Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Windhoek and Kuala Lumpur

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuala Lumpur: $1,074 a month against $1,182 in Windhoek, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Windhoek
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Windhoek Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Lumpur
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Kuala Lumpur Living Index

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Windhoek

🇳🇦 Namibia

$1,182

/mo nomad

Kuala Lumpur

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,074

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Windhoek and in Kuala Lumpur

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Windhoek and in Kuala Lumpur actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,182 per month in Windhoek vs $1,074 in Kuala Lumpur, rent included.

Windhoek $1,182
Kuala Lumpur $1,074

A couple spends around $2,028 per month in Windhoek vs $1,622 in Kuala Lumpur, rent included.

Windhoek $2,028
Kuala Lumpur $1,622

A family of three spends $2,875 per month in Windhoek vs $2,170 in Kuala Lumpur, rent included.

Windhoek $2,875
Kuala Lumpur $2,170

Windhoek costs about 10% more than Kuala Lumpur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Windhoek and Kuala Lumpur are more affordable than the global median – Windhoek 13% lower, Kuala Lumpur 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.47 NAD 191

$4.98 MYR 20.35

130.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.4 NAD 1,070

$29.03 MYR 119

121.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.05 NAD 101

$4.85 MYR 19.84

24.74%

Cappuccino

$2.28 NAD 37.91

$3.02 MYR 12.34

-24.50%

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

$0.86 NAD 14.35

$0.79 MYR 3.22

8.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 NAD 15.35

$0.45 MYR 1.86

104.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 NAD 31.98

$4.48 MYR 18.29

-57.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 NAD 34.71

$6.16 MYR 25.19

-66.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 NAD 26.18

$2.11 MYR 8.63

-25.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 NAD 14.66

$1.12 MYR 4.58

-21.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 NAD 32.52

$1.93 MYR 7.88

1.55%

Eggs

$3.14 NAD 52.2

$2.46 MYR 10.04

27.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.44 NAD 157

$14.24 MYR 58.2

-33.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 NAD 114

$4.37 MYR 17.86

57.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.66 NAD 127

$9.86 MYR 40.32

-22.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 NAD 35.63

$3.46 MYR 14.13

-38.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 NAD 32.90

$1.78 MYR 7.27

11.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 NAD 29.74

$2.27 MYR 9.26

-21.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 NAD 33.03

$1.51 MYR 6.18

31.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 NAD 32.23

$1.23 MYR 5.02

57.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 NAD 29.87

$1.30 MYR 5.33

38.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 NAD 32.62

$1.14 MYR 4.65

71.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 NAD 17.72

$0.71 MYR 2.89

50.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 NAD 55.7

$4.29 MYR 17.52

-21.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.48 NAD 108

$19.77 MYR 80.8

-67.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 NAD 23.80

$3.36 MYR 13.75

-57.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 NAD 23.01

$5.02 MYR 20.52

-72.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 NAD 13.23

$0.70 MYR 2.87

14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.86 NAD 812

$12.44 MYR 50.9

292.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 NAD 12.52

$1.20 MYR 4.88

-37.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 NAD 15.65

$1.25 MYR 5.09

-24.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.38 NAD 256

$4.98 MYR 20.37

208.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 NAD 23.26

$0.89 MYR 3.63

57.30%

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

$24.6K NAD 408.2K

$44.5K MYR 182.1K

-44.88%

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

$31.7K NAD 526.6K

$34.6K MYR 141.5K

-8.50%

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

$138 NAD 2,302

$63.5 MYR 259

118.20%

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

$26.65 NAD 443

$8.62 MYR 35.24

209.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.49 NAD 823

$26.24 MYR 107

88.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.77 NAD 611

$49.20 MYR 201

-25.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.40 NAD 173

$7.32 MYR 29.93

42.08%

Cinema Ticket

$5.29 NAD 87.9

$4.97 MYR 20.33

6.44%

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

$210 NAD 3,499

$472 MYR 1,927

-55.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,340 NAD 88.8K

$13.2K MYR 53.9K

-59.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 NAD 901

$72.2 MYR 295

-24.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.80 NAD 578

$41.48 MYR 170

-16.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.4 NAD 1,469

$83.9 MYR 343

5.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.4 NAD 1,570

$94.3 MYR 385

0.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$502 NAD 8,343

$685 MYR 2,800

-26.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 NAD 5,957

$358 MYR 1,463

0.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,456 NAD 24.2K

$1,212 MYR 4,953

20.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$974 NAD 16.2K

$593 MYR 2,424

64.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,617 NAD 26.9K

$3,760 MYR 15.4K

-56.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$608 NAD 10.1K

$1,565 MYR 6,395

-61.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$997 NAD 16.6K

$1,458 MYR 5,957

-31.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.17

173.86%

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

Last update for Windhoek: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kuala Lumpur: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Windhoek

$358 30.3%

Kuala Lumpur

$358 33.3% 0.1% $0.3

Groceries & Markets

Windhoek

$223 18.9%

Kuala Lumpur

$274 25.5% 22.9% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Windhoek

$215 18.2%

Kuala Lumpur

$98 9.2% 54.2% $116

Eating Out

Windhoek

$158 13.4%

Kuala Lumpur

$130 12.1% 17.7% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Windhoek

$122 10.4%

Kuala Lumpur

$131 12.2% 7.4% $9

Getting Around

Windhoek

$58 4.9%

Kuala Lumpur

$23 2.1% 60.6% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Windhoek

$47 4%

Kuala Lumpur

$59 5.5% 24.9% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $502 in Windhoek versus $685 in Kuala Lumpur. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 46% higher in Kuala Lumpur, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64 in Windhoek versus $29 in Kuala Lumpur. Groceries tell a different story – $223 in Windhoek vs $274 in Kuala Lumpur – so Windhoek wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇦 Windhoek

🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur

🕒 Local time

20:49 8:49 PM

02:49 2:49 AM

6 h ahead of Windhoek

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

322,500 Capital

1,982,112 Capital

💱 Currency

Namibian Dollar NAD $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100 NAD = 6.02 USD

100 NAD = 5.4 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to NAD – Namibian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇦 Namibian Dollar ($)

Namibian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 16.62 NAD (100 NAD = 6.02 USD). 1 EUR = 18.51 NAD (100 NAD = 5.4 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.09 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.55 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

USD to NAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Windhoek Kuala Lumpur 9,590 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Windhoek
Kuala Lumpur

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Kuala Lumpur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Windhoek is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,772 per month in Windhoek and $1,611 in Kuala Lumpur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Windhoek, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $502 there versus $685 in Kuala Lumpur.

Interestingly, groceries are about 19% cheaper in Windhoek – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64 in Windhoek and $29 in Kuala Lumpur. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,182 in Windhoek and $1,074 in Kuala Lumpur, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Kuala Lumpur has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,074 in Kuala Lumpur to $1,182 in Windhoek. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.