Numbers version of Data Validation?

Numbers has a pop up menu cell format where you can make a static list of items. Excel data validation is way more convenient for what you are doing and way easier to make changes/additions/deletions to the list. I recommend you continue using Excel.

I wrote this a while ago, I assume it still works the same in the most recent version (14.4):

How to create a pop up menu from a column of data and how to keep it updated if that column of data changes

Creating a pop up menu from a column of data:

1. Create a column of items for the pop up menu
2. Select all of them. If a blank cell is included, the pop up menu will naturally be "start with blank".
3. Format as pop up menu. All of the selected cells will be pop up menus that include all the items in the order they appear in the table.
4. Select the one to be used as the main one (often this is the blank one)
5. Copy
6. Paste it to where it is needed

How to edit all the pop ups if a change is made to the column of data. This method assumes the pop ups are being used in a column.

1. In the table for creating the pop up, select the column of items  
2. Format as text or as whatever format of the items should be
3. Edit the items (add new items, delete items, sort, etc.)
4. Select them and format as pop up
5. Copy the popup that matches the uppermost one in the other table.
6. Paste the new pop up over the old one.
7. In this other table, select that cell and the rest of the column of pop ups.
8. In the cell tab of the format sidebar, choose to merge menu items. All cells will get all the new items and they will be in the same sort order as the newly created pop up. If a cell was set to an item that was deleted for the new pop up, it will go to the bottom of the pop up menu for that cell. That pop up will be different from the others.

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You can kinda start typing in a pop up menu to get to a specific item. First you have to select the pop up so the menu appears. When you start typing you need to type quickly. Lets say you have the words Candy, Cheese, and Ham. If you type C it will take you to the first item that starts with C (Candy). If you pause before typing H it will take you to Ham. But if you type CH quickly it will take you to Cheese.

Excel is much easier to manage.

"Easier to manage" is really a matter of what you are used to. I'd be pretty lost in Excel having used Numbers since if first came out in 2008 and AppleWorks/ClarisWorks before that. Even though I now use Numbers (& Pages) 14.4 in Sequoia, I'm much more comfortable with the iWork '09 versions which I still access often on a Mac running Mojave.