Baghdad vs Windhoek Cost of Living Comparison
Takeaway for Baghdad vs Windhoek: everyday costs favor Windhoek (~1% CPI gap), housing index favors Windhoek, wage stretch favors Windhoek. Use category winners, not a single headline, when the binding constraint is rent or income.
Overall Cost Winner
Windhoek
Lower overall CPI; largest measurable gaps: Transport (99% gap, Windhoek ahead); Utilities (99% gap, Windhoek ahead).
Monthly Cost Difference
Estimated monthly housing+utilities+internet basket is about $42 lower in Windhoek than in Baghdad (~7% gap; converted via exchange rates).
Estimated monthly difference: $42 (favoring Windhoek).
Category Winners
| Category | Winner | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Overall CPI | Windhoek | CPI 26.2 vs 26.5 (lower is better) |
| Housing | Windhoek | Rent index 15.3 vs 16.5 (lower is better) |
| Food | Windhoek | Groceries index 34.6 vs 36.7 (lower is better) |
| Transport | Windhoek | One-way ticket 9.28 vs 657.23 (lower is better) |
| Utilities | Windhoek | Utilities (85m²) 566.1 vs 43230 (lower is better) |
| Internet | Windhoek | Internet 391.09 vs 24759 (lower is better) |
| Restaurants | Baghdad | Restaurant index 26 vs 26 (lower is better) |
| Salary | Baghdad | Avg net salary 2274160 vs 38539.2 (higher is better) |
| Purchasing Power | Windhoek | PP index 33.6 vs 28 (higher is better) |
Biggest Difference
Transport: Windhoek leads with a 99% gap.
One-way ticket 9.28 vs 657.23 (lower is better)
Quick Decision
- Students: Windhoek — Lower housing / rent index (7% gap).
- Families: Windhoek — Housing is typically the largest household line; rent index favors Windhoek; purchasing power favors Windhoek.
- Remote Workers: Windhoek — Everyday cost index (CPI) favors Windhoek (~1% gap).
- Budget Living: Windhoek — Lowest overall consumer-price index in this pair.
Key Takeaways
- Windhoek is the overall cost winner on CPI (~1% lower everyday-cost index than Baghdad).
- Housing: Windhoek leads on rent index (7% gap).
- Food / groceries: Windhoek is lower (6% gap).
- Purchasing power: Windhoek scores higher (20% gap).
- Largest category gap: Transport (99%), favoring Windhoek.
- Sample monthly basket (1BR + utilities + internet) is ~$42 cheaper in Windhoek.
Analysis
Baghdad versus Windhoek is not a single number. With a 1% CPI spread, groceries and services tend to move with Windhoek, while housing follows Windhoek's rent index. Purchasing power (28 vs 33.6) decides whether local wages offset local prices.
Trust & data transparency
Last updated: 2026-08-20
Data Sources
This page uses CityCost index inputs. Platform sources (see also Data sources):
- Regional
- Regional
On-page labels for this view: Regional · Regional.
Methodology
Each indexed city is associated with a reference basket of common living costs (for example rent, groceries samples, transport tickets, utilities, restaurant meals, and net salary where available). From those items, the platform derives relative indices such as CPI, rent, groceries, restaurants, and local purchasing power, using New York City = 100 as the familiar baseline convention for relative comparison.