Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ikeja and Lagos

For one person, living is cheaper in Lagos: $952 a month against $2,392 in Ikeja, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 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
46

Cost of Living Index in Lagos
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Lagos Living Index

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Ikeja

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$2,392

/mo nomad

Lagos

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$952

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ikeja and in Lagos

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

A single person spends $2,392 per month in Ikeja vs $952 in Lagos, rent included.

Ikeja $2,392
Lagos $952

A couple spends around $4,077 per month in Ikeja vs $1,852 in Lagos, rent included.

Ikeja $4,077
Lagos $1,852

A family of three spends $5,762 per month in Ikeja vs $2,753 in Lagos, rent included.

Ikeja $5,762
Lagos $2,753

Ikeja costs about 151% more than Lagos.

Ikeja sits 76% above the global median, while Lagos is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$0.49 ₦663

$3.62 ₦4,851

-86.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.21 ₦15.0K

$50.7 ₦67.9K

-77.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.56 ₦10.1K

$7.67 ₦10.3K

-1.43%

Cappuccino

$2.84 ₦3,802

$2.82 ₦3,778

0.71%

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

$0.14 ₦182

$0.43 ₦578

-67.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.07 ₦96.1

$0.24 ₦324

-70.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.29 ₦387

$0.97 ₦1,305

-70.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ₦2,704

$1.95 ₦2,619

3.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.72 ₦960

$3.20 ₦4,293

-77.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.77 ₦1,027

$1.49 ₦1,997

-48.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 ₦1,692

Eggs

$2.25 ₦3,016

$2.27 ₦3,044

-0.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.59 ₦4,809

$3.42 ₦4,587

4.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.81 ₦5,106

$3.77 ₦5,050

1.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.56 ₦6,110

$4.36 ₦5,843

4.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 ₦2,252

$1.63 ₦2,187

3.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 ₦1,775

$1.33 ₦1,779

-0.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 ₦1,510

$1.13 ₦1,514

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₦2,069

$1.49 ₦1,999

3.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ₦2,128

$1.61 ₦2,158

-1.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 ₦2,096

$1.52 ₦2,037

2.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 ₦1,122

$0.89 ₦1,190

-5.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.36 ₦485

$0.40 ₦531

-10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.59 ₦788

$0.55 ₦735

7.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.36 ₦3,161

$2.37 ₦3,179

-0.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₦719

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₦671

$0.50 ₦666

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.09 ₦126

$0.38 ₦512

-76.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.33 ₦4,468

$21.99 ₦29.5K

-84.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 ₦938

$0.70 ₦934

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 ₦1,207

$0.97 ₦1,296

-7.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.18 ₦2,923

$2.10 ₦2,821

3.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.13 ₦176

$0.85 ₦1,137

-84.71%

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

$11.2K ₦15.0M

$11.3K ₦15.2M

-0.99%

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

$28.2K ₦37.8M

$29.0K ₦38.9M

-2.63%

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

$110 ₦147.5K

$112 ₦149.6K

-1.43%

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

$14.51 ₦19.5K

$14.92 ₦20.0K

-2.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.25 ₦44.6K

$32.44 ₦43.5K

2.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.80 ₦37.3K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.91 ₦9,263

Cinema Ticket

$6.33 ₦8,485

$6.23 ₦8,350

1.61%

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

$667 ₦894.3K

$654 ₦876.4K

2.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K ₦26.1M

$20.1K ₦26.9M

-2.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.51 ₦19.4K

$14.83 ₦19.9K

-2.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.28 ₦24.5K

$17.94 ₦24.0K

1.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.38 ₦48.8K

$36.62 ₦49.1K

-0.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.13 ₦64.5K

$47.49 ₦63.6K

1.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,483 ₦4.7M

$704 ₦943.8K

394.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,968 ₦2.6M

$417 ₦559.5K

371.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,383 ₦8.6M

$2,809 ₦3.8M

127.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,948 ₦6.6M

$1,498 ₦2.0M

230.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,242 ₦4.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,607 ₦2.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$73.8 ₦98.9K

$118 ₦157.9K

-37.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.39

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

Last update for Ikeja: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lagos: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ikeja

$2K 82.3%

Lagos

$417 43.9% 78.8% $1.6K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ikeja

$158 6.6%

Lagos

$159 16.7% 0.8% $1.2

Groceries & Markets

Ikeja

$125 5.2%

Lagos

$156 16.4% 24.8% $31

Eating Out

Ikeja

$67 2.8%

Lagos

$97 10.2% 45.2% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Ikeja

$53 2.2%

Lagos

$53 5.5% 0.4% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Ikeja

$13 * 0.5%

Lagos

$40 4.2% 218% $28

Getting Around

Ikeja

$8.9 0.4%

Lagos

$29 3.1% 226% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,483 in Ikeja versus $704 in Lagos. 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 60% higher in Lagos, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Ikeja versus $51 in Lagos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $125 vs $156 – making Ikeja the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇬 Ikeja

🇳🇬 Lagos

🕒 Local time

10:24 10:24 AM

Same time as Ikeja

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

861,300

10,404,112

💱 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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Ikeja Lagos 17 km

From you

Ikeja
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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 Lagos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ikeja costs about 151% more than Lagos, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,589 per month in Ikeja and $1,427 in Lagos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lagos, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $704 there versus $3,483 in Ikeja.

Interestingly, groceries are about 20% cheaper in Ikeja – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Ikeja and $51 in Lagos. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,392 in Ikeja and $952 in Lagos. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Lagos has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $952 in Lagos to $2,392 in Ikeja. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.