Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calabar and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Calabar: $821 a month against $4,086 in London, rent and utilities included – about $39,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Calabar, Nigeria
London, United Kingdom
Calabar
🇳🇬 Nigeria
$821
/mo nomad
London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$4,086
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calabar and in London

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

A single person spends $821 per month in Calabar vs $4,086 in London, rent included.

  • Calabar $821
  • London $4,086

A couple spends around $1,130 per month in Calabar vs $5,891 in London, rent included.

  • Calabar $1,130
  • London $5,891

A family of three spends $1,440 per month in Calabar vs $7,696 in London, rent included.

  • Calabar $1,440
  • London $7,696

Calabar is about 80% cheaper than London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Calabar sits 40% below the global median, while London is 200% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Calabar
London
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.14 ₦1,531
$26.55 £19.98
-95.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
-
$107 £80.5
-
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
-
$10.78 £8.12
-
Cappuccino
-
$5.71 £4.30
-
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.35 ₦475
$3.01 £2.26
-88.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.19 ₦255
$2.29 £1.72
-91.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.87 ₦1,160
$9.08 £6.84
-90.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.22 ₦1,637
$8.07 £6.07
-84.88%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Calabar
London
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
-
$1.90 £1.43
-
White Bread (500g)
$1.37 ₦1,831
$2.03 £1.53
-32.51%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.46 ₦1,959
$2.45 £1.84
-40.41%
Eggs
-
$5.07 £3.82
-
Local Cheese (1kg)
-
$12.71 £9.56
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
-
$10.61 £7.99
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
-
$17.68 £13.31
-
Apples (1kg)
-
$3.17 £2.39
-
Banana (1kg)
-
$1.45 £1.09
-
Oranges (1kg)
-
$3.13 £2.36
-
Tomato (1kg)
-
$3.41 £2.57
-
Potato (1kg)
-
$1.67 £1.26
-
Onion (1kg)
-
$1.77 £1.33
-
Lettuce (1 head)
-
$1.43 £1.08
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.43 ₦577
$1.87 £1.41
-77.01%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
-
$23.91 £17.99
-
Wine (Bottle)
$4.51 ₦6,047
$13.48 £10.14
-66.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.10 ₦1,480
$3.08 £2.32
-64.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.51 ₦2,020
$4.39 £3.31
-65.60%
🚌 Getting Around
Calabar
London
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$4.08 £3.07
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$252 £190
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$5.74 £4.32
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$3.35 £2.52
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$57.2 £43.07
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
-
$2.08 £1.57
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$38.0K £28.6K
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$40.4K £30.4K
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Calabar
London
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
-
$387 £291
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
-
$18.57 £13.98
-
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
-
$40.69 £30.62
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Calabar
London
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$57.6 £43.33
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.75 £14.87
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$18.33 £13.79
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Calabar
London
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$2,957 £2,225
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$35.9K £27.0K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Calabar
London
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
-
$119 £89.4
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$56.3 £42.35
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$131 £98.5
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$165 £124
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Calabar
London
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,138 ₦1.5M
$2,811 £2,116
-59.52%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$761 ₦1.0M
$2,291 £1,724
-66.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,872 ₦2.5M
$5,185 £3,902
-63.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,328 ₦1.8M
$3,805 £2,864
-65.10%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$17.7K £13.3K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$8,405 £6,325
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Calabar
London
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$5,070 £3,816
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
4.79
-

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

Last update for Calabar: October 24, 2026

Last update for London: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Calabar
–
London
$2.3K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Calabar
–
London
$446
Eating Out
Calabar
–
London
$396
Groceries & Markets
Calabar
–
London
$356
Getting Around
Calabar
–
London
$291
Clothing & Footwear
Calabar
–
London
$212
Sport & Entertainment
Calabar
–
London
$94

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,138 in Calabar versus $2,811 in London. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Good to know
🇳🇬 Calabar
🇬🇧 London
🕒 Local time
22:00 10:00 PM
21:00 9:00 PM
1 h behind Calabar
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
371,022
8,908,083 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to NGN – Nigerian Naira Converter

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,492 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.7 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.753 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.838 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Calabar London 5,230 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Calabar
  • London

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
Calabar vs London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Calabar and in London compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $821 in Calabar, $4,086 in London – Calabar comes out roughly 80% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Calabar compared to London?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,232 per month in Calabar and $6,129 in London. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Calabar and London?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Calabar, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,138 there versus $2,811 in London.
Which city is more expensive overall: Calabar or London?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $821 in Calabar and $4,086 in London. That makes Calabar about 80% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 742% more in London, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Calabar, where all-in costs run around $821, than in London at $4,086. In Calabar it covers expenses comfortably, while in London it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Calabar and London?
It depends on your priorities. London has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $821 in Calabar to $4,086 in London. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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