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: $1,108 in Windhoek versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,797 in Windhoek versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,485 in Windhoek versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Windhoek costs roughly 24% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Windhoek is 17% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.55 NAD 172

$13.18 MX$228

-19.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.77 NAD 630

$53.9 MX$932

-28.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.35 NAD 87.0

$9.42 MX$163

-43.21%

Cappuccino

$1.94 NAD 31.53

$3.55 MX$61.4

-45.35%

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

$0.96 NAD 15.57

$1.62 MX$27.98

-40.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 NAD 15.37

$1.11 MX$19.27

-14.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 NAD 30.25

$3.12 MX$54.0

-40.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 NAD 37.01

$4.63 MX$80.1

-50.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 NAD 23.51

$1.70 MX$29.43

-14.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 NAD 13.94

$2.72 MX$47.02

-68.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 NAD 27.04

$1.91 MX$33.07

-13.09%

Eggs

$2.80 NAD 45.47

$2.54 MX$43.86

10.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.21 NAD 101

$10.03 MX$174

-38.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.33 NAD 86.6

$8.09 MX$140

-34.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.79 NAD 110

$11.62 MX$201

-41.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 NAD 30.16

$2.97 MX$51.3

-37.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 NAD 30.84

$1.81 MX$31.24

4.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 NAD 27.87

$2.01 MX$34.82

-14.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.77 NAD 28.70

$2.03 MX$35.20

-12.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 NAD 33.17

$2.12 MX$36.75

-3.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 NAD 29.47

$2.27 MX$39.25

-20.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 NAD 30.54

$1.40 MX$24.22

34.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 NAD 18.59

$1.13 MX$19.55

0.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.81 NAD 45.70

$4.27 MX$73.9

-34.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.21 NAD 117

$15.56 MX$269

-53.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 NAD 21.80

$1.76 MX$30.39

-23.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 NAD 30.03

$3.60 MX$62.2

-48.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 NAD 11.34

$0.38 MX$6.62

84.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.64 NAD 661

$19.18 MX$332

111.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 NAD 11.12

$1.38 MX$23.79

-50.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 NAD 11.89

$0.28 MX$4.78

160.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.51 NAD 187

$5.45 MX$94.2

111.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 NAD 19.93

$1.30 MX$22.55

-5.38%

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

$21.2K NAD 344.2K

$18.7K MX$323.2K

13.36%

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

$24.0K NAD 389.7K

$23.1K MX$400.1K

3.68%

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

$116 NAD 1,893

$40.86 MX$707

185.10%

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

$17.47 NAD 284

$26.81 MX$464

-34.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.0 NAD 828

$29.96 MX$518

70.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.28 NAD 606

$52.0 MX$900

-28.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.37 NAD 217

$26.84 MX$464

-50.19%

Cinema Ticket

$5.42 NAD 88.1

$6.30 MX$109

-13.97%

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

$218 NAD 3,539

$436 MX$7,544

-50.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,110 NAD 83.0K

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-50.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 NAD 840

$56.7 MX$980

-8.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.89 NAD 437

$44.38 MX$768

-39.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 NAD 1,451

$103 MX$1,780

-13.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.2 NAD 1,353

$106 MX$1,825

-21.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 NAD 7,970

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-52.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 NAD 6,326

$631 MX$10.9K

-38.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 NAD 20.4K

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-41.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$950 NAD 15.4K

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-23.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,660 NAD 27.0K

$3,903 MX$67.5K

-57.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$616 NAD 10.0K

$2,064 MX$35.7K

-70.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 NAD 16.8K

$1,115 MX$19.3K

-7.03%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Windhoek and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 8% 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 $199 vs $288 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 32% in total monthly costs ($1,108 vs $1,467 including rent). Windhoek is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 8% less. 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: $490 in Windhoek versus $1,022 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 112% 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 $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,108 in Windhoek versus $1,467 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 32% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.