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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,206 in Windhoek.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $2,057 in Windhoek.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,907 in Windhoek.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 38% more expensive than in Windhoek, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Windhoek is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$206

$11.61 NAD 190

2.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$890

$62.1 NAD 1,017

-16.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$6.11 NAD 100

86.74%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.9

$2.43 NAD 39.71

64.20%

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

$1.66 MX$28.61

$0.89 NAD 14.62

86.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.87

$0.94 NAD 15.37

41.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.9

$2.05 NAD 33.51

69.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$2.28 NAD 37.38

158.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.36

$1.64 NAD 26.93

14.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$0.90 NAD 14.79

261.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.26

$2.18 NAD 35.66

-0.92%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.94

$3.11 NAD 50.8

-6.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$9.62 NAD 158

33.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$6.83 NAD 112

47.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$7.52 NAD 123

110.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.8

$2.24 NAD 36.68

46.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.60

$1.95 NAD 32.00

3.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.93

$1.93 NAD 31.59

13.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.63

$2.19 NAD 35.85

7.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.43

$2.18 NAD 35.76

-5.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.79

$1.80 NAD 29.41

5.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.97 NAD 32.27

-18.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.09

$1.15 NAD 18.80

21.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.2

$3.41 NAD 55.8

60.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$7.13 NAD 117

147.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.44

$1.45 NAD 23.74

42.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.8

$1.47 NAD 24.06

218.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.84

$0.83 NAD 13.65

-59.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$359

$48.44 NAD 793

-57.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.15

$0.84 NAD 13.73

150.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.64

$0.90 NAD 14.81

-37.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$15.77 NAD 258

-63.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.68

$1.38 NAD 22.64

16.67%

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

$22.8K MX$393.8K

$24.4K NAD 399.8K

-6.45%

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

$26.8K MX$461.2K

$30.1K NAD 493.0K

-11.15%

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

$65.2 MX$1,124

$141 NAD 2,310

-53.79%

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

$30.09 MX$519

$28.22 NAD 462

6.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$641

$48.44 NAD 793

-23.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,030

$38.41 NAD 629

55.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$458

$10.56 NAD 173

151.42%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$5.60 NAD 91.6

25.71%

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

$465 MX$8,012

$211 NAD 3,457

120.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.9K

$5,403 NAD 88.5K

145.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,308

$57.1 NAD 936

32.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$965

$35.44 NAD 580

57.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,929

$91.5 NAD 1,499

22.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,078

$101 NAD 1,652

19.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$545 NAD 8,917

102.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$385 NAD 6,302

87.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$1,181 NAD 19.3K

114.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$963 NAD 15.8K

34.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.8K

$1,623 NAD 26.6K

145.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$619 NAD 10.1K

237.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

$1,023 NAD 16.8K

1.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.42

-1.05%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Windhoek: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $545 in Windhoek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 1% 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: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $62.0 in Windhoek. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $230, with Windhoek cheaper for home cooking.

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 38% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $1,206 including rent). Windhoek is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $545 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 133% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $211 in Windhoek. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,206 in Windhoek versus $1,660 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 38% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.