Let’s get down to business: Money!

Reached this point we find the essential questions: Namibia, how much do you cost me? 

First of all, it’s important to dispel the stereotype that because being in Africa, everything will be brutally cheap.

It’s not like that!

Some things are likely cheaper than in your home country (ex. gas, food, etc.), but not shamingly cheap like for example in South-East Asia.

Namibia is not a backpacking-friendly country and visiting it comes with a price.

Said that with some smart planning (and by choosing a camping-car!) the total price can be brought down quite a bit.

To give you a number from my experience before diving deep in; for 12 days road trip from Windhoek-Sesriem-Sossusvlei-Swakopmund-Etosha and back, I spent with my sister 1858 Euro between the two, which makes it about 928EURO/each person (excluding the flight from home).

At the time of writing, in Namibia, the official currency is the Namibian Dollar (NAD) which is linked with value 1:1 on the South-African Rand.

Both currencies are accepted interchangeably in the country (note that Namibian dollars are not accepted in South-Africa!) in recent years, because of Rand’s volatility the government of Namibia is thinking about de-linking its currency.

Hereafter, I tried to divide into categories the expenses you are likely to encounter while on your road trip: travel cost (flight), accommodation, moving around (camping-car), food/drinks, and attraction costs.

I tried to put everything on one page to make it easier for you to plan your trip, I hope it will be useful 😀

1. Travel Cost to Namibia

Depending on your home-base, the flight price can impact to different degrees budget. Nevertheless, because of Namibia’s geographical position and the relatively low tourism in-flow flights are generally more expensive than for your average destination and may account for up to 30-50% of your total expense.

From major hubs in Europe and USA a roundtrip ticket cost between 800-1200Euro, up to over 1500 from Asia and Latino America (for a good estimate on your dates and from your location, check on Skyscanner).

All flights arrive in the capital city of Windhoek. Our best suggestion would be to organise your car-rental from home (we did with Safari Car Rental Namibia which we can super-recommend but there are many more companies) as they include in the service Airport Pickup for the day you arrive, the day you rent and day you leave.

2. Accomodation Cost

Accomodation in Namibia is not shamingly cheap; often not cheap at all!

As we have seen in the previous articles, if you don’t mind camping, renting a 4×4 with rooftop tent is a great option to experience Namibia while erasing most of the accomodation costs from your bill. 

Lodges and Chalets in and around National Parks start at 100Euro/Night upwards (200-300 Euro/Night is an average) as enjoying high-standards in the middle of a desert of course implies higher costs and comes with a price. There are no budget options!

In the main city hubs like Windhoek and Swakopmund you can find better deals for your buck at a way cheaper price. If you’re lost on which areas to stay, we can recommend from our experience in Windhoek the Trans Kalahari Inn (70Euro/night – close to the renting shop built in modern african style) and the Desert Sands Boutique B&B in Swakop (35Euro/Night – high standards for cheap).

If you’re interested in finding accomodation in more places, we suggest to refer to Booking as it is widely used country-wide and almost every camping and guesthouse can be found here.

If you’re looking for more upscale lodges, we can recommend checking 10hotels and their list of the Top10 hotels and lodges in Namibia.

Campings can be also found on Booking and their price ranges between 10-40 Euro/Night.  

3. Cost of Moving Around in Namibia

As we talked already in our previous articles of this guide, our go-to choice to visit Namibia in total freedom is renting a camping-car.

The prices range between 80-140 Euro/day, depending on low/high season. If you split that sum by the number of people you are (up to 4 fits in a 2-rooftop tent 4×4 car) and think that it covers both transportation and a huge chunk of accommodation, you’ll see it’s not that bad at all.

Insurance for a 4×4 car (which is essential (!!!) as on Namibian roads ANYTHING can happen) is ~12-15Euro/day.

Gas in Namibia is cheap, almost half the price compared to Europe (0,80-0,90Euro/Liter), which helps to increase the appeal of self-driving.

Talking from my experience, for the feeling of freedom and wilderness that self-driving and camping in Namibia gave me, I would pay even double what I did: it’s a priceless experience.

 4. Food and Drink Cost in Namibia

Food and Beverage prices in Namibia are significantly lower than in most European Country.

From our experience, for a very good meal for two in an average restaurant you should pay between 20/30 Euro. 

If you’re with the camping car and you have the possibility to cook (bbq & gas stove), stocking up in supermarkets is an even cheaper option (and perhaps even tastier) option! We spent around 200Euro for 10 days and really we had everything we needed and more!

If you like meat, the specialty of the Namibian cuisine is Game which you can enjoy in this country for a fraction of the cost you would anywhere else.

In restaurants you’ll likely find to eat most of the animals you see during the day and, although as strange as it may seem in the beginning; you will realize that just makes sense that every community eats what’s nearby.

Biltong (the dry and cured meat in the photo) is a national specialty made from Game and a snack often ate during long travels (as it conserves for longer periods). If meat is not your thing, don’t worry, it’s plenty of other options as in city supermarkets you’ll find almost everything you can find also at home.

5. Namibia – Attractions Costs

Most national parks and natural attractions require the payment of an entrance fee (in Africa as a rule of thumb, everything that can be charged it will), still prices are not exorbitants and definitely worth it.

Hereafter, are the prices of Namibia’s top attractions.

• Namib-Naukluft National Park (80 NAD, ~4.50 EURO) + (10.000 NAD/car, ~0,60 EURO)
• Etosha National Park (80 NAD/day-person, ~4,50 EURO)
• Swakopmund National Museum (30 NAD, ~2 EURO)
• Skydiving Swakopmund (2500 NAD – ~155 EURO)
• Cape Cross Seal Reserve (80 Nad, ~4.50 Euro)
• A 3hour quad-tour in the desert (~70Euro

In Conclusion

Namibia is not a cheap country to visit but it’s definitely worth a one-time splurge. By choosing camping, you choose a full-immersion experience that will also cut your costs by an easy 20-30%.

Travelling in couple (or in a small group of 3-4) will make your personal cost significantly lower, as the fixed costs of car, gas and accomodation will be spreaded between all travellers. 

So what do you think? Did you also have an experience in Namibia that you want to tell us about? Let us know in the comment and let’s get in touch! 😀

Did you like my article and found it useful? Do you have any question or would you like to leave further information?

Leave a comment below and let’s get in touch! 🙂

Namibia Travel Guide

Content Summary

1) Namibia: Why a Roadtrip?

2) Namibia: Travelling on a 4×4 Camping Car

3) Namibia: The Best 5 Places you Need to Visit

4) Namibian Roadtrip: The Budget

5) Namibia: What to Pack

6) Namibia: 5 Truly Life-Saving Tips