Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Abuja and Onitsha

For one person, living is cheaper in Onitsha: $0.71 a month against $991 in Abuja, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Abuja
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Abuja Living Index

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Abuja

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$991

/mo nomad

Onitsha

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$0.71

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Abuja and in Onitsha

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $991 in Abuja versus $0.71 in Onitsha.

Abuja $991
Onitsha $0.71

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,872 in Abuja versus $1.25 in Onitsha.

Abuja $1,872
Onitsha $1.25

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,753 in Abuja versus $1.78 in Onitsha.

Abuja $2,753
Onitsha $1.78

Living in Abuja is roughly 139417% more expensive than in Onitsha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Abuja 27% lower, Onitsha 100% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ₦2,595

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.33 ₦40.5K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.08 ₦5,450

Cappuccino

$3.28 ₦4,388

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

$0.43 ₦571

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₦953

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.97 ₦1,297

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 ₦2,640

Milk (1 liter)

$3.59 ₦4,800

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 ₦1,726

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.27 ₦3,039

Eggs

$1.81 ₦2,413

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.11 ₦14.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.35 ₦7,145

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.82 ₦7,774

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 ₦2,767

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 ₦2,000

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ₦2,033

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 ₦3,059

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 ₦2,386

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 ₦3,315

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ₦792

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 ₦525

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.96 ₦2,617

Wine (Bottle)

$5.83 ₦7,797

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 ₦1,600

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ₦2,477

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₦618

$0.18 ₦239

155.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.58 ₦43.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 ₦821

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 ₦1,084

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 ₦2,467

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 ₦763

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

$26.1K ₦34.9M

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

$37.3K ₦49.9M

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

$110 ₦147.4K

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

$6.48 ₦8,663

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.14 ₦38.9K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.74 ₦34.4K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.62 ₦12.9K

Cinema Ticket

$6.31 ₦8,433

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

$44.68 ₦59.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,103 ₦4.1M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.03 ₦34.8K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.8 ₦81.2K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 ₦102.3K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 ₦140.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₦787.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 ₦464.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,405 ₦1.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 ₦1.8M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$699 ₦934.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$378 ₦505.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$162 ₦216.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.5

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

Last update for Abuja: October 24, 2026

Last update for Onitsha: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Abuja

$348 35.1%

Onitsha

–

Groceries & Markets

Abuja

$218 22%

Onitsha

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Abuja

$146 14.7%

Onitsha

–

Clothing & Footwear

Abuja

$121 12.2%

Onitsha

–

Eating Out

Abuja

$81 8.1%

Onitsha

–

Getting Around

Abuja

$39 4%

Onitsha

–

Sport & Entertainment

Abuja

$38 3.9%

Onitsha

–

Good to know

🇳🇬 Abuja

🇳🇬 Onitsha

🕒 Local time

03:15 3:15 AM

Same time as Abuja

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

776,298 Capital

1,080,000

💱 Currency

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 NGN = 7.48 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.68 EUR

10,000 NGN = 7.48 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.68 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Onitsha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $991 in Abuja and $0.71 in Onitsha, so Onitsha is about 100% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,486 in Abuja and $1.07 in Onitsha to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

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.