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: $1,124 in Windhoek versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,850 in Windhoek versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,577 in Windhoek versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Windhoek costs roughly 52% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Windhoek is 16% below, Barcelona is 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.46 NAD 172

$17.66 €15.43

-40.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.12 NAD 645

$69.7 €60.9

-43.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.42 NAD 89.4

$14.16 €12.37

-61.72%

Cappuccino

$1.86 NAD 30.70

$2.80 €2.45

-33.57%

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

$0.91 NAD 14.94

$2.81 €2.46

-67.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 NAD 15.93

$2.06 €1.80

-52.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 NAD 29.61

$4.60 €4.02

-60.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 NAD 37.48

$4.69 €4.10

-51.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 NAD 23.71

$1.23 €1.07

17.07%

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 NAD 13.52

$2.03 €1.78

-59.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 NAD 27.23

$1.98 €1.73

-16.67%

Eggs

$2.80 NAD 46.12

$3.49 €3.05

-19.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.28 NAD 104

$18.33 €16.01

-65.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.38 NAD 88.8

$9.83 €8.59

-45.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.58 NAD 108

$19.13 €16.71

-65.60%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 NAD 29.72

$2.73 €2.38

-34.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 NAD 32.58

$2.38 €2.08

-16.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 NAD 26.74

$2.08 €1.82

-22.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 NAD 28.68

$2.75 €2.41

-36.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 NAD 32.92

$1.96 €1.71

2.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 NAD 29.85

$1.79 €1.57

1.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 NAD 31.94

$1.48 €1.29

31.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 NAD 18.88

$0.91 €0.80

25.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.72 NAD 44.85

$7.13 €6.23

-61.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.98 NAD 115

$7.88 €6.88

-11.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 NAD 23.03

$1.38 €1.20

1.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 NAD 30.38

$2.39 €2.09

-23.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 NAD 11.65

$3.01 €2.63

-76.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.09 NAD 678

$29.35 €25.65

40.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 NAD 12.19

$4.36 €3.81

-83.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 NAD 11.03

$2.13 €1.86

-68.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.73 NAD 193

$29.60 €25.86

-60.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 NAD 19.47

$1.82 €1.59

-35.16%

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

$21.1K NAD 348.7K

$37.9K €33.1K

-44.19%

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

$24.4K NAD 402.3K

$32.4K €28.3K

-24.65%

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

$119 NAD 1,960

$189 €165

-37.12%

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

$17.50 NAD 289

$22.29 €19.48

-21.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 NAD 827

$37.16 €32.47

34.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.62 NAD 604

$58.0 €50.7

-36.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.31 NAD 220

$20.66 €18.05

-35.58%

Cinema Ticket

$5.23 NAD 86.2

$10.87 €9.50

-51.89%

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

$218 NAD 3,595

$706 €617

-69.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,275 NAD 87.0K

$14.9K €13.0K

-64.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 NAD 846

$89.4 €78.2

-42.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.72 NAD 441

$36.60 €31.98

-26.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.7 NAD 1,430

$104 €90.9

-16.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.2 NAD 1,338

$119 €104

-32.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$494 NAD 8,146

$1,579 €1,379

-68.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 NAD 6,297

$1,238 €1,082

-69.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 NAD 21.3K

$2,712 €2,370

-52.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$921 NAD 15.2K

$2,039 €1,782

-54.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,592 NAD 26.2K

$7,527 €6,576

-78.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$627 NAD 10.3K

$5,239 €4,577

-88.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,009 NAD 16.6K

$2,364 €2,065

-57.30%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $494 in Windhoek and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 134% 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 $70.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $320 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 106% in total monthly costs ($1,124 vs $2,320 including rent). Windhoek is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 134% 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: $494 in Windhoek versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $218 in Windhoek versus $706 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,124 in Windhoek versus $2,320 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 106% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.