Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Abuja and Ikeja

For one person, living is cheaper in Abuja: $991 a month against $2,392 in Ikeja, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ikeja outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

48

Cost of Living Index in Abuja
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Abuja Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Ikeja
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Ikeja Living Index

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Abuja

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$991

/mo nomad

Ikeja

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$2,392

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Abuja and in Ikeja

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Abuja and in Ikeja actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $991 in Abuja versus $2,392 in Ikeja.

Abuja $991
Ikeja $2,392

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,872 in Abuja versus $4,077 in Ikeja.

Abuja $1,872
Ikeja $4,077

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,753 in Abuja versus $5,762 in Ikeja.

Abuja $2,753
Ikeja $5,762

Living in Abuja costs roughly 59% less than in Ikeja, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Abuja is 27% below, Ikeja is 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ₦2,602

$0.49 ₦663

295.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.33 ₦40.7K

$11.21 ₦15.0K

170.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.08 ₦5,465

$7.56 ₦10.1K

-46.03%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ₦4,400

$2.84 ₦3,802

15.49%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 ₦573

$0.14 ₦182

207.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₦956

$0.07 ₦96.1

914.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.97 ₦1,301

$0.29 ₦387

234.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 ₦2,647

$2.02 ₦2,704

-2.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.59 ₦4,814

$0.72 ₦960

398.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 ₦1,731

$0.77 ₦1,027

67.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.27 ₦3,048

$1.26 ₦1,692

80.16%

Eggs

$1.81 ₦2,420

$2.25 ₦3,016

-19.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.11 ₦14.9K

$3.59 ₦4,809

209.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.35 ₦7,164

$3.81 ₦5,106

40.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.82 ₦7,795

$4.56 ₦6,110

27.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 ₦2,775

$1.68 ₦2,252

23.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 ₦2,006

$1.32 ₦1,775

13.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ₦2,039

$1.13 ₦1,510

34.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 ₦3,068

$1.54 ₦2,069

48.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 ₦2,393

$1.59 ₦2,128

12.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 ₦3,324

$1.56 ₦2,096

58.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ₦794

$0.84 ₦1,122

-29.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 ₦526

$0.36 ₦485

8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.96 ₦2,624

$0.59 ₦788

232.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.83 ₦7,818

$2.36 ₦3,161

147.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 ₦1,604

$0.54 ₦719

122.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ₦2,484

$0.50 ₦671

270.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₦619

$0.09 ₦126

411.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.58 ₦43.7K

$3.33 ₦4,468

878.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 ₦823

$0.70 ₦938

-12.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 ₦1,086

$0.90 ₦1,207

-10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 ₦2,474

$2.18 ₦2,923

-15.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 ₦765

$0.13 ₦176

338.46%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$26.1K ₦35.0M

$11.2K ₦15.0M

133.23%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$37.3K ₦50.0M

$28.2K ₦37.8M

32.20%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$110 ₦147.8K

$110 ₦147.5K

0.20%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$6.48 ₦8,687

$14.51 ₦19.5K

-55.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.14 ₦39.1K

$33.25 ₦44.6K

-12.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.74 ₦34.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.62 ₦12.9K

Cinema Ticket

$6.31 ₦8,456

$6.33 ₦8,485

-0.32%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$44.68 ₦59.9K

$667 ₦894.3K

-93.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,103 ₦4.2M

$19.5K ₦26.1M

-84.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.03 ₦34.9K

$14.51 ₦19.4K

79.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.8 ₦81.4K

$18.28 ₦24.5K

232.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 ₦102.6K

$36.38 ₦48.8K

110.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 ₦141.3K

$48.13 ₦64.5K

119.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₦789.9K

$3,483 ₦4.7M

-83.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 ₦465.8K

$1,968 ₦2.6M

-82.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,405 ₦1.9M

$6,383 ₦8.6M

-78.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 ₦1.8M

$4,948 ₦6.6M

-72.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$699 ₦937.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$378 ₦506.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$162 ₦217.5K

$73.8 ₦98.9K

119.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.5

18.39

22.35%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Abuja: October 24, 2026

Last update for Ikeja: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Abuja

$348 35.1%

Ikeja

$2K 82.3% 466% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Abuja

$218 22%

Ikeja

$125 5.2% 42.8% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Abuja

$146 14.7%

Ikeja

$158 6.6% 8.2% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Abuja

$121 12.2%

Ikeja

$53 2.2% 56.4% $68

Eating Out

Abuja

$81 8.1%

Ikeja

$67 2.8% 16.8% $14

Getting Around

Abuja

$39 4%

Ikeja

$8.9 0.4% 77.2% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Abuja

$38 3.9%

Ikeja

$13 * 0.5% 67% $26

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Abuja and $3,483 in Ikeja. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Abuja pays about 2.2 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30 in Abuja vs $11 in Ikeja for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $218 vs $125 per month, with Ikeja cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇬 Abuja

🇳🇬 Ikeja

🕒 Local time

15:54 3:54 PM

Same time as Abuja

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

776,298 Capital

861,300

💱 Currency

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 NGN = 7.46 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.7 EUR

10,000 NGN = 7.46 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Abuja Ikeja 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Abuja
Ikeja

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Abuja vs Ikeja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Abuja and Ikeja differ by about 142% in total monthly costs ($991 vs $2,392 including rent). Abuja is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Abuja is about 2.2 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $589 in Abuja versus $3,483 in Ikeja. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $991 per month in Abuja versus $2,392 in Ikeja – a 142% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ikeja runs roughly 90% less than in Abuja. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

At $991 in Abuja versus $2,392 in Ikeja, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Abuja but tight or insufficient in Ikeja. The gap between the two cities makes Abuja the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.