Cost of Living Comparison Between Windhoek and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Windhoek and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,245 in Windhoek versus $2,442 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,066 in Windhoek versus $3,414 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,886 in Windhoek versus $4,386 in Barcelona.

Living in Windhoek costs roughly 49% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Windhoek is 8% below, Barcelona is 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.62 NAD 188

$18.56 €16.03

-37.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.9 NAD 855

$70.1 €60.5

-24.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 NAD 95.4

$13.70 €11.84

-56.93%

Cappuccino

$2.33 NAD 37.60

$3.10 €2.68

-24.84%

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

$0.87 NAD 13.98

$2.76 €2.38

-68.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 NAD 15.41

$1.86 €1.60

-48.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 NAD 29.52

$4.00 €3.45

-54.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 NAD 32.03

$4.69 €4.05

-57.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 NAD 25.26

$1.24 €1.07

25.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 NAD 15.95

$2.13 €1.84

-53.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 NAD 35.09

$1.82 €1.57

19.23%

Eggs

$3.16 NAD 51.0

$5.13 €4.44

-38.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.75 NAD 158

$16.74 €14.46

-41.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.88 NAD 111

$9.48 €8.19

-27.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.68 NAD 124

$19.25 €16.63

-60.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 NAD 37.54

$3.07 €2.65

-24.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 NAD 31.77

$2.19 €1.89

-10.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 NAD 31.27

$2.44 €2.11

-20.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 NAD 36.40

$2.89 €2.50

-22.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 NAD 34.75

$2.21 €1.91

-2.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 NAD 29.89

$2.27 €1.96

-18.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 NAD 32.40

$1.55 €1.34

29.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 NAD 19.54

$0.86 €0.74

40.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 NAD 53.4

$7.31 €6.32

-54.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.31 NAD 118

$8.02 €6.92

-8.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 NAD 23.23

$1.53 €1.32

-5.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 NAD 23.49

$2.57 €2.22

-43.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 NAD 12.72

$3.13 €2.70

-74.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.97 NAD 792

$26.14 €22.58

87.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 NAD 12.46

$3.34 €2.88

-76.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 NAD 15.71

$1.87 €1.62

-48.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.22 NAD 262

$34.29 €29.62

-52.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 NAD 22.78

$1.71 €1.48

-17.54%

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

$24.8K NAD 400.9K

$37.0K €32.0K

-33.01%

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

$29.4K NAD 474.6K

$30.8K €26.6K

-4.81%

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

$142 NAD 2,291

$180 €156

-21.32%

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

$27.98 NAD 452

$16.25 €14.04

72.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.61 NAD 786

$37.47 €32.36

29.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.51 NAD 623

$54.3 €46.89

-29.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.65 NAD 172

$16.79 €14.50

-36.57%

Cinema Ticket

$5.54 NAD 89.6

$11.69 €10.10

-52.61%

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

$210 NAD 3,402

$949 €820

-77.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,465 NAD 88.3K

$16.3K €14.1K

-66.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 NAD 926

$85.4 €73.8

-32.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.53 NAD 574

$39.82 €34.40

-10.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 NAD 1,479

$109 €94.3

-16.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 NAD 1,621

$124 €107

-19.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$551 NAD 8,904

$1,678 €1,450

-67.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 NAD 6,205

$1,292 €1,116

-70.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,188 NAD 19.2K

$2,624 €2,267

-54.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 NAD 15.9K

$1,907 €1,647

-48.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,616 NAD 26.1K

$7,775 €6,716

-79.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$613 NAD 9,910

$5,316 €4,592

-88.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,009 NAD 16.3K

$2,451 €2,117

-58.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.12

266.03%

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

Last update for Windhoek: August 10, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $551 in Windhoek and $1,678 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 143% 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: $53.0 in Windhoek vs $70.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $326 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

Windhoek vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Windhoek and Barcelona differ by about 96% in total monthly costs ($1,245 vs $2,442 including rent). Windhoek is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 143% lower in Barcelona. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $551 in Windhoek versus $1,678 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $210 in Windhoek versus $949 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,245 in Windhoek versus $2,442 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Windhoek but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. 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.

Safety-wise, Windhoek and Barcelona are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Windhoek gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.