Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Windhoek and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living costs are similar in Windhoek and in Playa del Carmen: $1,182 and $1,204 a month, rent and utilities included.

57

Cost of Living Index in Windhoek
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Windhoek Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Windhoek

🇳🇦 Namibia

$1,182

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Windhoek and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Windhoek and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,182 per month in Windhoek vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Windhoek $1,182
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,028 per month in Windhoek vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Windhoek $2,028
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $2,875 per month in Windhoek vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Windhoek $2,875
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Windhoek is about 2% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Windhoek and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Windhoek 13% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.47 NAD 191

$10.92 MX$204

5.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.4 NAD 1,073

$43.37 MX$808

48.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.05 NAD 101

$11.78 MX$220

-48.64%

Cappuccino

$2.28 NAD 37.99

$3.81 MX$71.0

-40.16%

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

$0.86 NAD 14.38

$1.28 MX$23.90

-32.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 NAD 15.38

$0.78 MX$14.59

17.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 NAD 32.05

$3.17 MX$59.0

-39.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 NAD 34.79

$4.93 MX$92.0

-57.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 NAD 26.23

$1.41 MX$26.22

11.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 NAD 14.69

$2.22 MX$41.33

-60.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 NAD 32.59

$1.42 MX$26.42

38.03%

Eggs

$3.14 NAD 52.3

$2.52 MX$47.03

24.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.44 NAD 157

$7.26 MX$135

30.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 NAD 115

$7.70 MX$143

-10.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.66 NAD 128

$12.69 MX$237

-39.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 NAD 35.71

$2.78 MX$51.9

-23.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 NAD 32.97

$1.37 MX$25.50

44.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 NAD 29.80

$2.55 MX$47.55

-29.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 NAD 33.10

$2.12 MX$39.58

-6.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 NAD 32.30

$1.94 MX$36.13

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 NAD 29.93

$1.89 MX$35.16

-4.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 NAD 32.69

$1.15 MX$21.37

70.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 NAD 17.76

$1.18 MX$21.98

-9.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 NAD 55.8

$4.30 MX$80.1

-22.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.48 NAD 108

$9.95 MX$185

-34.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 NAD 23.85

$1.58 MX$29.52

-9.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 NAD 23.07

$2.67 MX$49.79

-48.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 NAD 13.26

$0.55 MX$10.31

45.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.86 NAD 814

$26.62 MX$496

83.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 NAD 12.55

$4.97 MX$92.6

-84.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 NAD 15.68

$3.33 MX$62.1

-71.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.38 NAD 256

$5.36 MX$99.8

186.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 NAD 23.31

$1.44 MX$26.92

-2.78%

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

$24.6K NAD 409.1K

$20.7K MX$385.2K

18.83%

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

$31.7K NAD 527.8K

$23.5K MX$437.4K

34.99%

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

$138 NAD 2,307

$84.8 MX$1,581

63.31%

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

$26.65 NAD 444

$23.41 MX$436

13.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.49 NAD 825

$28.66 MX$534

72.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.77 NAD 613

$57.1 MX$1,063

-35.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.40 NAD 173

$28.91 MX$539

-64.03%

Cinema Ticket

$5.29 NAD 88.1

$5.14 MX$95.8

2.92%

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

$210 NAD 3,507

$207 MX$3,851

1.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,340 NAD 89.0K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

35.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 NAD 903

$43.35 MX$808

24.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.80 NAD 580

$41.44 MX$772

-16.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.4 NAD 1,473

$74.2 MX$1,383

19.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.4 NAD 1,573

$89.3 MX$1,664

5.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$502 NAD 8,362

$980 MX$18.3K

-48.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 NAD 5,970

$381 MX$7,099

-5.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,456 NAD 24.3K

$1,708 MX$31.8K

-14.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$974 NAD 16.2K

$1,075 MX$20.0K

-9.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,617 NAD 26.9K

$3,943 MX$73.5K

-58.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$608 NAD 10.1K

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-90.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$997 NAD 16.6K

$735 MX$13.7K

35.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.45

-0.26%

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

Last update for Windhoek: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Windhoek

$358 30.3%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 6.3% $23

Groceries & Markets

Windhoek

$223 18.9%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 14.1% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Windhoek

$215 18.2%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 36.2% $78

Eating Out

Windhoek

$158 13.4%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 27.9% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Windhoek

$122 10.4%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 8.7% $11

Getting Around

Windhoek

$58 4.9%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 12.3% $7

Sport & Entertainment

Windhoek

$47 4%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 42.2% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $502 in Windhoek versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 36% higher in Windhoek, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64 in Windhoek versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $223 in Windhoek vs $255 in Playa del Carmen – so Windhoek wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇦 Windhoek

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

19:44 7:44 PM

12:44 12:44 PM

7 h behind Windhoek

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

322,500 Capital

149,923

💱 Currency

Namibian Dollar NAD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 NAD = 6 USD

100 NAD = 5.39 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to NAD – Namibian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇦 Namibian Dollar ($)

Namibian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 16.66 NAD (100 NAD = 6 USD). 1 EUR = 18.55 NAD (100 NAD = 5.39 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to NAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Windhoek Playa del Carmen 12,260 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Windhoek
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 2%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,772 per month in Windhoek and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Windhoek, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $502 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,182 in Windhoek and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a gap of about 2%.

Public transport costs about 46% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,182 in Windhoek and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,182 in Windhoek to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.