Last update: Oct 2026 Namibia ⭐ Capital 322.5K

Cost of Living in Windhoek

For one person, living costs in Windhoek are estimated at $1,188 a month, including rent and utilities, which take more than a third of the total. Other living expenses average about $23 a day.

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Windhoek

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

Living costs for one person come to about $1,188 monthly including rent, or $689 excluding housing.

$1,188 /mo

Estimated monthly costs for a couple: $1,981 with rent, or $1,228 without housing.

$1,981 /mo

Monthly costs for a family of three come to about $2,775 including rent, or $1,766 for daily expenses alone.

$2,775 /mo

Windhoek sits 2–12% below the global median across household types. Within Africa, costs are 31% above average – pricier than most cities in the region.

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🍽 Eating Out
Cost
Range
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.42 NAD 188
$7.21 NAD 119
$18.03 NAD 296
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$63.4 NAD 1,042
$36.23 NAD 596
$78.5 NAD 1,291
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.94 NAD 97.7
$5.35 NAD 88.0
$7.13 NAD 117
Cappuccino
$2.38 NAD 39.16
$1.37 NAD 22.45
$3.10 NAD 51.0
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.84 NAD 13.75
$0.72 NAD 11.81
$1.19 NAD 19.57
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.91 NAD 14.97
$0.61 NAD 9.98
$1.53 NAD 25.11
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.95 NAD 31.98
$1.08 NAD 17.78
$3.00 NAD 49.27
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.06 NAD 33.78
$1.35 NAD 22.26
$2.94 NAD 48.36
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cost
Range
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 NAD 25.17
$1.18 NAD 19.40
$2.36 NAD 38.80
White Bread (500g)
$0.95 NAD 15.61
$0.88 NAD 14.42
$1.06 NAD 17.47
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.99 NAD 32.77
$1.34 NAD 22.01
$3.65 NAD 60.1
Eggs
$3.06 NAD 50.3
$1.77 NAD 29.09
$7.09 NAD 117
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.40 NAD 154
$4.81 NAD 79.1
$18.06 NAD 297
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.98 NAD 115
$2.17 NAD 35.65
$9.00 NAD 148
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.71 NAD 127
$4.58 NAD 75.3
$14.24 NAD 234
Apples (1kg)
$2.15 NAD 35.42
$1.19 NAD 19.48
$3.67 NAD 60.4
Banana (1kg)
$1.98 NAD 32.57
$1.71 NAD 28.09
$2.45 NAD 40.22
Oranges (1kg)
$1.81 NAD 29.71
$1.18 NAD 19.43
$2.95 NAD 48.50
Tomato (1kg)
$2.05 NAD 33.67
$1.22 NAD 20.07
$3.35 NAD 55.1
Potato (1kg)
$2.04 NAD 33.46
$0.61 NAD 10.04
$3.07 NAD 50.5
Onion (1kg)
$1.83 NAD 30.11
$1.25 NAD 20.47
$2.49 NAD 40.94
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.97 NAD 32.41
$1.24 NAD 20.42
$2.79 NAD 45.91
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.08 NAD 17.73
$0.72 NAD 11.77
$1.66 NAD 27.25
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.28 NAD 53.9
$2.86 NAD 47.03
$4.11 NAD 67.6
Wine (Bottle)
$6.52 NAD 107
$4.73 NAD 77.8
$11.25 NAD 185
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 NAD 23.14
$0.84 NAD 13.75
$2.25 NAD 37.05
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.43 NAD 23.48
$0.92 NAD 15.15
$2.14 NAD 35.14
🚌 Getting Around
Cost
Range
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.82 NAD 13.48
$0.68 NAD 11.26
$0.94 NAD 15.52
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$47.82 NAD 786
$38.98 NAD 641
$55.6 NAD 914
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.81 NAD 13.29
$0.81 NAD 13.29
$1.61 NAD 26.40
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.92 NAD 15.15
$0.80 NAD 13.15
$1.53 NAD 25.14
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$15.81 NAD 260
$7.30 NAD 120
$18.24 NAD 300
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 NAD 22.15
$1.20 NAD 19.74
$1.48 NAD 24.39
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.8K NAD 390.8K
$23.2K NAD 382.0K
$24.0K NAD 394.7K
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K NAD 439.5K
$22.7K NAD 372.7K
$33.4K NAD 549.5K
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cost
Range
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$144 NAD 2,373
$73.7 NAD 1,212
$184 NAD 3,030
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.72 NAD 439
$15.29 NAD 251
$36.69 NAD 603
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.2 NAD 842
$33.56 NAD 552
$91.5 NAD 1,505
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cost
Range
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.32 NAD 613
$30.26 NAD 497
$45.39 NAD 746
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.77 NAD 177
$3.08 NAD 50.6
$18.46 NAD 304
Cinema Ticket
$5.29 NAD 87.0
$4.70 NAD 77.2
$8.81 NAD 145
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cost
Range
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 NAD 3,403
$71.7 NAD 1,178
$299 NAD 4,908
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,433 NAD 89.3K
$4,289 NAD 70.5K
$6,618 NAD 108.8K
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cost
Range
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$56.1 NAD 922
$43.01 NAD 707
$79.9 NAD 1,313
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.37 NAD 581
$12.28 NAD 202
$61.4 NAD 1,009
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.1 NAD 1,464
$71.9 NAD 1,181
$150 NAD 2,461
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$94.1 NAD 1,547
$59.8 NAD 982
$120 NAD 1,965
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cost
Range
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$504 NAD 8,283
$363 NAD 5,970
$908 NAD 14.9K
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$354 NAD 5,818
$240 NAD 3,952
$661 NAD 10.9K
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,147 NAD 18.9K
$716 NAD 11.8K
$2,087 NAD 34.3K
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$864 NAD 14.2K
$542 NAD 8,913
$1,205 NAD 19.8K
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,625 NAD 26.7K
$918 NAD 15.1K
$2,447 NAD 40.2K
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$602 NAD 9,897
$227 NAD 3,728
$1,194 NAD 19.6K
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cost
Range
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,005 NAD 16.5K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.42
10
12.25

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

Last update: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Windhoek $1,188
Accommodation & Living
$354
Groceries & Markets
$225
Monthly Utilities & Internet
$222
Eating Out
$159
Clothing & Footwear
$124
Getting Around
$57
Sport & Entertainment
$48

Cost Breakdown

Expect to pay about $504 for a central one-bedroom, or $354 outside the center. At 50% of the average salary ($1,005), housing is the biggest financial pressure.

Average take-home pay sits at $1,005, while typical expenses reach $1,188. The gap means tight budgeting for locals, though expats with foreign income can live comfortably.

Expect to spend about $225 monthly on groceries. Dining out at a mid-range restaurant costs roughly $63.0 for two – above the African average of $41.00.

Public transport is priced at around $47.82 per month – above the African average of $30.00.

Cost Highlights

Family monthly cost (excluding rent) is more expensive than 95% of cities in Africa

Family monthly cost (including rent) is more expensive than 95% of cities in Africa

Three-course dinner for two, mid-range is more expensive than 95% of cities in Africa

Good to know
🕒 Local time
12:40 12:40 PM
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
322,500 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to NAD – Namibian Dollar Converter

Namibian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 16.44 NAD (100 NAD = 6.08 USD). 1 EUR = 18.48 NAD (100 NAD = 5.41 EUR).

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Windhoek Median Internet Speeds (Updated April 2026)

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Cost of Living in Windhoek - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Windhoek affordable for travelers, expats, and digital nomads?
Cost of Living in Windhoek, Namibia varies with neighborhood proximity to the city center and international facilities, while exploring outer areas or developing suburbs can stretch your budget further. You'll find a mix of affordable street-food options, reliable utilities, and mid-range housing that remains approachable compared with some larger capitals. For digital nomads, a few coworking hubs and short-term leases provide flexibility, but planning around seasonal travel peaks helps. Tip: Map costs across neighborhoods and set a monthly cap for housing and transport.
What does daily life look like in Windhoek in terms of housing search, food, transport, and errands?
Daily life centers on practical budgeting and friendly services. Housing searches cluster around Klein Windhoek and Eros, with options from compact apartments to larger homes; expect longer lease norms than some cities. Food choices range from local markets to international groceries, with seasonal produce and affordable street meals. Transport leans toward a car or ride-hailing, while central districts are walkable. Co-working spaces offer reliable work environments and flexible hours for remote work. Windhoek living cost varies by neighborhood, schedule, and lifestyle, so test several areas during a short stay. Tip: Make a two-week exploratory pass to compare vendors and transit routes.
What quality-of-life considerations and budgeting strategies help you settle in Windhoek and choose a neighborhood?
Quality of life in Windhoek blends outdoor activity with solid infrastructure. A simple budgeting framework works: rent, utilities, groceries, transport, and leisure. In neighborhoods like Klein Windhoek or Eros, you'll find mature housing and safer streets; more affordable options appear further east or in smaller complexes. Seasons influence daily routines: the rainy season can affect travel and laundry, while dry months are sunny and pleasant for outdoor work. Save by cooking at home, using local markets, and negotiating longer leases for lower rates. Tip: Build a weekly menu, set a cap for discretionary spending, and rotate errands to off-peak hours.
What percentage of income goes to rent in Windhoek?
With 50% of the average paycheck going to rent, Windhoek is on the expensive side for housing. Many locals cope by sharing apartments, moving to outer neighborhoods, or downsizing to keep things manageable.
What is the average cost of living in Windhoek?
A single person in Windhoek typically spends $1,188 per month once rent is factored in. Strip out housing, and everyday essentials like groceries, utilities, transport, and personal spending land around $689. The final number shifts depending on your neighborhood, eating habits, and general lifestyle.
Is the average salary in Windhoek enough to cover living costs?
An average salary of $1,005 technically covers the $1,188 monthly cost of living in Windhoek, but just barely. There's little room for surprises – a rent hike, medical bill, or unexpected repair can throw things off quickly at this income level.
What are typical rents in Windhoek?
Where you live in Windhoek makes all the difference. Central one-bedrooms cost about $504; commute-friendly outer districts come in around $354. Overall, the market runs from $354 to $504 depending on size, location, and apartment condition.
How expensive is a gym membership in Windhoek?
A regular gym membership in Windhoek costs around $37.32 monthly. It's a reasonable expense that fits into most budgets, and you generally get decent facilities for the price.
What is a typical grocery budget in Windhoek?
Expect to spend around $225 per month on groceries in Windhoek. Neither cheap nor expensive by global standards – everyday items are fairly priced, though imported or specialty products cost more.
Can a person live on $1,000 monthly in Windhoek?
Living on $1,000 in Windhoek means careful planning, since monthly costs average $1,188. It works with a cheap apartment and disciplined spending, but expect trade-offs on where you live, how often you eat out, and entertainment.
What is quality of life like in Windhoek?
Windhoek offers genuinely appealing day-to-day living. Residents value vibrant nightlife, clean air, wellness scene, and at around $1,188 per month, it's accessible to a broad range of incomes. Most people find the cost-to-quality balance sustainable long-term.
Can you save money living in Windhoek?
Monthly expenses in Windhoek run around $1,188, so putting money aside takes more than $1,782 in income. Keeping housing costs low and avoiding lifestyle creep are the keys to building a decent savings rate here.
Is Windhoek good for backpackers?
Budget travel in Windhoek works but takes effort. Hostels, street food, and local restaurants keep daily costs reasonable. All-in monthly expenses run about $1,188 for residents – backpackers can do less with some planning.

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