Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ibadan and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Ibadan: $255 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

12

Cost of Living Index in Ibadan
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Ibadan Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Ibadan

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$255

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ibadan and in Cape Town

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

A single person spends $255 per month in Ibadan vs $1,586 in Cape Town, rent included.

Ibadan $255
Cape Town $1,586

A couple spends around $571 per month in Ibadan vs $2,425 in Cape Town, rent included.

Ibadan $571
Cape Town $2,425

A family of three spends $887 per month in Ibadan vs $3,263 in Cape Town, rent included.

Ibadan $887
Cape Town $3,263

Ibadan is about 84% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ibadan sits 81% below the global median, while Cape Town is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.11 ₦1,481

$12.14 R 200

-90.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.33 ₦40.3K

$45.34 R 747

-33.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.22 ₦8,276

$5.88 R 96.9

5.78%

Cappuccino

$0.80 ₦1,058

$2.50 R 41.18

-68.00%

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

$0.22 ₦293

$1.27 R 20.94

-82.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 ₦180

$0.98 R 16.14

-85.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.59 ₦786

$2.99 R 49.33

-80.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₦1,534

$3.72 R 61.4

-69.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.58 ₦776

$1.30 R 21.40

-55.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ₦803

$1.25 R 20.68

-52.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 ₦1,524

$2.23 R 36.76

-48.43%

Eggs

$1.55 ₦2,055

$3.11 R 51.2

-50.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.59 ₦4,774

$9.06 R 149

-60.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.02 ₦5,342

$6.92 R 114

-41.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$0.71 ₦951

$9.30 R 153

-92.37%

Apples (1kg)

$1.65 ₦2,198

$1.84 R 30.25

-10.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 ₦1,712

$1.96 R 32.29

-34.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.10 ₦1,457

$1.67 R 27.45

-34.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.29 ₦385

$2.17 R 35.70

-86.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 ₦773

$1.57 R 25.81

-63.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.24 ₦320

$1.48 R 24.45

-83.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.22 ₦291

$1.30 R 21.41

-83.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.12 ₦159

$1.13 R 18.60

-89.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.59 ₦781

$3.60 R 59.3

-83.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$1.15 ₦1,533

$6.15 R 101

-81.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 ₦523

$1.38 R 22.66

-71.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₦621

$2.14 R 35.20

-78.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.12 ₦164

$1.50 R 24.65

-92.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 ₦872

$0.59 R 9.71

11.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 ₦781

$1.50 R 24.65

-60.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 ₦1,467

$5.11 R 84.2

-78.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.53 ₦703

$1.55 R 25.50

-65.81%

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

$4,189 ₦5.6M

$36.2K R 596.5K

-88.43%

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

$13.7K ₦18.2M

$31.2K R 514.8K

-56.24%

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

$11.16 ₦14.8K

$114 R 1,883

-90.24%

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

$3.87 ₦5,145

$28.91 R 476

-86.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.59 ₦11.4K

$39.73 R 654

-78.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.27 ₦29.6K

$49.01 R 808

-54.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

Cinema Ticket

$1.48 ₦1,972

$9.15 R 151

-83.83%

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

$49.51 ₦65.8K

$259 R 4,264

-80.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$631 ₦839.5K

$6,794 R 111.9K

-90.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.18 ₦16.2K

$56.2 R 926

-78.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$5.77 ₦7,674

$32.41 R 534

-82.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$15.36 ₦20.4K

$121 R 1,987

-87.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$21.34 ₦28.4K

$108 R 1,781

-80.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$125 ₦166.4K

$1,021 R 16.8K

-87.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$46.64 ₦62.0K

$717 R 11.8K

-93.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$454 ₦603.2K

$1,824 R 30.1K

-75.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ₦406.0K

$1,327 R 21.9K

-76.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$880 ₦1.2M

$2,391 R 39.4K

-63.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$29.82 ₦39.7K

$1,542 R 25.4K

-98.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$56.6 ₦75.3K

$1,639 R 27.0K

-96.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.39

10.97

67.64%

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

Last update for Ibadan: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ibadan

$87 34.2%

Cape Town

$225 14.2% 158% $138

Accommodation & Living

Ibadan

$47 18.3%

Cape Town

$717 45.2% 1437% $670

Eating Out

Ibadan

$44 17.2%

Cape Town

$176 11.1% 302% $132

Sport & Entertainment

Ibadan

$25 9.9%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 167% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Ibadan

$25 9.6%

Cape Town

$143 9% 481% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ibadan

$24 9.3%

Cape Town

$183 11.5% 675% $159

Getting Around

Ibadan

$4.1 * 1.6%

Cape Town

$75 4.7% 1729% $71

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $125 in Ibadan versus $1,021 in Cape Town. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 2794% higher in Cape Town, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Ibadan versus $45.00 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $87.0 vs $225 – making Ibadan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇬 Ibadan

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

06:37 6:37 AM

07:37 7:37 AM

1 h ahead of Ibadan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,034,200

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 NGN = 7.52 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.69 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to NGN – Nigerian Naira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇬 Nigerian Naira (₦)

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.69 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to NGN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ibadan Cape Town 4,840 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Ibadan
Cape Town

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

Ibadan vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 522% more than Ibadan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $383 per month in Ibadan and $2,379 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ibadan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $255 in Ibadan and $1,586 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 522%.

Kindergarten costs $49.51 per month in Ibadan and $259 in Cape Town. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ibadan, where all-in costs run around $255, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Ibadan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ibadan costs $255 versus $1,586 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Ibadan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.