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: $1,245 in Windhoek versus $968 in Irkutsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,066 in Windhoek versus $1,513 in Irkutsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,886 in Windhoek versus $2,057 in Irkutsk.

Living in Windhoek is roughly 29% more expensive than in Irkutsk, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Windhoek 8% lower, Irkutsk 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.62 NAD 188

$5.95 ₽500

95.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.9 NAD 855

$30.25 ₽2,539

74.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 NAD 95.4

$5.39 ₽453

9.46%

Cappuccino

$2.33 NAD 37.60

$3.09 ₽259

-24.60%

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

$0.87 NAD 13.98

$1.42 ₽119

-38.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 NAD 15.41

$0.59 ₽49.22

61.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 NAD 29.52

$1.81 ₽152

1.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 NAD 32.03

$3.09 ₽259

-35.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 NAD 25.26

$1.33 ₽112

17.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 NAD 15.95

$0.64 ₽53.4

54.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 NAD 35.09

$1.55 ₽130

40.00%

Eggs

$3.16 NAD 51.0

$1.97 ₽165

60.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.75 NAD 158

$14.78 ₽1,241

-34.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.88 NAD 111

$6.40 ₽537

7.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.68 NAD 124

$11.49 ₽964

-33.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 NAD 37.54

$2.85 ₽239

-18.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 NAD 31.77

$2.23 ₽188

-11.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 NAD 31.27

$2.77 ₽232

-30.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 NAD 36.40

$4.27 ₽358

-47.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 NAD 34.75

$0.88 ₽74.1

144.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 NAD 29.89

$0.79 ₽66.1

134.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 NAD 32.40

$2.36 ₽198

-15.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 NAD 19.54

$0.72 ₽60.6

68.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 NAD 53.4

$3.20 ₽269

3.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.31 NAD 118

$8.06 ₽676

-9.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 NAD 23.23

$1.01 ₽84.9

42.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 NAD 23.49

$2.64 ₽221

-45.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 NAD 12.72

$0.53 ₽44.53

49.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.97 NAD 792

$14.64 ₽1,229

234.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 NAD 12.46

$1.78 ₽149

-56.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 NAD 15.71

$0.64 ₽53.5

51.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.22 NAD 262

$7.78 ₽653

108.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 NAD 22.78

$0.81 ₽67.9

74.07%

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

$24.8K NAD 400.9K

$21.9K ₽1.8M

13.44%

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

$29.4K NAD 474.6K

$32.2K ₽2.7M

-8.73%

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

$142 NAD 2,291

$75.8 ₽6,364

86.87%

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

$27.98 NAD 452

$6.73 ₽565

315.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.61 NAD 786

$13.16 ₽1,104

269.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.51 NAD 623

$44.42 ₽3,728

-13.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.65 NAD 172

$17.67 ₽1,483

-39.73%

Cinema Ticket

$5.54 NAD 89.6

$6.13 ₽515

-9.62%

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

$210 NAD 3,402

$180 ₽15.1K

16.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,465 NAD 88.3K

$3,246 ₽272.4K

68.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 NAD 926

$55.5 ₽4,657

3.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.53 NAD 574

$37.86 ₽3,178

-6.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 NAD 1,479

$103 ₽8,649

-11.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 NAD 1,621

$86.1 ₽7,229

16.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$551 NAD 8,904

$408 ₽34.2K

34.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 NAD 6,205

$296 ₽24.8K

29.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,188 NAD 19.2K

$895 ₽75.1K

32.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 NAD 15.9K

$555 ₽46.5K

77.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,616 NAD 26.1K

$2,802 ₽235.2K

-42.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$613 NAD 9,910

$1,680 ₽141.0K

-63.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,009 NAD 16.3K

$734 ₽61.6K

37.31%

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 10, 2026

Last update for Irkutsk: August 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $551 in Windhoek and $408 in Irkutsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Windhoek pays 37% 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: $53.0 in Windhoek vs $30.00 in Irkutsk. Groceries flip the comparison at $233 vs $253, 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 29% 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 37% 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: $551 in Windhoek versus $408 in Irkutsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $210 in Windhoek versus $180 in Irkutsk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Windhoek pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $968 in Irkutsk versus $1,245 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 29% less than in Windhoek. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.