Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Windhoek and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Windhoek: $1,182 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Windhoek, Namibia
Mexico City, Mexico
Windhoek
🇳🇦 Namibia
$1,182
/mo nomad
Mexico City
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,608
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Windhoek and in Mexico City

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 Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,182 in Windhoek versus $1,608 in Mexico City.

  • Windhoek $1,182
  • Mexico City $1,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,028 in Windhoek versus $2,549 in Mexico City.

  • Windhoek $2,028
  • Mexico City $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,875 in Windhoek versus $3,490 in Mexico City.

  • Windhoek $2,875
  • Mexico City $3,490

Living in Windhoek costs roughly 27% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Windhoek is 13% below, Mexico City is 18% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Windhoek
Mexico City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.47 NAD 192
$10.62 MX$199
8.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$64.4 NAD 1,075
$48.35 MX$908
33.17%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.05 NAD 101
$10.35 MX$194
-41.55%
Cappuccino
$2.28 NAD 38.08
$3.69 MX$69.3
-38.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.86 NAD 14.41
$1.67 MX$31.29
-48.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.92 NAD 15.42
$1.27 MX$23.76
-27.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.92 NAD 32.13
$3.19 MX$59.9
-39.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09 NAD 34.88
$5.31 MX$99.6
-60.64%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Windhoek
Mexico City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 NAD 26.30
$1.72 MX$32.38
-8.72%
White Bread (500g)
$0.88 NAD 14.73
$3.04 MX$57.1
-71.05%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.96 NAD 32.67
$1.94 MX$36.44
1.03%
Eggs
$3.14 NAD 52.4
$2.89 MX$54.2
8.65%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.44 NAD 158
$10.97 MX$206
-13.95%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.87 NAD 115
$9.25 MX$174
-25.73%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.66 NAD 128
$15.13 MX$284
-49.37%
Apples (1kg)
$2.14 NAD 35.79
$3.05 MX$57.2
-29.84%
Banana (1kg)
$1.98 NAD 33.05
$1.94 MX$36.45
2.06%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.79 NAD 29.88
$2.03 MX$38.02
-11.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.99 NAD 33.18
$2.31 MX$43.46
-13.85%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 NAD 32.38
$2.04 MX$38.21
-4.90%
Onion (1kg)
$1.80 NAD 30.01
$1.80 MX$33.79
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.96 NAD 32.77
$1.48 MX$27.77
32.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 NAD 17.80
$1.27 MX$23.80
-15.75%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.35 NAD 56.0
$5.30 MX$99.6
-36.79%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.48 NAD 108
$16.10 MX$302
-59.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.43 NAD 23.91
$1.98 MX$37.23
-27.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 NAD 23.12
$4.25 MX$79.8
-67.53%
🚌 Getting Around
Windhoek
Mexico City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.80 NAD 13.30
$0.31 MX$5.73
158.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$48.86 NAD 816
$19.73 MX$371
147.64%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.75 NAD 12.58
$1.84 MX$34.50
-59.24%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.94 NAD 15.72
$0.53 MX$10.02
77.36%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$15.38 NAD 257
$5.30 MX$99.4
190.19%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.40 NAD 23.37
$1.51 MX$28.36
-7.28%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.6K NAD 410.1K
$21.8K MX$408.4K
12.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K NAD 529.0K
$24.0K MX$450.3K
32.06%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Windhoek
Mexico City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$138 NAD 2,313
$63.0 MX$1,182
119.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.65 NAD 445
$27.39 MX$514
-2.70%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$49.49 NAD 827
$35.67 MX$670
38.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Windhoek
Mexico City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.77 NAD 614
$58.9 MX$1,107
-37.61%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.40 NAD 174
$23.64 MX$444
-56.01%
Cinema Ticket
$5.29 NAD 88.3
$6.40 MX$120
-17.34%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Windhoek
Mexico City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$210 NAD 3,515
$432 MX$8,103
-51.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,340 NAD 89.2K
$11.4K MX$214.5K
-53.25%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Windhoek
Mexico City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.2 NAD 905
$68.2 MX$1,281
-20.58%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.80 NAD 581
$53.1 MX$997
-34.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$88.4 NAD 1,476
$108 MX$2,023
-18.00%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$94.4 NAD 1,577
$117 MX$2,202
-19.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Windhoek
Mexico City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$502 NAD 8,382
$1,113 MX$20.9K
-54.93%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$358 NAD 5,985
$710 MX$13.3K
-49.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,456 NAD 24.3K
$2,588 MX$48.6K
-43.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$974 NAD 16.3K
$1,406 MX$26.4K
-30.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,617 NAD 27.0K
$3,631 MX$68.2K
-55.47%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$608 NAD 10.2K
$2,135 MX$40.1K
-71.51%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Windhoek
Mexico City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$997 NAD 16.7K
$946 MX$17.8K
5.37%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.42
11.35
0.62%

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

Last update for Windhoek: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Windhoek
$358
Mexico City
$710 98.3% $352
Groceries & Markets
Windhoek
$223
Mexico City
$320 43.1% $96
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Windhoek
$215
Mexico City
$126 41.3% $89
Eating Out
Windhoek
$158
Mexico City
$199 25.5% $40
Clothing & Footwear
Windhoek
$122
Mexico City
$156 27.4% $34
Getting Around
Windhoek
$58
Mexico City
$25 55.7% $32
Sport & Entertainment
Windhoek
$47
Mexico City
$72 51.5% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $502 in Windhoek and $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Windhoek pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64 in Windhoek vs $48 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $223 vs $320, with Windhoek cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇳🇦 Windhoek
🇲🇽 Mexico City
🕒 Local time
06:51 6:51 AM
22:51 10:51 PM
8 h behind Windhoek
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
322,500 Capital
9,209,944 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to NAD – Namibian Dollar Converter

Namibian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 16.7 NAD (100 NAD = 5.99 USD). 1 EUR = 18.65 NAD (100 NAD = 5.36 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Windhoek Mexico City 13,430 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Windhoek
  • Mexico City

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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Windhoek and in Mexico City?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,182 in Windhoek and $1,608 in Mexico City, so Windhoek is about 27% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Windhoek or Mexico City?
Average pay runs 5% higher in Windhoek, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Windhoek and in Mexico City?
Rent for a central apartment: $502 in Windhoek versus $1,113 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Windhoek and in Mexico City?
A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 60% less than in Windhoek. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Windhoek and Mexico City?
Childcare runs $210 in Windhoek versus $432 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is feasible on a $1,000 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Windhoek is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Windhoek and Mexico City?
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.

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