Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between India and Nigeria

For one person, living is cheaper in India: $399 a month against $750 in Nigeria, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

India
Nigeria
🇮🇳 India
$399
/mo nomad
🇳🇬 Nigeria
$750
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in India and in Nigeria

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $399 in India versus $750 in Nigeria.

  • India $399
  • Nigeria $750

Estimated couple costs with rent: $639 in India versus $1,279 in Nigeria.

  • India $639
  • Nigeria $1,279

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $879 in India versus $1,807 in Nigeria.

  • India $879
  • Nigeria $1,807

Internal cost variation is higher in Nigeria: monthly costs span $1 to $2,392, compared to $230–$813 in India. City choice carries more weight in Nigeria.

Living in India costs about 47% less than in Nigeria on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: India 71% lower, Nigeria 45% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
India
Nigeria
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.14 ₹204
$1.85 ₦2,484
15.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$10.46 ₹995
$29.70 ₦39.8K
-64.78%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.80 ₹361
$4.37 ₦5,864
-13.04%
Cappuccino
$1.68 ₹160
$2.41 ₦3,230
-30.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.38 ₹35.99
$0.33 ₦447
15.15%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.15 ₹14.60
$0.22 ₦295
-31.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.87 ₹178
$0.84 ₦1,127
122.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.18 ₹303
$1.28 ₦1,716
148.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
India
Nigeria
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.62 ₹59.2
$2.92 ₦3,912
-78.77%
White Bread (500g)
$0.50 ₹47.76
$1.00 ₦1,343
-50.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.63 ₹60.3
$1.49 ₦1,996
-57.72%
Eggs
$0.96 ₹91.3
$1.67 ₦2,232
-42.51%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.85 ₹461
$6.02 ₦8,067
-19.44%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.84 ₹271
$4.44 ₦5,953
-36.04%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
-
$3.98 ₦5,330
-
Apples (1kg)
$2.00 ₹190
$2.38 ₦3,188
-15.97%
Banana (1kg)
$0.65 ₹61.4
$1.31 ₦1,755
-50.38%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.97 ₹92.3
$1.19 ₦1,593
-18.49%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.47 ₹44.30
$1.58 ₦2,117
-70.25%
Potato (1kg)
$0.34 ₹31.87
$1.60 ₦2,146
-78.75%
Onion (1kg)
$0.42 ₹39.73
$1.35 ₦1,811
-68.89%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.47 ₹44.39
$0.67 ₦893
-29.85%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.31 ₹29.67
$0.37 ₦490
-16.22%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.08 ₹483
$0.72 ₦965
605.56%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.31 ₹695
$3.92 ₦5,249
86.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.63 ₹155
$0.68 ₦907
139.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.76 ₹262
$0.87 ₦1,164
217.24%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
$5.11 ₹486
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
India
Nigeria
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.26 ₹24.86
$0.38 ₦510
-31.58%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.58 ₹816
$14.71 ₦19.7K
-41.67%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.00 ₹94.7
$0.58 ₦773
72.41%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.27 ₹25.74
$1.06 ₦1,426
-74.53%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.54 ₹146
$2.11 ₦2,831
-27.01%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.07 ₹102
$0.63 ₦841
69.84%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$11.2K ₹1.1M
$11.0K ₦14.7M
2.11%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.1K ₹1.9M
$29.2K ₦39.1M
-31.22%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
India
Nigeria
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$37.08 ₹3,527
$69.2 ₦92.8K
-46.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$3.58 ₹340
$5.08 ₦6,808
-29.53%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$7.15 ₹680
$22.18 ₦29.7K
-67.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
India
Nigeria
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$15.00 ₹1,427
$19.73 ₦26.4K
-23.97%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.17 ₹682
$6.91 ₦9,257
3.76%
Cinema Ticket
$3.20 ₹304
$4.51 ₦6,051
-29.05%
🧸 Childcare & Education
India
Nigeria
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$58.8 ₹5,592
$63.7 ₦85.4K
-7.74%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,667 ₹158.5K
$4,124 ₦5.5M
-59.59%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
India
Nigeria
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$23.03 ₹2,191
$12.68 ₦17.0K
81.62%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.17 ₹2,299
$19.21 ₦25.7K
25.82%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$41.20 ₹3,918
$34.96 ₦46.9K
17.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$29.62 ₹2,817
$36.74 ₦49.2K
-19.38%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
India
Nigeria
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$146 ₹13.9K
$484 ₦649.0K
-69.75%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$96.4 ₹9,165
$327 ₦437.6K
-70.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$343 ₹32.6K
$1,462 ₦2.0M
-76.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$234 ₹22.2K
$827 ₦1.1M
-71.74%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,177 ₹111.9K
$2,624 ₦3.5M
-55.15%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$633 ₹60.2K
$1,173 ₦1.6M
-46.01%
💵 Salaries & Financials
India
Nigeria
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$409 ₹38.9K
$90.1 ₦120.8K
353.66%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.93
17.8
-49.83%

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

Last update for India: October 25, 2026

Last update for Nigeria: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
India
$102
Nigeria
$164 60.4% $62
Accommodation & Living
India
$96
Nigeria
$327 239% $230
Eating Out
India
$67
Nigeria
$66 1% $0.7
Clothing & Footwear
India
$53
Nigeria
$47 12.2% $6.5
Monthly Utilities & Internet
India
$48
Nigeria
$96 102% $49
Sport & Entertainment
India
$21
Nigeria
$29 34.5% $7.4
Getting Around
India
$12
Nigeria
$22 84.6% $10

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $120 in India, $698 in Nigeria. Capital cities: $277 in Delhi vs $589 in Abuja.

National salary averages: $412 in India, $80 in Nigeria. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 482% higher in Nigeria.

Dining out costs 218% more in Nigeria.

Public transport is 163% more expensive in Nigeria.

Salaries are about 5.2 times higher in India, and purchasing power comes out stronger in India.

Good to know
🇮🇳 India
🇳🇬 Nigeria
🕒 Local time
06:46 6:46 AM
02:16 2:16 AM
4 h 30 min behind India
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,326,093,247
211,400,708
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

NGN, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 95.1 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,494 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.69 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • India Nigeria 7,550 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • India
  • Nigeria

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
India vs Nigeria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between India and Nigeria?
At $399 per month in India and $750 in Nigeria, there’s a 88% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in India: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $698 in Nigeria and $120 in India. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Should I move to India or to Nigeria?
It depends on what you’re after: India wins on affordability; Nigeria may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.

India vs other spots: cost of living compared

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