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: $1,245 in Windhoek versus $1,691 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,066 in Windhoek versus $2,599 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,886 in Windhoek versus $3,507 in Mexico City.

Living in Windhoek costs roughly 26% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Windhoek is 8% below, Mexico City is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.62 NAD 188

$11.91 MX$203

-2.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.9 NAD 855

$51.6 MX$878

2.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 NAD 95.4

$10.41 MX$177

-43.32%

Cappuccino

$2.33 NAD 37.60

$3.94 MX$67.0

-40.86%

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

$0.87 NAD 13.98

$1.65 MX$28.11

-47.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 NAD 15.41

$1.29 MX$21.96

-26.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 NAD 29.52

$3.48 MX$59.3

-47.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 NAD 32.03

$5.98 MX$102

-66.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 NAD 25.26

$1.82 MX$30.94

-14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 NAD 15.95

$3.28 MX$55.9

-69.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 NAD 35.09

$2.07 MX$35.23

4.83%

Eggs

$3.16 NAD 51.0

$3.05 MX$51.9

3.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.75 NAD 158

$12.76 MX$217

-23.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.88 NAD 111

$9.90 MX$168

-30.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.68 NAD 124

$16.11 MX$274

-52.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 NAD 37.54

$3.43 MX$58.4

-32.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 NAD 31.77

$2.09 MX$35.57

-5.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 NAD 31.27

$2.09 MX$35.64

-7.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 NAD 36.40

$2.51 MX$42.68

-10.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 NAD 34.75

$2.08 MX$35.45

3.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 NAD 29.89

$1.90 MX$32.41

-2.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 NAD 32.40

$1.51 MX$25.64

32.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 NAD 19.54

$1.33 MX$22.64

-9.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 NAD 53.4

$5.53 MX$94.2

-40.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.31 NAD 118

$17.82 MX$303

-58.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 NAD 23.23

$2.01 MX$34.14

-28.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 NAD 23.49

$4.77 MX$81.1

-69.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 NAD 12.72

$0.36 MX$6.17

119.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.97 NAD 792

$20.77 MX$354

135.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 NAD 12.46

$2.06 MX$35.04

-62.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 NAD 15.71

$0.61 MX$10.36

59.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.22 NAD 262

$5.79 MX$98.6

180.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 NAD 22.78

$1.62 MX$27.50

-12.96%

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

$24.8K NAD 400.9K

$22.9K MX$389.2K

8.45%

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

$29.4K NAD 474.6K

$26.3K MX$446.9K

11.82%

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

$142 NAD 2,291

$65.7 MX$1,118

115.64%

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

$27.98 NAD 452

$29.93 MX$509

-6.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.61 NAD 786

$36.04 MX$613

34.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.51 NAD 623

$58.6 MX$998

-34.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.65 NAD 172

$26.07 MX$444

-59.15%

Cinema Ticket

$5.54 NAD 89.6

$6.88 MX$117

-19.48%

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

$210 NAD 3,402

$448 MX$7,622

-53.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,465 NAD 88.3K

$13.1K MX$223.4K

-58.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 NAD 926

$73.3 MX$1,248

-21.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.53 NAD 574

$54.2 MX$922

-34.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 NAD 1,479

$112 MX$1,909

-18.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 NAD 1,621

$123 MX$2,086

-18.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$551 NAD 8,904

$1,102 MX$18.8K

-50.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 NAD 6,205

$710 MX$12.1K

-45.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,188 NAD 19.2K

$2,524 MX$43.0K

-52.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 NAD 15.9K

$1,343 MX$22.9K

-26.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,616 NAD 26.1K

$3,913 MX$66.6K

-58.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$613 NAD 9,910

$2,095 MX$35.6K

-70.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,009 NAD 16.3K

$1,066 MX$18.1K

-5.39%

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: August 10, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 10, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $551 in Windhoek and $1,102 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 6% 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: $53.0 in Windhoek vs $52.0 in Mexico City. Groceries flip the comparison at $233 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 36% in total monthly costs ($1,245 vs $1,691 including rent). Windhoek is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 6% 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: $551 in Windhoek versus $1,102 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 136% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $210 in Windhoek versus $448 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,245 in Windhoek versus $1,691 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 36% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.