Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Abuja and Lagos

For one person, living costs are similar in Abuja and in Lagos: $996 and $951 a month, rent and utilities included.

49

Cost of Living Index in Abuja
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Abuja Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Lagos
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Lagos Living Index

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Abuja

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$996

/mo nomad

Lagos

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$951

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Abuja and in Lagos

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 Lagos actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $996 in Abuja versus $951 in Lagos.

Abuja $996
Lagos $951

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,978 in Abuja versus $1,859 in Lagos.

Abuja $1,978
Lagos $1,859

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Abuja versus $2,768 in Lagos.

Abuja $2,959
Lagos $2,768

Living in Abuja is roughly 5% more expensive than in Lagos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Abuja 26% lower, Lagos 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.02 ₦2,693

$3.82 ₦5,082

-47.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.94 ₦39.8K

$50.8 ₦67.5K

-41.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.97 ₦5,276

$7.38 ₦9,815

-46.21%

Cappuccino

$3.34 ₦4,441

$2.83 ₦3,768

18.02%

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

$0.48 ₦633

$0.43 ₦577

11.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₦896

$0.22 ₦291

204.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 ₦1,360

$1.01 ₦1,348

0.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 ₦2,771

$2.02 ₦2,692

2.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.73 ₦4,967

$3.10 ₦4,120

20.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 ₦1,791

$1.50 ₦1,989

-10.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 ₦3,028

$1.25 ₦1,669

82.40%

Eggs

$1.88 ₦2,504

$2.27 ₦3,013

-17.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.18 ₦14.9K

$3.44 ₦4,578

225.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.18 ₦6,886

$3.79 ₦5,040

36.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.09 ₦8,095

$4.58 ₦6,093

32.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 ₦2,644

$1.70 ₦2,255

17.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 ₦1,981

$1.29 ₦1,716

15.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 ₦2,047

$1.11 ₦1,475

38.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 ₦3,046

$1.29 ₦1,718

77.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 ₦2,382

$1.37 ₦1,823

30.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 ₦3,136

$1.36 ₦1,803

73.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ₦742

$0.85 ₦1,128

-34.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 ₦523

$0.40 ₦528

-2.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.03 ₦2,695

$0.60 ₦793

238.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 ₦7,655

$2.52 ₦3,346

128.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 ₦1,644

$0.54 ₦721

129.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ₦2,458

$0.46 ₦612

302.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ₦619

$0.40 ₦532

17.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.13 ₦44.1K

$19.73 ₦26.2K

67.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.58 ₦770

$0.65 ₦864

-10.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 ₦1,101

$0.95 ₦1,270

-12.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 ₦2,455

$2.25 ₦2,987

-17.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.54 ₦721

$0.83 ₦1,098

-34.94%

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

$26.3K ₦34.9M

$11.1K ₦14.8M

136.32%

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

$18.4K ₦24.5M

$13.6K ₦18.1M

35.08%

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

$112 ₦148.7K

$113 ₦150.7K

-1.31%

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

$6.52 ₦8,671

$15.08 ₦20.1K

-56.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.53 ₦39.3K

$33.09 ₦44.0K

-10.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.16 ₦34.8K

$28.10 ₦37.4K

-6.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.71 ₦12.9K

$6.79 ₦9,027

43.00%

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 ₦8,760

$6.19 ₦8,237

6.46%

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

$45.16 ₦60.1K

$659 ₦877.1K

-93.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,098 ₦4.1M

$19.5K ₦26.0M

-84.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.73 ₦34.2K

$14.85 ₦19.8K

73.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.2 ₦81.5K

$17.95 ₦23.9K

241.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.4 ₦104.3K

$36.30 ₦48.3K

116.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 ₦143.3K

$48.95 ₦65.1K

120.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$596 ₦793.2K

$704 ₦936.6K

-15.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$344 ₦457.8K

$417 ₦554.1K

-17.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 ₦1.9M

$2,825 ₦3.8M

-48.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,537 ₦2.0M

$1,516 ₦2.0M

1.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$722 ₦959.8K

$3,283 ₦4.4M

-78.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$376 ₦500.2K

$1,597 ₦2.1M

-76.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 ₦224.8K

$117 ₦155.2K

44.86%

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 11, 2026

Last update for Lagos: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Abuja

$344 34.5%

Lagos

$417 43.8% 21.1% $72

Groceries & Markets

Abuja

$220 22.1%

Lagos

$154 16.2% 30.1% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Abuja

$148 14.9%

Lagos

$161 17% 9.2% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Abuja

$123 12.3%

Lagos

$53 5.6% 56.8% $70

Eating Out

Abuja

$82 8.2%

Lagos

$98 10.4% 20% $16

Getting Around

Abuja

$40 4%

Lagos

$27 2.8% 32.6% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Abuja

$39 4%

Lagos

$40 4.3% 2.9% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $596 in Abuja and $704 in Lagos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Abuja pays 45% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $30.00 in Abuja vs $51.0 in Lagos. Groceries flip the comparison at $220 vs $154, with Lagos cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇬 Abuja

🇳🇬 Lagos

🕒 Local time

06:52 6:52 AM

Same time as Abuja

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

776,298 Capital

10,404,112

💱 Currency

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 NGN = 7.52 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.69 EUR

10,000 NGN = 7.52 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Abuja Lagos 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Abuja
Lagos

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 Lagos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Abuja and Lagos differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($996 vs $951 including rent). Lagos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 45% higher in Abuja, 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: $596 in Abuja versus $704 in Lagos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $996 per month in Abuja versus $951 in Lagos – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lagos runs roughly 68% less than in Abuja. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $951 in Lagos versus $996 in Abuja, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lagos but tight or insufficient in Abuja. The gap between the two cities makes Lagos 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.

Expats usually find Lagos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Abuja. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.