Cost of Living Comparison Between Windhoek and Irkutsk Cost of Living Comparison Between Windhoek and Irkutsk

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,108 in Windhoek versus $1,023 in Irkutsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,797 in Windhoek versus $1,714 in Irkutsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,485 in Windhoek versus $2,405 in Irkutsk.

Living in Windhoek is roughly 8% more expensive than Irkutsk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Windhoek 17% lower, Irkutsk 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.55 NAD 172

$8.30 ₽606

27.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.77 NAD 630

$35.10 ₽2,562

10.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.35 NAD 87.0

$5.60 ₽409

-4.46%

Cappuccino

$1.94 NAD 31.53

$3.06 ₽223

-36.60%

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

$0.96 NAD 15.57

$1.49 ₽109

-35.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 NAD 15.37

$0.42 ₽30.99

126.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 NAD 30.25

$1.55 ₽113

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 NAD 37.01

$2.58 ₽189

-11.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 NAD 23.51

$1.39 ₽101

4.32%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 NAD 13.94

$0.58 ₽42.11

48.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 NAD 27.04

$1.73 ₽126

-4.05%

Eggs

$2.80 NAD 45.47

$2.21 ₽161

26.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.21 NAD 101

$14.94 ₽1,091

-58.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.33 NAD 86.6

$6.36 ₽465

-16.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.79 NAD 110

$12.60 ₽920

-46.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 NAD 30.16

$2.23 ₽163

-16.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 NAD 30.84

$2.50 ₽183

-24.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 NAD 27.87

$3.03 ₽221

-43.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.77 NAD 28.70

$4.70 ₽343

-62.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 NAD 33.17

$1.08 ₽78.6

88.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 NAD 29.47

$0.92 ₽67.0

96.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 NAD 30.54

$2.16 ₽158

-12.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 NAD 18.59

$0.72 ₽52.3

58.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.81 NAD 45.70

$3.75 ₽274

-25.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.21 NAD 117

$9.65 ₽704

-25.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 NAD 21.80

$1.19 ₽87.1

12.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 NAD 30.03

$2.38 ₽173

-22.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 NAD 11.34

$0.49 ₽36.02

42.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.64 NAD 661

$9.99 ₽729

306.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 NAD 11.12

$1.85 ₽135

-63.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 NAD 11.89

$0.33 ₽24.07

121.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.51 NAD 187

$4.68 ₽342

145.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 NAD 19.93

$0.82 ₽60.1

50.00%

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

$21.2K NAD 344.2K

$29.6K ₽2.2M

-28.34%

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

$24.0K NAD 389.7K

$25.6K ₽1.9M

-6.32%

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

$116 NAD 1,893

$95.9 ₽7,002

21.42%

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

$17.47 NAD 284

$6.83 ₽499

155.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.0 NAD 828

$9.34 ₽682

445.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.28 NAD 606

$38.98 ₽2,845

-4.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.37 NAD 217

$14.31 ₽1,045

-6.57%

Cinema Ticket

$5.42 NAD 88.1

$4.97 ₽363

9.05%

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

$218 NAD 3,539

$282 ₽20.6K

-22.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,110 NAD 83.0K

$6,973 ₽509.0K

-26.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 NAD 840

$36.85 ₽2,689

40.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.89 NAD 437

$38.60 ₽2,817

-30.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 NAD 1,451

$102 ₽7,421

-12.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.2 NAD 1,353

$105 ₽7,685

-20.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 NAD 7,970

$551 ₽40.2K

-10.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 NAD 6,326

$331 ₽24.2K

17.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 NAD 20.4K

$1,165 ₽85.0K

7.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$950 NAD 15.4K

$751 ₽54.8K

26.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,660 NAD 27.0K

$3,153 ₽230.1K

-47.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$616 NAD 10.0K

$1,938 ₽141.4K

-68.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 NAD 16.8K

$816 ₽59.5K

27.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.69

19.29

-39.40%

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

Last update for Windhoek: May 31, 2026

Last update for Irkutsk: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Windhoek and $551 in Irkutsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Windhoek pays 27% 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 $35.00 in Irkutsk. Groceries flip the comparison at $199 vs $264, with Windhoek cheaper for home cooking.

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 Irkutsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Irkutsk wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Windhoek. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Irkutsk the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Windhoek pays 27% more on average, 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: $490 in Windhoek versus $551 in Irkutsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $218 in Windhoek versus $282 in Irkutsk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Windhoek pay roughly 33% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,023 in Irkutsk versus $1,108 in Windhoek, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Irkutsk but tight or insufficient in Windhoek. The gap between the two cities makes Irkutsk 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 Irkutsk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Windhoek. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.