Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jos and Abuja

For one person, living is cheaper in Jos: $534 a month against $991 in Abuja, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

26

Cost of Living Index in Jos
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Jos Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Abuja
Learn more

Abuja Living Index

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Jos

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$534

/mo nomad

Abuja

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$991

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jos and in Abuja

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $534 in Jos versus $991 in Abuja.

Jos $534
Abuja $991

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,097 in Jos versus $1,872 in Abuja.

Jos $1,097
Abuja $1,872

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,661 in Jos versus $2,753 in Abuja.

Jos $1,661
Abuja $2,753

Living in Jos costs roughly 46% less than in Abuja, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Jos 61% lower, Abuja 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 ₦2,729

$1.94 ₦2,602

5.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.16 ₦40.4K

$30.33 ₦40.7K

-0.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.97 ₦5,325

$4.08 ₦5,465

-2.70%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₦4,357

$3.28 ₦4,400

-0.91%

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

$0.43 ₦571

$0.43 ₦573

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₦896

$0.71 ₦956

-5.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 ₦1,366

$0.97 ₦1,301

5.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₦2,658

$1.97 ₦2,647

0.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.70 ₦4,958

$3.59 ₦4,814

3.06%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 ₦1,171

$1.29 ₦1,731

-32.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₦2,931

$2.27 ₦3,048

-3.52%

Eggs

$1.79 ₦2,397

$1.81 ₦2,420

-1.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.95 ₦13.3K

$11.11 ₦14.9K

-10.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.02 ₦6,728

$5.35 ₦7,164

-6.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.02 ₦5,384

$5.82 ₦7,795

-30.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 ₦2,674

$2.07 ₦2,775

-3.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₦1,940

$1.50 ₦2,006

-3.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 ₦2,025

$1.52 ₦2,039

-0.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 ₦3,046

$2.29 ₦3,068

-0.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 ₦2,390

$1.79 ₦2,393

-0.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 ₦3,229

$2.48 ₦3,324

-2.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ₦785

$0.59 ₦794

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 ₦534

$0.39 ₦526

2.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 ₦2,619

$1.96 ₦2,624

-0.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.93 ₦7,949

$5.83 ₦7,818

1.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 ₦1,605

$1.20 ₦1,604

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 ₦2,371

$1.85 ₦2,484

-4.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₦619

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.58 ₦43.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.58 ₦780

$0.61 ₦823

-4.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 ₦1,166

$0.81 ₦1,086

7.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 ₦2,453

$1.85 ₦2,474

-1.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.54 ₦723

$0.57 ₦765

-5.26%

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

$25.7K ₦34.4M

$26.1K ₦35.0M

-1.75%

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

$36.3K ₦48.6M

$37.3K ₦50.0M

-2.83%

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

$100 ₦134.5K

$110 ₦147.8K

-8.99%

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

$6.50 ₦8,712

$6.48 ₦8,687

0.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.97 ₦38.8K

$29.14 ₦39.1K

-0.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.52 ₦53.0K

$25.74 ₦34.5K

53.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.03 ₦16.1K

$9.62 ₦12.9K

25.05%

Cinema Ticket

$6.22 ₦8,331

$6.31 ₦8,456

-1.43%

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

$44.67 ₦59.9K

$44.68 ₦59.9K

-0.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,001 ₦1.3M

$3,103 ₦4.2M

-67.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.09 ₦13.5K

$26.03 ₦34.9K

-61.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$14.98 ₦20.1K

$60.8 ₦81.4K

-75.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.0 ₦68.3K

$76.5 ₦102.6K

-33.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.1 ₦67.1K

$105 ₦141.3K

-52.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₦789.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 ₦465.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$554 ₦743.1K

$1,405 ₦1.9M

-60.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$483 ₦646.7K

$1,346 ₦1.8M

-64.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,030 ₦2.7M

$699 ₦937.2K

190.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,485 ₦2.0M

$378 ₦506.9K

292.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$102 ₦136.4K

$162 ₦217.5K

-37.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.5

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

Last update for Jos: October 26, 2026

Last update for Abuja: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Jos

$203 38.1%

Abuja

$218 22% 7.3% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jos

$136 25.5%

Abuja

$146 14.7% 7.4% $10

Eating Out

Jos

$81 15.1%

Abuja

$81 8.1% 0.2% $0.1

Clothing & Footwear

Jos

$57 10.6%

Abuja

$121 12.2% 113% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Jos

$52 9.7%

Abuja

$38 3.9% 26.2% $14

Getting Around

Jos

$4.9 * 0.9%

Abuja

$39 4% 693% $34

Accommodation & Living

Jos

- * 0%

Abuja

$348 35.1%

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

Cost Breakdown

Abuja pays 59% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $30 in Jos vs $30 in Abuja for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $203 vs $218 per month, with Jos cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇬 Jos

🇳🇬 Abuja

🕒 Local time

23:03 11:03 PM

Same time as Jos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

900,000

776,298 Capital

💱 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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Between locations

Jos Abuja 180 km

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Jos
Abuja

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

Jos vs Abuja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $534 in Jos and $991 in Abuja, so Jos is about 46% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 37% lower in Jos. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $45 in Jos versus $45 in Abuja. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $534 per month in Jos versus $991 in Abuja – Jos is about 46% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Jos gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

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