Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jos and Ilesha

For one person, living is cheaper in Ilesha: $477 a month against $534 in Jos, rent and utilities included – about $680 less a year. The total is higher in Jos despite lower rent and utilities.

26

Cost of Living Index in Jos
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Jos Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Ilesha
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Ilesha Living Index

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Jos

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$534

/mo nomad

Ilesha

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$477

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jos and in Ilesha

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

A single person spends $534 per month in Jos vs $477 in Ilesha, rent included.

Jos $534
Ilesha $477

A couple spends around $1,097 per month in Jos vs $804 in Ilesha, rent included.

Jos $1,097
Ilesha $804

A family of three spends $1,661 per month in Jos vs $1,131 in Ilesha, rent included.

Jos $1,661
Ilesha $1,131

Jos costs about 12% more than Ilesha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Jos and Ilesha are more affordable than the global median – Jos 61% lower, Ilesha 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 ₦2,729

$3.63 ₦4,859

-43.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.16 ₦40.4K

$49.95 ₦66.9K

-39.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.97 ₦5,325

$7.33 ₦9,819

-45.84%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₦4,357

$2.74 ₦3,679

18.61%

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

$0.43 ₦571

$0.41 ₦548

4.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₦896

$0.22 ₦294

204.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 ₦1,366

$1.02 ₦1,364

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₦2,658

$2.05 ₦2,744

-3.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.70 ₦4,958

$3.09 ₦4,148

19.74%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 ₦1,171

$1.48 ₦1,990

-41.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₦2,931

$1.27 ₦1,697

72.44%

Eggs

$1.79 ₦2,397

$2.23 ₦2,982

-19.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.95 ₦13.3K

$3.55 ₦4,760

180.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.02 ₦6,728

$3.78 ₦5,071

32.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.02 ₦5,384

$4.33 ₦5,807

-7.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 ₦2,674

$1.69 ₦2,261

18.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₦1,940

$1.30 ₦1,746

11.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 ₦2,025

$1.08 ₦1,447

39.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 ₦3,046

$1.48 ₦1,988

53.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 ₦2,390

$1.61 ₦2,154

10.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 ₦3,229

$1.50 ₦2,016

60.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ₦785

$0.89 ₦1,190

-33.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 ₦534

$0.36 ₦487

11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 ₦2,619

$0.59 ₦787

230.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.93 ₦7,949

$2.49 ₦3,331

138.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 ₦1,605

$0.51 ₦679

135.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 ₦2,371

$0.50 ₦674

254.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.58 ₦780

$0.68 ₦912

-14.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 ₦1,166

$0.90 ₦1,200

-3.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 ₦2,453

$2.21 ₦2,958

-17.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.54 ₦723

$0.91 ₦1,217

-40.66%

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

$25.7K ₦34.4M

$11.1K ₦14.9M

130.15%

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

$36.3K ₦48.6M

$29.3K ₦39.3M

23.69%

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

$100 ₦134.5K

$110 ₦147.1K

-8.54%

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

$6.50 ₦8,712

$14.50 ₦19.4K

-55.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.97 ₦38.8K

$32.73 ₦43.9K

-11.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.52 ₦53.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.03 ₦16.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.22 ₦8,331

$6.15 ₦8,241

1.14%

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

$44.67 ₦59.9K

$664 ₦889.8K

-93.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,001 ₦1.3M

$20.0K ₦26.8M

-94.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.09 ₦13.5K

$14.39 ₦19.3K

-29.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$14.98 ₦20.1K

$17.99 ₦24.1K

-16.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.0 ₦68.3K

$35.77 ₦47.9K

42.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.1 ₦67.1K

$48.26 ₦64.7K

3.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$554 ₦743.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$483 ₦646.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,030 ₦2.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,485 ₦2.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$102 ₦136.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.5

18.39

22.35%

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

Last update for Jos: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ilesha: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Jos

$203 38.1%

Ilesha

$155 32.4% 24% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jos

$136 25.5%

Ilesha

$157 32.9% 15.5% $21

Eating Out

Jos

$81 15.1%

Ilesha

$96 20.1% 18.5% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Jos

$57 10.6%

Ilesha

$52 11% 7.7% $4.4

Sport & Entertainment

Jos

$52 9.7%

Ilesha

$12 * 2.6% 76.3% $40

Getting Around

Jos

$4.9 * 0.9%

Ilesha

$5.2 * 1.1% 4.7% $0.2

Accommodation & Living

Jos

- * 0%

Ilesha

- * 0%

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Jos versus $50 in Ilesha. Groceries tell a different story – $203 in Jos vs $155 in Ilesha – so Ilesha wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇬 Jos

🇳🇬 Ilesha

🕒 Local time

11:20 11:20 AM

Same time as Jos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

900,000

277,904

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Jos Ilesha 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Jos
Ilesha

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 Ilesha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Jos is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $800 per month in Jos and $715 in Ilesha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Jos and $50 in Ilesha. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Jos, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $534 in Jos and $477 in Ilesha, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.