Cost of Living Comparison Between Windhoek and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Windhoek and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,206 in Windhoek versus $1,660 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,057 in Windhoek versus $2,565 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,907 in Windhoek versus $3,470 in Mexico City.

Living in Windhoek costs roughly 27% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Windhoek is 12% below, Mexico City is 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.61 NAD 190

$11.92 MX$206

-2.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.1 NAD 1,017

$51.6 MX$890

20.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.11 NAD 100

$11.41 MX$197

-46.45%

Cappuccino

$2.43 NAD 39.71

$3.99 MX$68.9

-39.10%

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

$0.89 NAD 14.62

$1.66 MX$28.61

-46.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 NAD 15.37

$1.33 MX$22.87

-29.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 NAD 33.51

$3.47 MX$59.9

-40.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 NAD 37.38

$5.90 MX$102

-61.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 NAD 26.93

$1.88 MX$32.36

-12.77%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 NAD 14.79

$3.25 MX$56.1

-72.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 NAD 35.66

$2.16 MX$37.26

0.93%

Eggs

$3.11 NAD 50.8

$2.90 MX$49.94

7.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.62 NAD 158

$12.86 MX$222

-25.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 NAD 112

$10.05 MX$173

-32.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.52 NAD 123

$15.86 MX$273

-52.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 NAD 36.68

$3.29 MX$56.8

-31.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 NAD 32.00

$2.01 MX$34.60

-2.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 NAD 31.59

$2.20 MX$37.93

-12.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 NAD 35.85

$2.36 MX$40.63

-7.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 NAD 35.76

$2.05 MX$35.43

6.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 NAD 29.41

$1.90 MX$32.79

-5.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 NAD 32.27

$1.61 MX$27.68

22.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NAD 18.80

$1.40 MX$24.09

-17.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.41 NAD 55.8

$5.46 MX$94.2

-37.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.13 NAD 117

$17.65 MX$304

-59.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 NAD 23.74

$2.06 MX$35.44

-29.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 NAD 24.06

$4.68 MX$80.8

-68.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 NAD 13.65

$0.34 MX$5.84

144.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.44 NAD 793

$20.81 MX$359

132.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 NAD 13.73

$2.10 MX$36.15

-60.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 NAD 14.81

$0.56 MX$9.64

60.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.77 NAD 258

$5.81 MX$100

171.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 NAD 22.64

$1.61 MX$27.68

-14.29%

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

$24.4K NAD 399.8K

$22.8K MX$393.8K

6.89%

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

$30.1K NAD 493.0K

$26.8K MX$461.2K

12.54%

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

$141 NAD 2,310

$65.2 MX$1,124

116.42%

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

$28.22 NAD 462

$30.09 MX$519

-6.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.44 NAD 793

$37.18 MX$641

30.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.41 NAD 629

$59.8 MX$1,030

-35.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.56 NAD 173

$26.55 MX$458

-60.23%

Cinema Ticket

$5.60 NAD 91.6

$7.04 MX$121

-20.45%

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

$211 NAD 3,457

$465 MX$8,012

-54.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,403 NAD 88.5K

$13.3K MX$228.9K

-59.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.1 NAD 936

$75.9 MX$1,308

-24.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.44 NAD 580

$56.0 MX$965

-36.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 NAD 1,499

$112 MX$1,929

-18.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 NAD 1,652

$121 MX$2,078

-16.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$545 NAD 8,917

$1,103 MX$19.0K

-50.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 NAD 6,302

$721 MX$12.4K

-46.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,181 NAD 19.3K

$2,530 MX$43.6K

-53.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$963 NAD 15.8K

$1,293 MX$22.3K

-25.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,623 NAD 26.6K

$3,991 MX$68.8K

-59.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$619 NAD 10.1K

$2,090 MX$36.0K

-70.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,023 NAD 16.8K

$1,037 MX$17.9K

-1.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.3

1.06%

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

Last update for Windhoek: September 14, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $545 in Windhoek and $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 1% 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: $62.0 in Windhoek vs $52.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $230 vs $345, 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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Windhoek and Mexico City differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($1,206 vs $1,660 including rent). Windhoek is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Mexico City. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $545 in Windhoek versus $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Windhoek runs roughly 133% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $211 in Windhoek versus $465 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,206 in Windhoek versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Windhoek but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Windhoek 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 Windhoek gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.