Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ikeja and Abuja

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.

117

Cost of Living Index in Ikeja
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Ikeja Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Abuja
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Abuja Living Index

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Ikeja

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$2,392

/mo nomad

Abuja

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$991

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ikeja and in Abuja

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

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

Ikeja $2,392
Abuja $991

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

Ikeja $4,077
Abuja $1,872

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

Ikeja $5,762
Abuja $2,753

Living in Ikeja is roughly 142% more expensive than in Abuja, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$0.49 ₦663

$1.94 ₦2,602

-74.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.21 ₦15.0K

$30.33 ₦40.7K

-63.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.56 ₦10.1K

$4.08 ₦5,465

85.29%

Cappuccino

$2.84 ₦3,802

$3.28 ₦4,400

-13.41%

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

$0.14 ₦182

$0.43 ₦573

-67.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.07 ₦96.1

$0.71 ₦956

-90.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.29 ₦387

$0.97 ₦1,301

-70.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ₦2,704

$1.97 ₦2,647

2.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.72 ₦960

$3.59 ₦4,814

-79.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.77 ₦1,027

$1.29 ₦1,731

-40.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 ₦1,692

$2.27 ₦3,048

-44.49%

Eggs

$2.25 ₦3,016

$1.81 ₦2,420

24.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.59 ₦4,809

$11.11 ₦14.9K

-67.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.81 ₦5,106

$5.35 ₦7,164

-28.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.56 ₦6,110

$5.82 ₦7,795

-21.65%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₦2,252

$2.07 ₦2,775

-18.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 ₦1,775

$1.50 ₦2,006

-12.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 ₦1,510

$1.52 ₦2,039

-25.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₦2,069

$2.29 ₦3,068

-32.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ₦2,128

$1.79 ₦2,393

-11.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 ₦2,096

$2.48 ₦3,324

-37.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 ₦1,122

$0.59 ₦794

42.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.36 ₦485

$0.39 ₦526

-7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.59 ₦788

$1.96 ₦2,624

-69.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.36 ₦3,161

$5.83 ₦7,818

-59.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₦719

$1.20 ₦1,604

-55.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₦671

$1.85 ₦2,484

-72.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.09 ₦126

$0.46 ₦619

-80.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.33 ₦4,468

$32.58 ₦43.7K

-89.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 ₦938

$0.61 ₦823

14.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 ₦1,207

$0.81 ₦1,086

11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.18 ₦2,923

$1.85 ₦2,474

17.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.13 ₦176

$0.57 ₦765

-77.19%

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

$11.2K ₦15.0M

$26.1K ₦35.0M

-57.12%

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

$28.2K ₦37.8M

$37.3K ₦50.0M

-24.36%

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

$110 ₦147.5K

$110 ₦147.8K

-0.20%

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

$14.51 ₦19.5K

$6.48 ₦8,687

123.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.25 ₦44.6K

$29.14 ₦39.1K

14.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.74 ₦34.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.62 ₦12.9K

Cinema Ticket

$6.33 ₦8,485

$6.31 ₦8,456

0.32%

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

$667 ₦894.3K

$44.68 ₦59.9K

1393.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K ₦26.1M

$3,103 ₦4.2M

527.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.51 ₦19.4K

$26.03 ₦34.9K

-44.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.28 ₦24.5K

$60.8 ₦81.4K

-69.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.38 ₦48.8K

$76.5 ₦102.6K

-52.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.13 ₦64.5K

$105 ₦141.3K

-54.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,483 ₦4.7M

$589 ₦789.9K

491.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,968 ₦2.6M

$348 ₦465.8K

466.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,383 ₦8.6M

$1,405 ₦1.9M

354.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,948 ₦6.6M

$1,346 ₦1.8M

267.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$699 ₦937.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$378 ₦506.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$73.8 ₦98.9K

$162 ₦217.5K

-54.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.39

22.5

-18.27%

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

Last update for Ikeja: October 25, 2026

Last update for Abuja: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ikeja

$2K 82.3%

Abuja

$348 35.1% 82.3% $1.6K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ikeja

$158 6.6%

Abuja

$146 14.7% 7.6% $12

Groceries & Markets

Ikeja

$125 5.2%

Abuja

$218 22% 74.7% $93

Eating Out

Ikeja

$67 2.8%

Abuja

$81 8.1% 20.2% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Ikeja

$53 2.2%

Abuja

$121 12.2% 129% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Ikeja

$13 * 0.5%

Abuja

$38 3.9% 203% $26

Getting Around

Ikeja

$8.9 0.4%

Abuja

$39 4% 339% $30

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 $3,483 in Ikeja and $589 in Abuja. 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: $11 in Ikeja vs $30 in Abuja for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $125 vs $218 per month, with Ikeja cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇬 Ikeja

🇳🇬 Abuja

🕒 Local time

10:24 10:24 AM

Same time as Ikeja

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

861,300

776,298 Capital

💱 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

Ikeja Abuja 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ikeja
Abuja

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

Ikeja vs Abuja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 55% lower in Ikeja. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

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

All in, you’ll spend $2,392 per month in Ikeja versus $991 in Abuja – 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.