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: $1,124 in Windhoek versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,850 in Windhoek versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,577 in Windhoek versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Windhoek costs roughly 23% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Windhoek is 16% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.46 NAD 172

$13.07 MX$229

-19.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.12 NAD 645

$53.8 MX$940

-27.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.42 NAD 89.4

$9.68 MX$169

-44.01%

Cappuccino

$1.86 NAD 30.70

$3.74 MX$65.4

-50.27%

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

$0.91 NAD 14.94

$1.62 MX$28.25

-43.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 NAD 15.93

$1.16 MX$20.31

-16.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 NAD 29.61

$3.23 MX$56.4

-44.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 NAD 37.48

$4.74 MX$82.9

-52.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 NAD 23.71

$1.65 MX$28.80

-12.73%

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 NAD 13.52

$2.75 MX$48.15

-70.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 NAD 27.23

$1.87 MX$32.77

-11.76%

Eggs

$2.80 NAD 46.12

$2.50 MX$43.72

12.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.28 NAD 104

$10.20 MX$178

-38.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.38 NAD 88.8

$8.25 MX$144

-34.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.58 NAD 108

$11.82 MX$207

-44.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 NAD 29.72

$3.01 MX$52.6

-40.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 NAD 32.58

$1.81 MX$31.67

9.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 NAD 26.74

$2.00 MX$34.96

-19.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 NAD 28.68

$2.00 MX$34.89

-13.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 NAD 32.92

$2.08 MX$36.45

-3.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 NAD 29.85

$2.27 MX$39.72

-20.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 NAD 31.94

$1.46 MX$25.47

32.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 NAD 18.88

$1.08 MX$18.82

5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.72 NAD 44.85

$4.35 MX$76.0

-37.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.98 NAD 115

$16.99 MX$297

-58.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 NAD 23.03

$1.73 MX$30.31

-19.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 NAD 30.38

$3.58 MX$62.5

-48.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 NAD 11.65

$0.39 MX$6.77

82.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.09 NAD 678

$18.69 MX$327

119.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 NAD 12.19

$1.33 MX$23.18

-44.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 NAD 11.03

$0.28 MX$4.89

139.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.73 NAD 193

$5.25 MX$91.8

123.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 NAD 19.47

$1.34 MX$23.37

-11.94%

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

$21.1K NAD 348.7K

$19.4K MX$339.4K

8.95%

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

$24.4K NAD 402.3K

$23.8K MX$416.7K

2.38%

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

$119 NAD 1,960

$40.69 MX$712

192.11%

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

$17.50 NAD 289

$26.87 MX$470

-34.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 NAD 827

$30.51 MX$534

64.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.62 NAD 604

$52.8 MX$923

-30.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.31 NAD 220

$26.65 MX$466

-50.06%

Cinema Ticket

$5.23 NAD 86.2

$6.51 MX$114

-19.66%

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

$218 NAD 3,595

$428 MX$7,485

-49.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,275 NAD 87.0K

$10.5K MX$183.6K

-49.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 NAD 846

$57.3 MX$1,001

-10.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.72 NAD 441

$45.50 MX$796

-41.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.7 NAD 1,430

$104 MX$1,819

-16.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.2 NAD 1,338

$108 MX$1,885

-24.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$494 NAD 8,146

$1,003 MX$17.5K

-50.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 NAD 6,297

$623 MX$10.9K

-38.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 NAD 21.3K

$2,109 MX$36.9K

-38.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$921 NAD 15.2K

$1,218 MX$21.3K

-24.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,592 NAD 26.2K

$3,885 MX$67.9K

-59.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$627 NAD 10.3K

$2,033 MX$35.5K

-69.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,009 NAD 16.6K

$1,038 MX$18.1K

-2.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.69

11.34

3.09%

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

Last update for Windhoek: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $494 in Windhoek and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 3% 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: $39.00 in Windhoek vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $292 per month, with Windhoek cheaper across the board.

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 30% in total monthly costs ($1,124 vs $1,456 including rent). Windhoek is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 3% 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: $494 in Windhoek versus $1,003 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 120% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $218 in Windhoek versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,124 in Windhoek versus $1,456 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 30% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.