Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jos and Onitsha

For one person, living is cheaper in Onitsha: $0.71 a month against $534 in Jos, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Jos
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Jos Living Index

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Jos

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$534

/mo nomad

Onitsha

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$0.71

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jos and in Onitsha

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

A single person spends $534 per month in Jos vs $0.71 in Onitsha, rent included.

Jos $534
Onitsha $0.71

A couple spends around $1,097 per month in Jos vs $1.25 in Onitsha, rent included.

Jos $1,097
Onitsha $1.25

A family of three spends $1,661 per month in Jos vs $1.78 in Onitsha, rent included.

Jos $1,661
Onitsha $1.78

Jos costs about 75042% more than Onitsha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Jos and Onitsha are more affordable than the global median – Jos 61% lower, Onitsha 100% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 ₦2,721

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.16 ₦40.3K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.97 ₦5,310

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₦4,346

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

$0.43 ₦570

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₦893

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 ₦1,363

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₦2,650

Milk (1 liter)

$3.70 ₦4,944

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 ₦1,168

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ₦2,923

Eggs

$1.79 ₦2,390

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.95 ₦13.3K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.02 ₦6,709

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.02 ₦5,369

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 ₦2,667

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₦1,934

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 ₦2,020

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 ₦3,038

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 ₦2,383

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 ₦3,220

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ₦783

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 ₦533

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 ₦2,611

Wine (Bottle)

$5.93 ₦7,928

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 ₦1,601

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 ₦2,365

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 ₦239

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.58 ₦778

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 ₦1,163

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 ₦2,446

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.54 ₦721

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

$25.7K ₦34.3M

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

$36.3K ₦48.5M

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

$100 ₦134.1K

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

$6.50 ₦8,688

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.97 ₦38.7K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.52 ₦52.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.03 ₦16.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.22 ₦8,308

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

$44.67 ₦59.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,001 ₦1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.09 ₦13.5K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$14.98 ₦20.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.0 ₦68.2K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.1 ₦67.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$554 ₦741.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$483 ₦644.9K

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 ₦136.0K

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 Onitsha: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Jos

$203 38.1%

Onitsha

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jos

$136 25.5%

Onitsha

–

Eating Out

Jos

$81 15.1%

Onitsha

–

Clothing & Footwear

Jos

$57 10.6%

Onitsha

–

Sport & Entertainment

Jos

$52 9.7%

Onitsha

–

Getting Around

Jos

$4.9 * 0.9%

Onitsha

–

Accommodation & Living

Jos

- * 0%

Onitsha

–

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

Good to know

🇳🇬 Jos

🇳🇬 Onitsha

🕒 Local time

03:15 3:15 AM

Same time as Jos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

900,000

1,080,000

💱 Currency

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 NGN = 7.48 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.68 EUR

10,000 NGN = 7.48 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.68 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Jos Onitsha 480 km

From you

Jos
Onitsha

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 Onitsha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $534 in Jos, $0.71 in Onitsha – Onitsha comes out roughly 100% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $800 per month in Jos and $1.07 in Onitsha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $534 in Jos and $0.71 in Onitsha, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.