Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ikeja and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $2,415 in Ikeja, rent and utilities included – about $18,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ikeja outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

118

Cost of Living Index in Ikeja
Learn more

Ikeja Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

Jump to prices

Ikeja

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$2,415

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ikeja and in Cebu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,415 in Ikeja versus $918 in Cebu.

Ikeja $2,415
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,119 in Ikeja versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Ikeja $4,119
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,822 in Ikeja versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Ikeja $5,822
Cebu $1,900

Living in Ikeja is roughly 163% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ikeja is 79% above, Cebu is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$0.50 ₦670

$3.09 ₱194

-83.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.16 ₦14.8K

$24.22 ₱1,525

-53.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.69 ₦10.2K

$3.92 ₱247

96.17%

Cappuccino

$2.87 ₦3,815

$2.51 ₱158

14.34%

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

$0.13 ₦168

$1.59 ₱100

-91.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.07 ₦91.8

$0.53 ₱33.43

-86.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.29 ₦382

$1.78 ₱112

-83.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₦2,731

$2.17 ₱137

-5.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 ₦1,027

$1.92 ₱121

-59.90%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 ₦975

$1.36 ₱85.4

-46.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 ₦1,675

$1.01 ₱63.5

24.75%

Eggs

$2.28 ₦3,026

$2.03 ₱128

12.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.45 ₦4,591

$9.86 ₱621

-65.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.93 ₦5,226

$4.39 ₱277

-10.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.56 ₦6,067

$7.60 ₱479

-40.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.71 ₦2,276

$3.30 ₱208

-48.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 ₦1,709

$1.39 ₱87.8

-7.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 ₦1,521

$2.33 ₱147

-51.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ₦1,692

$1.50 ₱94.3

-15.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 ₦1,824

$2.36 ₱149

-41.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 ₦1,792

$1.90 ₱119

-28.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 ₦1,194

$1.19 ₱74.9

-24.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.37 ₦491

$0.63 ₱39.71

-41.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.59 ₦788

$3.00 ₱189

-80.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.43 ₦3,227

$6.03 ₱379

-59.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₦725

$1.23 ₱77.7

-56.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₦617

$1.75 ₱110

-73.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.11 ₦141

$0.25 ₱15.86

-56.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.41 ₦4,533

$12.64 ₱796

-73.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.71 ₦942

$0.77 ₱48.62

-7.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 ₦1,292

$0.23 ₱14.53

321.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 ₦2,873

$4.46 ₱281

-51.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.16 ₦206

$1.31 ₱82.8

-87.79%

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

$11.1K ₦14.8M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

-47.72%

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

$13.5K ₦17.9M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

-29.65%

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

$112 ₦149.5K

$120 ₱7,569

-6.50%

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

$14.52 ₦19.3K

$14.00 ₱882

3.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.03 ₦43.9K

$27.54 ₱1,734

19.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$6.33 ₦8,413

$5.65 ₱356

12.04%

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

$679 ₦902.6K

$275 ₱17.3K

146.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.2K ₦26.9M

$7,918 ₱498.5K

155.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.93 ₦19.9K

$49.33 ₱3,106

-69.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.29 ₦24.3K

$25.24 ₱1,589

-27.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.31 ₦48.3K

$77.0 ₱4,846

-52.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.50 ₦64.5K

$57.2 ₱3,601

-15.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,485 ₦4.6M

$500 ₱31.5K

597.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,989 ₦2.6M

$309 ₱19.4K

544.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,487 ₦8.6M

$1,078 ₱67.9K

501.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,007 ₦6.7M

$615 ₱38.7K

713.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$74.2 ₦98.7K

$346 ₱21.8K

-78.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.39

7.2

155.42%

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

Last update for Ikeja: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ikeja

$2K 82.4%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 84.5% $1.7K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ikeja

$160 6.6%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 1.1% $1.8

Groceries & Markets

Ikeja

$123 5.1%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 66.8% $82

Eating Out

Ikeja

$68 2.8%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 30.1% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Ikeja

$53 2.2%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 76.9% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Ikeja

$13 * 0.5%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 245% $31

Getting Around

Ikeja

$9.4 0.4%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 65.6% $6.2

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 $3,485 in Ikeja and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 366% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $11.00 in Ikeja vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $123 vs $206 per month, with Ikeja cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇬 Ikeja

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

16:10 4:10 PM

23:10 11:10 PM

7 h ahead of Ikeja

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

861,300

964,169

💱 Currency

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 NGN = 7.52 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.69 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, 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).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to NGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ikeja Cebu 13,170 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Ikeja
Cebu

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 Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in utilities. The 163% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 366% lower in Cebu. 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: $3,485 in Ikeja versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,415 per month in Ikeja versus $918 in Cebu – a 163% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 271% less than in Ikeja. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Cebu versus $2,415 in Ikeja, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Ikeja. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ikeja, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ikeja and Cebu are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 163% less than in Ikeja. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.