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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,124 in Windhoek.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,850 in Windhoek.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,577 in Windhoek.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 30% more expensive than in Windhoek, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Windhoek is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$229

$10.46 NAD 172

24.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$940

$39.12 NAD 645

37.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$5.42 NAD 89.4

78.60%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.4

$1.86 NAD 30.70

101.08%

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

$1.62 MX$28.25

$0.91 NAD 14.94

78.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.31

$0.97 NAD 15.93

19.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.4

$1.80 NAD 29.61

79.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.9

$2.27 NAD 37.48

108.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.80

$1.44 NAD 23.71

14.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$48.15

$0.82 NAD 13.52

235.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.77

$1.65 NAD 27.23

13.33%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.72

$2.80 NAD 46.12

-10.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$6.28 NAD 104

62.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$5.38 NAD 88.8

53.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$207

$6.58 NAD 108

79.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.6

$1.80 NAD 29.72

67.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.67

$1.98 NAD 32.58

-8.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.96

$1.62 NAD 26.74

23.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.89

$1.74 NAD 28.68

14.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.45

$2.00 NAD 32.92

4.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.72

$1.81 NAD 29.85

25.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.47

$1.94 NAD 31.94

-24.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.82

$1.14 NAD 18.88

-5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$76.0

$2.72 NAD 44.85

59.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$297

$6.98 NAD 115

143.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.31

$1.40 NAD 23.03

23.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.5

$1.84 NAD 30.38

94.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.77

$0.71 NAD 11.65

-45.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$327

$41.09 NAD 678

-54.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.18

$0.74 NAD 12.19

79.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.89

$0.67 NAD 11.03

-58.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.8

$11.73 NAD 193

-55.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.37

$1.18 NAD 19.47

13.56%

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

$19.4K MX$339.4K

$21.1K NAD 348.7K

-8.21%

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

$23.8K MX$416.7K

$24.4K NAD 402.3K

-2.32%

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

$40.69 MX$712

$119 NAD 1,960

-65.77%

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

$26.87 MX$470

$17.50 NAD 289

53.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$534

$50.1 NAD 827

-39.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$923

$36.62 NAD 604

44.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$466

$13.31 NAD 220

100.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$114

$5.23 NAD 86.2

24.47%

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

$428 MX$7,485

$218 NAD 3,595

96.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.6K

$5,275 NAD 87.0K

99.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$1,001

$51.3 NAD 846

11.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$796

$26.72 NAD 441

70.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,819

$86.7 NAD 1,430

20.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,885

$81.2 NAD 1,338

32.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$494 NAD 8,146

103.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.9K

$382 NAD 6,297

63.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.9K

$1,291 NAD 21.3K

63.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.3K

$921 NAD 15.2K

32.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.9K

$1,592 NAD 26.2K

144.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.5K

$627 NAD 10.3K

224.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$1,009 NAD 16.6K

2.82%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Windhoek: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $494 in Windhoek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 3% 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 $292 vs $198 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 30% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $1,124 including rent). Windhoek is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 3% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $494 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 120% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 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 $1,124 in Windhoek versus $1,456 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 30% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.