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: $1,108 in Windhoek versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,797 in Windhoek versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,485 in Windhoek versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Windhoek costs roughly 53% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Windhoek is 17% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.55 NAD 172

$17.58 €15.12

-39.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.77 NAD 630

$68.4 €58.9

-43.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.35 NAD 87.0

$14.06 €12.09

-61.95%

Cappuccino

$1.94 NAD 31.53

$2.78 €2.39

-30.22%

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

$0.96 NAD 15.57

$2.80 €2.41

-65.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 NAD 15.37

$2.06 €1.78

-53.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 NAD 30.25

$4.46 €3.84

-58.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 NAD 37.01

$4.61 €3.96

-50.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 NAD 23.51

$1.24 €1.07

16.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 NAD 13.94

$2.03 €1.74

-57.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 NAD 27.04

$1.92 €1.65

-13.54%

Eggs

$2.80 NAD 45.47

$3.31 €2.85

-15.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.21 NAD 101

$18.43 €15.85

-66.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.33 NAD 86.6

$9.49 €8.16

-43.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.79 NAD 110

$19.16 €16.48

-64.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 NAD 30.16

$2.64 €2.27

-29.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 NAD 30.84

$2.45 €2.11

-22.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 NAD 27.87

$2.12 €1.82

-18.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.77 NAD 28.70

$2.85 €2.45

-37.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 NAD 33.17

$2.04 €1.75

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 NAD 29.47

$1.85 €1.59

-2.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 NAD 30.54

$1.47 €1.26

27.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 NAD 18.59

$0.84 €0.73

35.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.81 NAD 45.70

$7.14 €6.14

-60.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.21 NAD 117

$7.88 €6.78

-8.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 NAD 21.80

$1.38 €1.19

-2.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 NAD 30.03

$2.31 €1.99

-19.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 NAD 11.34

$2.98 €2.56

-76.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.64 NAD 661

$29.26 €25.17

38.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 NAD 11.12

$4.60 €3.95

-85.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 NAD 11.89

$2.07 €1.78

-64.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.51 NAD 187

$29.18 €25.10

-60.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 NAD 19.93

$1.84 €1.58

-33.15%

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

$21.2K NAD 344.2K

$39.0K €33.6K

-45.70%

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

$24.0K NAD 389.7K

$32.7K €28.1K

-26.66%

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

$116 NAD 1,893

$188 €162

-37.98%

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

$17.47 NAD 284

$22.93 €19.73

-23.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.0 NAD 828

$36.71 €31.58

38.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.28 NAD 606

$57.4 €49.35

-35.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.37 NAD 217

$20.70 €17.80

-35.41%

Cinema Ticket

$5.42 NAD 88.1

$11.19 €9.63

-51.56%

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

$218 NAD 3,539

$721 €620

-69.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,110 NAD 83.0K

$15.0K €12.9K

-66.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 NAD 840

$86.2 €74.2

-40.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.89 NAD 437

$37.07 €31.89

-27.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 NAD 1,451

$102 €87.8

-12.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.2 NAD 1,353

$116 €99.7

-28.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 NAD 7,970

$1,534 €1,319

-68.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 NAD 6,326

$1,220 €1,050

-68.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 NAD 20.4K

$2,696 €2,319

-53.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$950 NAD 15.4K

$2,013 €1,732

-52.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,660 NAD 27.0K

$7,220 €6,211

-77.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$616 NAD 10.0K

$5,189 €4,463

-88.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 NAD 16.8K

$2,359 €2,029

-56.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.69

3.39

244.84%

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

Last update for Windhoek: May 31, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Windhoek and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 128% 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: $39.00 in Windhoek vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $318 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 113% in total monthly costs ($1,108 vs $2,367 including rent). Windhoek is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 128% less. 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: $490 in Windhoek versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $218 in Windhoek versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,108 in Windhoek versus $2,367 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 113% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.