on the 'access fee.'

> There are lots and lots of restaurants in Botswana (mainly in Gaborone) from burger bars to sit down meals. They can vary in price but you get great food in most of them. Botswana does meat very well and very generous portions. I really enjoy the service and food at Cafe Portugalia at Game City Mall, very pleasant waitresses. The food in Botswana is brilliant, can't complain.

> There's a few coffee shops but the main one is called Mug & Bean. It's affordable and a decent cup of coffee and the Riverwalk Mall branch has great service.

> I've never been to the cinema here... yes you guessed it... I can't afford to at the moment but I think it's around P100 for adults.

gmashworth cost of living in Botswana can be very high. I am a Motswana and I know how expensive it is to rent especially in Gaborone. My question to you is why don't you try sharing or looking for a less expensive place? You could save a whole lot.