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Windhoek vs Zanzibar cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ณ๐ฆ Windhoek
๐น๐ฟ Zanzibar
At a glance
- Where Zanzibar is clearly cheaper: Haircut (74%โ), Bottled water (71%โ), Transit (67%โ)
- Where Windhoek is clearly cheaper: Taxi (36%โ), Cocktail & wine (29%โ), Beer (20%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Windhoek is easier to travel (2.2 vs 3.2). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Windhoek 2 vs Zanzibar 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Windhoek | Zanzibar | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | N$ 160$9.74 | TSh 12,000$4.55 | Zanzibar โ53% |
| Street food1 item | N$ 40$2.44 | TSh 6,000$2.27 | Zanzibar โ7% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | N$ 400$24.4 | TSh 40,000$15.2 | Zanzibar โ38% |
| Coffeeone cup | N$ 40$2.44 | TSh 5,500$2.08 | Zanzibar โ14% |
| Beerone bottle | N$ 30$1.83 | TSh 6,000$2.27 | Windhoek โ20% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | N$ 80$4.87 | TSh 18,000$6.82 | Windhoek โ29% |
| Bottled water | N$ 15$0.91 | TSh 700$0.27 | Zanzibar โ71% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | N$ 15$0.91 | TSh 1,500$0.57 | Zanzibar โ38% |
| Taxi5 km in town | N$ 60$3.65 | TSh 15,000$5.68 | Windhoek โ36% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | N$ 30$1.83 | TSh 5,000$1.89 | similar |
| Transitone ride | N$ 9.5$0.58 | TSh 500$0.19 | Zanzibar โ67% |
| Scooter rentalper day | N$ 300$18.3 | TSh 50,000$18.9 | similar |
| Hotel night3-star | N$ 1,400$85.3 | TSh 200,000$75.8 | Zanzibar โ11% |
| Studio rent (month) | N$ 7,500$457 | TSh 550,000$208 | Zanzibar โ54% |
| Laundry | N$ 70$4.26 | TSh 6,000$2.27 | Zanzibar โ47% |
| SIM card1 week data | N$ 120$7.31 | TSh 15,000$5.68 | Zanzibar โ22% |
| Haircutcut | N$ 120$7.31 | TSh 5,000$1.89 | Zanzibar โ74% |
| Massage1 hour | N$ 550$33.5 | TSh 70,000$26.5 | Zanzibar โ21% |
| Half-day tourper person | N$ 750$45.7 | TSh 65,000$24.6 | Zanzibar โ46% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | N$ 50$3.05 | TSh 10,000$3.79 | Windhoek โ20% |
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%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Windhoek or Zanzibar?
Zanzibar is 30% cheaper than Windhoek. Daily budget $157 vs $127; a month $2,100 vs $1,263.
Which is easier to travel, Windhoek or Zanzibar?
Windhoek is easier: Windhoek 2.2/5 vs Zanzibar 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Windhoek and Zanzibar?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Windhoek is about $2,100 and Zanzibar about $1,263 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
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.