Thursday, November 11, 2010

Costs of Living in Namibia

Many people think that living in a third world country means the cost of living is a lot cheaper.  Well, that is not the case, at least in Namibia and this I know first hand.  I thought I would share a few things with you to give you an idea of how expensive it is to live here.

Take Gas for instance, or Petrol as they call it here:

Cost:  $1.15/ liter or $4.60/ gallon.

Electricity:  For our house the cost is $204/ month and we have no central air condition, no heat, and a refrigerator that is about half the size of an average one in the US.

Water:  For our house the water bill is $220/ month and we conserve water tightly because we are in a desert community and we save every bit of rain water we can if and when it does rain.

Monthly Internet Cost (Slow Internet, Not High Speed): $51/month


Our 2000 model van with 125K miles cost $13000, and yes VERY USED!



Here are some items that we will never purchase here!

Average Lap-Top Computer:  $1500

Average Cell Phone with Camera & Internet: $439

Touch Phone by Apple: $1172

Apple Touch Pad: $1756

Wii Game System: $585

MP3 Player: $365

Six Foot Artificial Christmas Tree comparible to one we had in US: $200

Wireless Router Box: $235


Here are a few pictures of food in the store and the costs in USD.  Think they compare to Wal-Mart prices?

Container of Fresh Strawberries, with only 7 strawberries:  $3.35

Half Gallon of Ice Cream:  $6.60

1 Liter Box of Juice:  $2.35



2 Liter Bottle of Coke:  $2.80

Box of Cake Mix:  $5.25



                                                             Bottle of Heinz BBQ Sauce:  $3.15



Small Box of Cookies:  $2.40



4oz bottle of spray suntan lotion: $17.00  YES $17!!




Box of Oatmeal w/12 Packs:  $4.89



Nesquick Chocolate Mix:  $4.60



Bottle of Olive Oil: $12.00



Bag of Apples:  $3.10



Small Jar of Olives: $4.90


Small Bag of Banana's:  $2.79




Box of Special K Cereal: $6.30



1 Liter of Milk: $2.35 making a gallon $9.40


Box of Honey Nut Cheerios:  $6.58



Tub of Butter:  $5.71


Jar of  Peanut Butter:  $4.83


Small Jar of Ketchup or as they call it Tomato Sauce: $2.79

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