Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ikeja and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Nosara: $1,839 a month against $2,415 in Ikeja, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ikeja outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

118

Cost of Living Index in Ikeja
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Ikeja Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Ikeja

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$2,415

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ikeja and in Nosara

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

A single person spends $2,415 per month in Ikeja vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Ikeja $2,415
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $4,119 per month in Ikeja vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Ikeja $4,119
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $5,822 per month in Ikeja vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Ikeja $5,822
Nosara $3,818

Ikeja costs about 31% more than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ikeja and Nosara sit above the global median – Ikeja by 79%, Nosara by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$0.50 ₦670

$12.35 ₡5,539

-95.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.16 ₦14.8K

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-81.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.69 ₦10.2K

$7.52 ₡3,373

2.26%

Cappuccino

$2.87 ₦3,815

$4.41 ₡1,978

-34.92%

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

$0.13 ₦168

$1.74 ₡780

-92.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.07 ₦91.8

$1.31 ₡587

-94.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.29 ₦382

$3.28 ₡1,471

-91.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₦2,731

$4.47 ₡2,004

-54.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 ₦1,027

$1.56 ₡701

-50.64%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 ₦975

$3.02 ₡1,355

-75.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 ₦1,675

$2.51 ₡1,125

-49.80%

Eggs

$2.28 ₦3,026

$3.57 ₡1,603

-36.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.45 ₦4,591

$7.43 ₡3,333

-53.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.93 ₦5,226

$10.52 ₡4,717

-62.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.56 ₦6,067

$13.97 ₡6,265

-67.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.71 ₦2,276

$2.35 ₡1,052

-27.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 ₦1,709

$1.61 ₡720

-20.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 ₦1,521

$4.80 ₡2,152

-76.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ₦1,692

$1.61 ₡724

-21.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 ₦1,824

$3.80 ₡1,703

-63.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 ₦1,792

$3.69 ₡1,657

-63.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 ₦1,194

$1.13 ₡507

-20.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.37 ₦491

$2.66 ₡1,191

-86.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.59 ₦788

$5.18 ₡2,321

-88.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.43 ₦3,227

$19.88 ₡8,916

-87.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₦725

$2.90 ₡1,300

-81.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₦617

$3.63 ₡1,626

-87.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.11 ₦141

$1.12 ₡504

-90.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.41 ₦4,533

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-95.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.71 ₦942

$2.14 ₡958

-66.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 ₦1,292

$1.57 ₡703

-38.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 ₦2,873

$8.52 ₡3,823

-74.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.16 ₦206

$1.52 ₡682

-89.47%

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

$11.1K ₦14.8M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-48.60%

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

$13.5K ₦17.9M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-60.98%

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

$112 ₦149.5K

$96.3 ₡43.2K

16.74%

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

$14.52 ₦19.3K

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-59.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.03 ₦43.9K

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-38.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$6.33 ₦8,413

$7.89 ₡3,539

-19.77%

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

$679 ₦902.6K

$494 ₡221.6K

37.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.2K ₦26.9M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

70.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.93 ₦19.9K

$53.9 ₡24.2K

-72.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.29 ₦24.3K

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-66.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.31 ₦48.3K

$77.9 ₡34.9K

-53.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.50 ₦64.5K

$79.6 ₡35.7K

-39.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,485 ₦4.6M

$788 ₡353.4K

342.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,989 ₦2.6M

$794 ₡356.2K

150.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,487 ₦8.6M

$3,939 ₡1.8M

64.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,007 ₦6.7M

$1,419 ₡636.5K

252.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$74.2 ₦98.7K

$864 ₡387.3K

-91.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.39

8.62

113.34%

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

Last update for Ikeja: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ikeja

$2K 82.4%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 60.1% $1.2K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ikeja

$160 6.6%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 16.1% $26

Groceries & Markets

Ikeja

$123 5.1%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 186% $229

Eating Out

Ikeja

$68 2.8%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 212% $144

Clothing & Footwear

Ikeja

$53 2.2%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 126% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Ikeja

$13 * 0.5%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 591% $75

Getting Around

Ikeja

$9.4 0.4%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 827% $78

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,485 in Ikeja versus $788 in Nosara. 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 1063% higher in Nosara, 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 $11.00 in Ikeja versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $123 vs $352 – making Ikeja the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇬 Ikeja

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

15:43 3:43 PM

08:43 8:43 AM

7 h behind Ikeja

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

861,300

4,912

💱 Currency

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 NGN = 7.52 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.69 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, 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).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to NGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ikeja Nosara 9,770 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Ikeja
Nosara

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 Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ikeja costs about 31% more than Nosara, 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 $3,623 per month in Ikeja and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 185% 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 $11.00 in Ikeja and $61.0 in Nosara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nosara, where all-in costs run around $1,839, than in Ikeja at $2,415. In Nosara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ikeja it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nosara costs $1,839 versus $2,415 in Ikeja. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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