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: $1,248 in Windhoek versus $2,482 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,121 in Windhoek versus $3,548 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,993 in Windhoek versus $4,613 in Barcelona.

Living in Windhoek costs roughly 50% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Windhoek is 9% below, Barcelona is 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.83 NAD 191

$18.42 €15.88

-35.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.0 NAD 999

$69.4 €59.8

-10.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.14 NAD 98.8

$14.05 €12.11

-56.30%

Cappuccino

$2.35 NAD 37.85

$3.11 €2.68

-24.44%

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

$0.97 NAD 15.67

$2.96 €2.55

-67.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 NAD 15.22

$1.95 €1.69

-51.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.09 NAD 33.67

$3.99 €3.44

-47.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 NAD 37.09

$4.62 €3.98

-50.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 NAD 26.89

$1.32 €1.14

26.52%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 NAD 15.47

$2.11 €1.82

-54.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 NAD 35.41

$1.83 €1.57

20.22%

Eggs

$3.20 NAD 51.5

$5.16 €4.45

-37.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.62 NAD 155

$17.56 €15.14

-45.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.75 NAD 109

$9.50 €8.19

-28.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.74 NAD 125

$19.93 €17.18

-61.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 NAD 35.91

$3.17 €2.73

-29.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 NAD 32.92

$2.21 €1.91

-7.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 NAD 31.69

$2.61 €2.25

-24.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.20 NAD 35.51

$2.85 €2.46

-22.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 NAD 35.37

$2.17 €1.87

1.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 NAD 30.06

$2.11 €1.81

-11.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 NAD 32.70

$1.62 €1.39

25.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 NAD 18.66

$0.88 €0.76

31.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.53 NAD 56.9

$7.17 €6.18

-50.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.24 NAD 117

$8.33 €7.18

-13.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 NAD 24.04

$1.50 €1.29

-0.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 NAD 23.94

$2.75 €2.37

-45.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 NAD 12.49

$3.14 €2.70

-75.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.63 NAD 799

$26.25 €22.63

89.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 NAD 12.40

$3.22 €2.78

-76.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 NAD 15.89

$1.51 €1.30

-34.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.52 NAD 266

$35.26 €30.39

-53.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 NAD 21.89

$1.75 €1.51

-22.29%

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

$25.2K NAD 405.5K

$36.7K €31.6K

-31.32%

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

$29.8K NAD 479.8K

$31.7K €27.3K

-5.94%

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

$145 NAD 2,337

$187 €161

-22.46%

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

$28.35 NAD 457

$15.10 €13.01

87.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.53 NAD 798

$37.60 €32.41

31.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.35 NAD 618

$55.5 €47.83

-30.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.89 NAD 175

$16.74 €14.43

-34.95%

Cinema Ticket

$5.66 NAD 91.2

$11.71 €10.09

-51.67%

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

$215 NAD 3,456

$1,011 €871

-78.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,479 NAD 88.3K

$17.1K €14.7K

-67.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 NAD 912

$91.4 €78.8

-38.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.21 NAD 583

$41.00 €35.34

-11.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.3 NAD 1,503

$111 €95.3

-15.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 NAD 1,607

$126 €109

-20.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$541 NAD 8,718

$1,704 €1,469

-68.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 NAD 6,155

$1,299 €1,120

-70.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,181 NAD 19.0K

$2,588 €2,231

-54.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$994 NAD 16.0K

$1,929 €1,663

-48.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,677 NAD 27.0K

$7,732 €6,665

-78.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$636 NAD 10.2K

$5,384 €4,641

-88.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,050 NAD 16.9K

$2,374 €2,046

-55.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.16

261.39%

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

Last update for Windhoek: September 5, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $541 in Windhoek and $1,704 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 126% 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: $62.0 in Windhoek vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $333 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 99% in total monthly costs ($1,248 vs $2,482 including rent). Windhoek is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 126% 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: $541 in Windhoek versus $1,704 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $215 in Windhoek versus $1,011 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,248 in Windhoek versus $2,482 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 99% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.