Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Windhoek Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Windhoek

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,108 in Windhoek.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,797 in Windhoek.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,485 in Windhoek.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 32% more expensive than Windhoek, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Windhoek is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$10.55 NAD 172

24.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$38.77 NAD 630

39.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$5.35 NAD 87.0

76.07%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$1.94 NAD 31.53

82.99%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.96 NAD 15.57

68.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.95 NAD 15.37

16.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.86 NAD 30.25

67.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$2.28 NAD 37.01

103.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.45 NAD 23.51

17.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$0.86 NAD 13.94

216.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.66 NAD 27.04

15.06%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.80 NAD 45.47

-9.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$6.21 NAD 101

61.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$5.33 NAD 86.6

51.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$6.79 NAD 110

71.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$1.86 NAD 30.16

59.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.90 NAD 30.84

-4.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.72 NAD 27.87

16.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$1.77 NAD 28.70

14.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$2.04 NAD 33.17

3.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.81 NAD 29.47

25.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.88 NAD 30.54

-25.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$1.14 NAD 18.59

-0.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.81 NAD 45.70

51.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$7.21 NAD 117

115.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.34 NAD 21.80

31.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$1.85 NAD 30.03

94.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.70 NAD 11.34

-45.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$40.64 NAD 661

-52.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$0.68 NAD 11.12

102.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$0.73 NAD 11.89

-61.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$11.51 NAD 187

-52.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.23 NAD 19.93

5.69%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$21.2K NAD 344.2K

-11.78%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$24.0K NAD 389.7K

-3.55%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$40.86 MX$707

$116 NAD 1,893

-64.92%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$26.81 MX$464

$17.47 NAD 284

53.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$51.0 NAD 828

-41.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$37.28 NAD 606

39.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$13.37 NAD 217

100.75%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$5.42 NAD 88.1

16.24%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$436 MX$7,544

$218 NAD 3,539

100.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$5,110 NAD 83.0K

103.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$51.7 NAD 840

9.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$26.89 NAD 437

65.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$89.3 NAD 1,451

15.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$83.2 NAD 1,353

26.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$490 NAD 7,970

108.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$389 NAD 6,326

62.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$1,257 NAD 20.4K

69.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$950 NAD 15.4K

30.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$1,660 NAD 27.0K

135.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$616 NAD 10.0K

235.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$1,037 NAD 16.8K

7.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.69

-2.99%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Windhoek: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $490 in Windhoek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 8% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $39.00 in Windhoek for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $199 per month, with Windhoek cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Mexico City vs Windhoek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Windhoek differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,108 including rent). Windhoek is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 8% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $490 in Windhoek. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Windhoek runs roughly 112% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $218 in Windhoek. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,108 in Windhoek versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Windhoek but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Windhoek the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Windhoek gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.