Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ikeja and Dubai

For one person, living is cheaper in Ikeja: $2,409 a month against $2,889 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. The total is higher in Dubai despite lower rent and utilities.

116

Cost of Living Index in Ikeja
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Ikeja Living Index
139

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index

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Ikeja

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$2,409

/mo nomad

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,889

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ikeja and in Dubai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,409 in Ikeja versus $2,889 in Dubai.

Ikeja $2,409
Dubai $2,889

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,149 in Ikeja versus $4,444 in Dubai.

Ikeja $4,149
Dubai $4,444

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,890 in Ikeja versus $5,999 in Dubai.

Ikeja $5,890
Dubai $5,999

Living in Ikeja costs roughly 17% less than in Dubai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ikeja 78% above, Dubai 114% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$0.54 ₦721

$12.94 AED 47.54

-95.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.14 ₦15.0K

$83.2 AED 306

-86.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 ₦10.1K

$9.35 AED 34.32

-19.79%

Cappuccino

$2.86 ₦3,840

$5.88 AED 21.60

-51.36%

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

$0.14 ₦192

$1.57 AED 5.77

-91.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.07 ₦96.6

$0.94 AED 3.47

-92.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.31 ₦422

$13.44 AED 49.38

-97.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₦2,755

$13.57 AED 49.84

-84.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 ₦1,025

$1.86 AED 6.83

-59.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 ₦962

$1.56 AED 5.73

-53.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 ₦1,628

$2.64 AED 9.68

-54.17%

Eggs

$2.23 ₦3,001

$3.53 AED 12.96

-36.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.58 ₦4,815

$12.97 AED 47.62

-72.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 ₦5,323

$9.94 AED 36.51

-60.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.34 ₦5,832

$12.92 AED 47.45

-66.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.62 ₦2,173

$2.55 AED 9.36

-36.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 ₦1,713

$2.05 AED 7.54

-38.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 ₦1,533

$1.84 AED 6.77

-38.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 ₦1,989

$1.54 AED 5.64

-3.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 ₦2,070

$1.17 AED 4.31

31.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 ₦2,106

$1.02 AED 3.76

53.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 ₦1,140

$1.57 AED 5.75

-45.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 ₦530

$0.67 AED 2.46

-41.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.54 ₦728

$6.31 AED 23.17

-91.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.36 ₦3,174

$16.16 AED 59.4

-85.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₦718

$2.58 AED 9.48

-79.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₦621

$2.89 AED 10.60

-84.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.12 ₦155

$1.40 AED 5.15

-91.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.45 ₦4,642

$82.4 AED 303

-95.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 ₦880

$3.29 AED 12.07

-80.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 ₦1,209

$0.65 AED 2.40

38.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 ₦2,946

$8.13 AED 29.84

-73.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.14 ₦187

$1.00 AED 3.68

-86.00%

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

$11.0K ₦14.8M

$26.3K AED 96.6K

-58.26%

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

$28.6K ₦38.5M

$22.0K AED 81.0K

29.81%

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

$111 ₦148.8K

$239 AED 877

-53.68%

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

$14.89 ₦20.0K

$56.9 AED 209

-73.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.93 ₦44.3K

$93.9 AED 345

-64.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.8 AED 334

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.38 AED 170

Cinema Ticket

$6.07 ₦8,160

$16.24 AED 59.6

-62.62%

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

$659 ₦886.4K

$934 AED 3,429

-29.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.4K ₦26.1M

$20.9K AED 76.8K

-7.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.80 ₦19.9K

$70.7 AED 260

-79.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.73 ₦23.8K

$61.3 AED 225

-71.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$35.66 ₦48.0K

$103 AED 377

-65.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.16 ₦66.1K

$116 AED 426

-57.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,536 ₦4.8M

$2,487 AED 9,134

42.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,985 ₦2.7M

$1,520 AED 5,581

30.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,548 ₦8.8M

$5,234 AED 19.2K

25.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,077 ₦6.8M

$3,028 AED 11.1K

67.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,982 AED 25.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,433 AED 16.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$74.2 ₦99.7K

$3,553 AED 13.0K

-97.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.39

4.57

302.41%

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

Last update for Ikeja: November 2, 2026

Last update for Dubai: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ikeja

$2K 82.4%

Dubai

$1.5K 52.6% 23.4% $465

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ikeja

$158 6.6%

Dubai

$390 13.5% 146% $231

Groceries & Markets

Ikeja

$124 5.1%

Dubai

$297 10.3% 140% $173

Eating Out

Ikeja

$68 2.8%

Dubai

$307 10.6% 354% $239

Clothing & Footwear

Ikeja

$53 2.2%

Dubai

$158 5.5% 199% $105

Sport & Entertainment

Ikeja

$12 * 0.5%

Dubai

$123 4.3% 916% $111

Getting Around

Ikeja

$9.1 0.4%

Dubai

$95 3.3% 944% $86

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 $3,536 in Ikeja and $2,487 in Dubai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays about 48 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $11 in Ikeja vs $83 in Dubai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $297 per month, with Ikeja cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇬 Ikeja

🇦🇪 Dubai

🕒 Local time

01:50 1:50 AM

04:50 4:50 AM

3 h ahead of Ikeja

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

861,300

3,790,000

💱 Currency

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 NGN = 7.44 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.62 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, USD, EUR to NGN – Nigerian Naira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇬 Nigerian Naira (₦)

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1,345 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.44 USD). 1 EUR = 1,510 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.62 EUR).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

USD to NGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ikeja Dubai 5,870 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Ikeja
Dubai

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 Dubai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ikeja is about 17% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 98% 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: $3,536 in Ikeja versus $2,487 in Dubai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ikeja runs roughly 96% less than in Dubai. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $659 in Ikeja versus $934 in Dubai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Ikeja is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Safety-wise, Ikeja and Dubai are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Ikeja wins on affordability, Dubai on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.