Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lagos and Abuja

For one person, living costs are similar in Lagos and in Abuja: $951 and $996 a month, rent and utilities included.

46

Cost of Living Index in Lagos
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Lagos Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Abuja
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Abuja Living Index

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Lagos

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$951

/mo nomad

Abuja

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$996

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lagos 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 Lagos and in Abuja actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $951 in Lagos versus $996 in Abuja.

Lagos $951
Abuja $996

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,859 in Lagos versus $1,978 in Abuja.

Lagos $1,859
Abuja $1,978

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,768 in Lagos versus $2,959 in Abuja.

Lagos $2,768
Abuja $2,959

Living in Lagos costs roughly 5% less than in Abuja, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lagos 30% lower, Abuja 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.82 ₦5,082

$2.02 ₦2,693

89.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.8 ₦67.5K

$29.94 ₦39.8K

69.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.38 ₦9,815

$3.97 ₦5,276

85.89%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ₦3,768

$3.34 ₦4,441

-15.27%

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

$0.43 ₦577

$0.48 ₦633

-10.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 ₦291

$0.67 ₦896

-67.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₦1,348

$1.02 ₦1,360

-0.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ₦2,692

$2.08 ₦2,771

-2.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.10 ₦4,120

$3.73 ₦4,967

-16.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 ₦1,989

$1.35 ₦1,791

11.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 ₦1,669

$2.28 ₦3,028

-45.18%

Eggs

$2.27 ₦3,013

$1.88 ₦2,504

20.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.44 ₦4,578

$11.18 ₦14.9K

-69.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.79 ₦5,040

$5.18 ₦6,886

-26.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.58 ₦6,093

$6.09 ₦8,095

-24.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.70 ₦2,255

$1.99 ₦2,644

-14.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 ₦1,716

$1.49 ₦1,981

-13.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.11 ₦1,475

$1.54 ₦2,047

-27.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 ₦1,718

$2.29 ₦3,046

-43.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 ₦1,823

$1.79 ₦2,382

-23.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ₦1,803

$2.36 ₦3,136

-42.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 ₦1,128

$0.56 ₦742

51.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 ₦528

$0.39 ₦523

2.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.60 ₦793

$2.03 ₦2,695

-70.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.52 ₦3,346

$5.75 ₦7,655

-56.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₦721

$1.24 ₦1,644

-56.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₦612

$1.85 ₦2,458

-75.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₦532

$0.47 ₦619

-14.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 ₦26.2K

$33.13 ₦44.1K

-40.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 ₦864

$0.58 ₦770

12.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 ₦1,270

$0.83 ₦1,101

14.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 ₦2,987

$1.85 ₦2,455

21.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 ₦1,098

$0.54 ₦721

53.70%

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

$11.1K ₦14.8M

$26.3K ₦34.9M

-57.68%

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

$13.6K ₦18.1M

$18.4K ₦24.5M

-25.97%

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

$113 ₦150.7K

$112 ₦148.7K

1.33%

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

$15.08 ₦20.1K

$6.52 ₦8,671

131.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.09 ₦44.0K

$29.53 ₦39.3K

12.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.10 ₦37.4K

$26.16 ₦34.8K

7.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.79 ₦9,027

$9.71 ₦12.9K

-30.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 ₦8,237

$6.59 ₦8,760

-6.07%

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

$659 ₦877.1K

$45.16 ₦60.1K

1360.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K ₦26.0M

$3,098 ₦4.1M

531.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.85 ₦19.8K

$25.73 ₦34.2K

-42.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.95 ₦23.9K

$61.2 ₦81.5K

-70.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.30 ₦48.3K

$78.4 ₦104.3K

-53.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.95 ₦65.1K

$108 ₦143.3K

-54.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$704 ₦936.6K

$596 ₦793.2K

18.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 ₦554.1K

$344 ₦457.8K

21.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 ₦3.8M

$1,448 ₦1.9M

95.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 ₦2.0M

$1,537 ₦2.0M

-1.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 ₦4.4M

$722 ₦959.8K

354.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,597 ₦2.1M

$376 ₦500.2K

324.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$117 ₦155.2K

$169 ₦224.8K

-30.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.39

22.5

-18.27%

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

Last update for Lagos: October 13, 2026

Last update for Abuja: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lagos

$417 43.8%

Abuja

$344 34.5% 17.4% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lagos

$161 17%

Abuja

$148 14.9% 8.4% $14

Groceries & Markets

Lagos

$154 16.2%

Abuja

$220 22.1% 43.1% $66

Eating Out

Lagos

$98 10.4%

Abuja

$82 8.2% 16.6% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Lagos

$53 5.6%

Abuja

$123 12.3% 131% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Lagos

$40 4.3%

Abuja

$39 4% 2.8% $1.1

Getting Around

Lagos

$27 2.8%

Abuja

$40 4% 48.4% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $704 in Lagos and $596 in Abuja. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Abuja pays 45% 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: $51.0 in Lagos vs $30.00 in Abuja. Groceries flip the comparison at $154 vs $220, with Lagos cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇬 Lagos

🇳🇬 Abuja

🕒 Local time

05:34 5:34 AM

Same time as Lagos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,404,112

776,298 Capital

💱 Currency

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 NGN = 7.52 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.68 EUR

10,000 NGN = 7.52 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.68 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lagos Abuja 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Lagos
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

Lagos vs Abuja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lagos and Abuja differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($951 vs $996 including rent). Lagos is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 45% lower in Abuja. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $704 in Lagos versus $596 in Abuja. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $951 per month in Lagos versus $996 in Abuja – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lagos runs roughly 68% less than in Abuja. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $951 in Lagos versus $996 in Abuja, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lagos but tight or insufficient in Abuja. The gap between the two cities makes Lagos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Lagos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Abuja. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.