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: $1,238 in Windhoek versus $919 in Irkutsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,074 in Windhoek versus $1,444 in Irkutsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,910 in Windhoek versus $1,968 in Irkutsk.

Living in Windhoek is roughly 35% more expensive than in Irkutsk, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Windhoek 10% lower, Irkutsk 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 NAD 188

$5.74 ₽498

102.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.8 NAD 1,014

$29.13 ₽2,529

115.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.38 NAD 103

$5.90 ₽512

8.14%

Cappuccino

$2.45 NAD 39.62

$2.82 ₽245

-13.12%

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

$0.89 NAD 14.34

$1.50 ₽130

-40.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 NAD 15.08

$0.60 ₽51.7

55.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 NAD 31.64

$1.77 ₽154

10.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 NAD 36.93

$3.50 ₽304

-34.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 NAD 26.59

$1.28 ₽111

28.12%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 NAD 14.59

$0.55 ₽47.84

63.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 NAD 33.91

$1.56 ₽135

34.62%

Eggs

$3.12 NAD 50.5

$1.82 ₽158

71.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.93 NAD 161

$13.95 ₽1,211

-28.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.64 NAD 107

$6.23 ₽541

6.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.54 NAD 122

$11.01 ₽956

-31.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 NAD 36.75

$2.67 ₽232

-14.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 NAD 32.30

$2.07 ₽180

-3.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 NAD 30.49

$2.67 ₽231

-29.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 NAD 36.37

$3.98 ₽345

-43.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 NAD 35.80

$0.89 ₽77.3

148.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 NAD 29.35

$0.70 ₽61.2

160.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 NAD 33.78

$2.25 ₽195

-7.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NAD 18.55

$0.71 ₽62.1

61.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.34 NAD 54.0

$3.07 ₽266

8.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.93 NAD 112

$7.67 ₽665

-9.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 NAD 23.59

$0.93 ₽81.2

56.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 NAD 23.50

$2.45 ₽213

-40.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 NAD 12.63

$0.50 ₽43.45

56.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.94 NAD 807

$13.78 ₽1,196

262.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 NAD 13.63

$1.70 ₽148

-50.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 NAD 15.42

$0.61 ₽52.7

55.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.11 NAD 260

$7.37 ₽640

118.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 NAD 22.92

$0.80 ₽69.8

77.50%

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

$24.5K NAD 395.4K

$20.4K ₽1.8M

19.84%

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

$30.3K NAD 489.7K

$30.8K ₽2.7M

-1.52%

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

$142 NAD 2,294

$74.6 ₽6,475

90.25%

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

$28.74 NAD 465

$6.36 ₽552

351.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.03 NAD 793

$12.15 ₽1,055

303.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.49 NAD 606

$41.17 ₽3,574

-8.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.77 NAD 174

$17.21 ₽1,494

-37.42%

Cinema Ticket

$5.50 NAD 88.9

$5.66 ₽491

-2.83%

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

$213 NAD 3,445

$173 ₽15.0K

23.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,564 NAD 90.0K

$3,150 ₽273.5K

76.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.1 NAD 924

$53.6 ₽4,648

6.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.02 NAD 582

$37.24 ₽3,233

-3.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 NAD 1,481

$97.3 ₽8,450

-5.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 NAD 1,629

$80.0 ₽6,941

26.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 NAD 8,657

$391 ₽33.9K

37.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$388 NAD 6,275

$286 ₽24.8K

35.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,182 NAD 19.1K

$872 ₽75.7K

35.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$998 NAD 16.1K

$523 ₽45.4K

90.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,637 NAD 26.5K

$2,663 ₽231.2K

-38.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$615 NAD 9,943

$1,627 ₽141.2K

-62.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 NAD 16.6K

$684 ₽59.4K

50.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

25.33

-54.92%

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

Last update for Windhoek: August 30, 2026

Last update for Irkutsk: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $535 in Windhoek and $391 in Irkutsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Windhoek pays 50% 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: $63.0 in Windhoek vs $29.00 in Irkutsk. Groceries flip the comparison at $231 vs $241, 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 35% 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.

Average pay runs 50% higher in Windhoek, 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: $535 in Windhoek versus $391 in Irkutsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $213 in Windhoek versus $173 in Irkutsk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Windhoek pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $919 in Irkutsk versus $1,238 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 35% less than in Windhoek. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.