Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jos and Port Harcourt

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Harcourt: $392 a month against $534 in Jos, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. The total is higher in Jos despite lower rent and utilities.

Jos, Nigeria
Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Jos
🇳🇬 Nigeria
$534
/mo nomad
Port Harcourt
🇳🇬 Nigeria
$392
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jos and in Port Harcourt

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

A single person spends $534 per month in Jos vs $392 in Port Harcourt, rent included.

  • Jos $534
  • Port Harcourt $392

A couple spends around $1,097 per month in Jos vs $815 in Port Harcourt, rent included.

  • Jos $1,097
  • Port Harcourt $815

A family of three spends $1,661 per month in Jos vs $1,238 in Port Harcourt, rent included.

  • Jos $1,661
  • Port Harcourt $1,238

Jos costs about 36% more than Port Harcourt, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Jos and Port Harcourt are more affordable than the global median – Jos 61% lower, Port Harcourt 71% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Jos
Port Harcourt
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.04 ₦2,729
$2.04 ₦2,735
-
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$30.16 ₦40.4K
$30.33 ₦40.6K
-0.56%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.97 ₦5,325
$4.82 ₦6,461
-17.63%
Cappuccino
$3.25 ₦4,357
$1.61 ₦2,162
101.86%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.43 ₦571
$0.60 ₦805
-28.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.67 ₦896
$0.65 ₦876
3.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.02 ₦1,366
$1.44 ₦1,932
-29.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.98 ₦2,658
$3.03 ₦4,055
-34.65%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Jos
Port Harcourt
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$3.70 ₦4,958
$2.60 ₦3,484
42.31%
White Bread (500g)
$0.87 ₦1,171
$0.91 ₦1,215
-4.40%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.19 ₦2,931
$3.26 ₦4,369
-32.82%
Eggs
$1.79 ₦2,397
$1.76 ₦2,361
1.70%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.95 ₦13.3K
-
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.02 ₦6,728
$1.88 ₦2,516
167.02%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$4.02 ₦5,384
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$2.00 ₦2,674
$2.46 ₦3,297
-18.70%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 ₦1,940
$2.23 ₦2,987
-34.98%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.51 ₦2,025
$1.83 ₦2,454
-17.49%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.27 ₦3,046
$3.06 ₦4,095
-25.82%
Potato (1kg)
$1.78 ₦2,390
$2.22 ₦2,973
-19.82%
Onion (1kg)
$2.41 ₦3,229
$1.53 ₦2,049
57.52%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.59 ₦785
-
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.40 ₦534
$0.62 ₦832
-35.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.95 ₦2,619
-
-
Wine (Bottle)
$5.93 ₦7,949
$5.28 ₦7,082
12.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.20 ₦1,605
$0.72 ₦968
66.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 ₦2,371
$1.46 ₦1,960
21.23%
🚌 Getting Around
Jos
Port Harcourt
Difference
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.58 ₦780
$0.36 ₦476
61.11%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.87 ₦1,166
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.83 ₦2,453
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.54 ₦723
$0.58 ₦780
-6.90%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.7K ₦34.4M
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.3K ₦48.6M
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Jos
Port Harcourt
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$100 ₦134.5K
$30.24 ₦40.5K
231.85%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.50 ₦8,712
$3.82 ₦5,121
70.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.97 ₦38.8K
-
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Jos
Port Harcourt
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.52 ₦53.0K
$14.22 ₦19.1K
177.92%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.03 ₦16.1K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.22 ₦8,331
$4.07 ₦5,448
52.83%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Jos
Port Harcourt
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$44.67 ₦59.9K
$24.79 ₦33.2K
80.19%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,001 ₦1.3M
$788 ₦1.1M
26.99%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Jos
Port Harcourt
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$10.09 ₦13.5K
$6.85 ₦9,179
47.30%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$14.98 ₦20.1K
$11.43 ₦15.3K
31.06%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$51.0 ₦68.3K
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$50.1 ₦67.1K
$15.09 ₦20.2K
231.94%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Jos
Port Harcourt
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$151 ₦202.6K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$104 ₦140.0K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$554 ₦743.1K
$1,131 ₦1.5M
-50.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$483 ₦646.7K
$499 ₦668.4K
-3.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,030 ₦2.7M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,485 ₦2.0M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Jos
Port Harcourt
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$102 ₦136.4K
$55.8 ₦74.8K
82.37%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
22.5
0
-

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

Last update for Jos: October 26, 2026

Last update for Port Harcourt: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Jos
$203
Port Harcourt
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Jos
$136
Port Harcourt
–
Eating Out
Jos
$81
Port Harcourt
–
Clothing & Footwear
Jos
$57
Port Harcourt
–
Sport & Entertainment
Jos
$52
Port Harcourt
–
Getting Around
Jos
$4.9 *
Port Harcourt
–
Accommodation & Living
Jos
- *
Port Harcourt
–

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 82% higher in Jos. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Jos versus $30 in Port Harcourt. Groceries tell a different story – $203 in Jos vs $147 in Port Harcourt – so Port Harcourt wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇳🇬 Jos
🇳🇬 Port Harcourt
🕒 Local time
22:08 10:08 PM
22:08 10:08 PM
Same time as Jos
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
900,000
1,382,592
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to NGN – Nigerian Naira Converter

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,492 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.7 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Jos Port Harcourt 610 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Jos
  • Port Harcourt

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 Port Harcourt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Jos and in Port Harcourt compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $534 in Jos, $392 in Port Harcourt – Port Harcourt comes out roughly 27% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Jos compared to Port Harcourt?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $800 per month in Jos and $588 in Port Harcourt. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Jos and Port Harcourt?
Kindergarten costs $45 per month in Jos and $25 in Port Harcourt. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Jos or Port Harcourt?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $534 in Jos and $392 in Port Harcourt. That makes Port Harcourt about 27% cheaper.
How far does $1,200 go in Jos compared to Port Harcourt?
$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $534 in Jos and $392 in Port Harcourt, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Jos and Port Harcourt?
It depends on your priorities. Port Harcourt has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $392 in Port Harcourt to $534 in Jos. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Jos and Port Harcourt?
If budget matters most, go with Port Harcourt. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Jos makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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