Living in Gaborone, Botswana

Gaborone is a mid-sized inland city in Botswana (250,000 to 1 million people in the city proper). It has a warm climate, averaging 21°C over the year with about 442 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €2,359 a month to live centrally. For foreigners, long-term residency in Botswana is possible, with conditions.

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Est. cost: €2,359; a month for a couple
Climate: 21°C; 442 mm rain a year
Size: Mid-sized; 250,000 to 1 million people
Safety: 61/100; country-level
Residency: Possible, with conditions; for most foreigners

Limited data for Botswana. Figures for safety, healthcare, cost of living and political stability in Botswana are country-level estimates from World Bank indicators, each named with its year. We have no tax, English, social openness or internet speed figures for Botswana, so the quiz scores those factors conservatively and this page leaves them out.

Climate

Gaborone averages 21°C across the year with about 442 mm of rain, which makes it warm and dry. It is warmer than 58% of the 1225 cities we track.

Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.

Cost of living

We estimate a couple needs about €2,359 a month to live centrally in Gaborone, 14% below the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 78% of them.

Source: OurNextCity model from the price level of GDP relative to the United States, from GDP per person in US dollars and at purchasing power parity (NY.GDP.PCAP.CD/NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD, 2025), calibrated to our country-level cost index (New York = 100) and scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Healthcare

Botswana scores 56 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 23% of the cities we compare.

Source: Country-level estimate, the same for every city in Botswana: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, 2024) and current health spending per person in US dollars (SH.XPD.CHEX.PC.CD, 2023), calibrated to the 0 to 100 scale of our reference tables. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Residency and visas

Possible, with conditions. Long-term residence runs through employer-sponsored work permits, an investor/entrepreneur permit tied to operating a real business, or discretionary self-sufficiency, with no published passive-income or golden-visa route.

The cheapest self-funded routes we track for Botswana:

Investment: about $36k (Investor/entrepreneur permit: no legal minimum, but specialist firms cite a de-facto floor of ~BWP 500,000 equity in a registered Botswana company; converted at ~14 BWP/USD (June 2026).; as of June 2026)

For short visits, 103 of 198 passports can enter visa-free, 94 can get an e-visa or visa on arrival and 1 need a visa in advance.

Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules, figures as of June 2026. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).

Safety and stability

Botswana scores 61 out of 100 on safety, safer than 54% of the cities we compare. Its estimated democracy score is 6.7 out of 10.

Source: Country-level estimate, the same for every city in Botswana: country-level homicide rate per 100,000 people (VC.IHR.PSRC.P5, 2021) and Worldwide Governance Indicators Political Stability and Absence of Violence estimate (GOV_WGI_PV.EST, 2025), calibrated to the 0 to 100 scale of our reference tables (higher is safer). Stability: Worldwide Governance Indicators Voice and Accountability estimate (GOV_WGI_VA.EST, 2025), calibrated to the EIU Democracy Index scale. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Questions couples ask about Gaborone

Is Gaborone a good place to live for couples?

It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, Gaborone scores well on affordability. It is weaker on healthcare. Our figures for Botswana are partial: no tax, English, social openness or internet speed data, and country-level World Bank estimates for the rest. Expect a warm, dry climate (21°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Gaborone and 914 other cities for both of you at once.

How much does it cost a couple to live in Gaborone?

We estimate about €2,359 a month for a couple living centrally, 14% below the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from the World Bank price level of GDP for Botswana, calibrated to our country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.

Can foreigners live in Botswana long term?

Our assessment: possible, with conditions. Long-term residence runs through employer-sponsored work permits, an investor/entrepreneur permit tied to operating a real business, or discretionary self-sufficiency, with no published passive-income or golden-visa route. The cheapest self-funded routes we track: investment, about $36k (as of 2026-06).

What is the weather like in Gaborone?

Gaborone averages 21°C across the year with about 442 mm of rain, which makes it warm and dry. It is warmer than 58% of the cities we track.