Cost of Living Comparison Between Windhoek and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Windhoek and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,108 in Windhoek versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,797 in Windhoek versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,485 in Windhoek versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Windhoek costs roughly 12% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Windhoek 17% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.55 NAD 172

$4.70 ฿153

124.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.77 NAD 630

$45.37 ฿1,482

-14.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.35 NAD 87.0

$8.43 ฿275

-36.54%

Cappuccino

$1.94 NAD 31.53

$2.93 ฿95.6

-33.79%

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

$0.96 NAD 15.57

$0.69 ฿22.40

39.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 NAD 15.37

$0.37 ฿11.99

156.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 NAD 30.25

$2.41 ฿78.6

-22.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 NAD 37.01

$3.72 ฿122

-38.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 NAD 23.51

$2.23 ฿72.9

-34.98%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 NAD 13.94

$1.83 ฿59.8

-53.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 NAD 27.04

$2.17 ฿70.8

-23.50%

Eggs

$2.80 NAD 45.47

$2.21 ฿72.3

26.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.21 NAD 101

$19.74 ฿645

-68.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.33 NAD 86.6

$3.63 ฿119

46.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.79 NAD 110

$13.53 ฿442

-49.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 NAD 30.16

$3.28 ฿107

-43.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 NAD 30.84

$1.61 ฿52.6

18.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 NAD 27.87

$2.41 ฿78.6

-28.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.77 NAD 28.70

$2.08 ฿68.1

-14.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 NAD 33.17

$1.53 ฿49.93

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 NAD 29.47

$1.48 ฿48.36

22.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 NAD 30.54

$0.99 ฿32.29

89.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 NAD 18.59

$0.51 ฿16.67

123.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.81 NAD 45.70

$4.41 ฿144

-36.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.21 NAD 117

$19.38 ฿633

-62.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 NAD 21.80

$1.78 ฿58.1

-24.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 NAD 30.03

$2.71 ฿88.6

-31.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 NAD 11.34

$1.37 ฿44.79

-48.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.64 NAD 661

$11.39 ฿372

256.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 NAD 11.12

$3.02 ฿98.6

-77.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 NAD 11.89

$0.99 ฿32.48

-26.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.51 NAD 187

$14.10 ฿461

-18.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 NAD 19.93

$1.36 ฿44.51

-9.56%

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

$21.2K NAD 344.2K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-24.89%

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

$24.0K NAD 389.7K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-27.12%

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

$116 NAD 1,893

$122 ฿3,975

-4.28%

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

$17.47 NAD 284

$13.57 ฿443

28.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.0 NAD 828

$18.31 ฿598

178.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.28 NAD 606

$60.2 ฿1,967

-38.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.37 NAD 217

$17.14 ฿560

-22.00%

Cinema Ticket

$5.42 NAD 88.1

$8.69 ฿284

-37.63%

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

$218 NAD 3,539

$693 ฿22.6K

-68.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,110 NAD 83.0K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-67.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 NAD 840

$59.5 ฿1,944

-13.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.89 NAD 437

$34.77 ฿1,136

-22.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 NAD 1,451

$115 ฿3,743

-22.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.2 NAD 1,353

$83.3 ฿2,720

-0.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 NAD 7,970

$613 ฿20.0K

-20.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 NAD 6,326

$437 ฿14.3K

-10.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 NAD 20.4K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-39.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$950 NAD 15.4K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-37.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,660 NAD 27.0K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-55.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$616 NAD 10.0K

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-76.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 NAD 16.8K

$508 ฿16.6K

104.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.69

5.33

119.32%

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

Last update for Windhoek: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Windhoek and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Windhoek pays 104% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Windhoek vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $293 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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Windhoek is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Windhoek pays 104% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $490 in Windhoek versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $218 in Windhoek versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,108 in Windhoek versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Windhoek but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Windhoek the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Windhoek is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Windhoek and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Windhoek gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.