Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
Windhoek is easier to travel (2.2 vs 3.4). Biggest gap: language โ Abidjan 4 vs Windhoek 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Abidjan | Windhoek | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | CFA 3,000$5.19 | N$ 160$9.74 | Abidjan โ47% |
| Street food1 item | CFA 1,000$1.73 | N$ 40$2.44 | Abidjan โ29% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | CFA 15,000$25.9 | N$ 400$24.4 | Windhoek โ6% |
| Coffeeone cup | CFA 2,500$4.32 | N$ 40$2.44 | Windhoek โ44% |
| Beerone bottle | CFA 1,500$2.59 | N$ 30$1.83 | Windhoek โ30% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | CFA 5,000$8.65 | N$ 80$4.87 | Windhoek โ44% |
| Bottled water | CFA 300$0.52 | N$ 15$0.91 | Abidjan โ43% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | CFA 500$0.86 | N$ 15$0.91 | Abidjan โ5% |
| Taxi5 km in town | CFA 3,000$5.19 | N$ 60$3.65 | Windhoek โ30% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | CFA 1,000$1.73 | N$ 30$1.83 | Abidjan โ5% |
| Transitone ride | CFA 300$0.52 | N$ 9.5$0.58 | Abidjan โ10% |
| Scooter rentalper day | CFA 15,000$25.9 | N$ 300$18.3 | Windhoek โ30% |
| Hotel night3-star | CFA 45,000$77.8 | N$ 1,400$85.3 | Abidjan โ9% |
| Studio rent (month) | CFA 250,000$432 | N$ 7,500$457 | Abidjan โ5% |
| Laundry | CFA 1,000$1.73 | N$ 70$4.26 | Abidjan โ59% |
| SIM card1 week data | CFA 6,000$10.4 | N$ 120$7.31 | Windhoek โ30% |
| Haircutcut | CFA 3,000$5.19 | N$ 120$7.31 | Abidjan โ29% |
| Massage1 hour | CFA 20,000$34.6 | N$ 550$33.5 | similar |
| Half-day tourper person | CFA 15,000$25.9 | N$ 750$45.7 | Abidjan โ43% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | CFA 2,000$3.46 | N$ 50$3.05 | Windhoek โ12% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
Abidjan is 7% cheaper than Windhoek. Daily budget $146 vs $157; a month $1,935 vs $2,100.
Windhoek is easier: Windhoek 2.2/5 vs Abidjan 3.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
With a short-term studio and living costs, Abidjan is about $1,935 and Windhoek about $2,100 per month.
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.