Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lagos and Ikeja

For one person, living is cheaper in Lagos: $952 a month against $2,392 in Ikeja, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ikeja outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

46

Cost of Living Index in Lagos
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Lagos Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Ikeja
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Ikeja Living Index

Jump to prices

Lagos

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$952

/mo nomad

Ikeja

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$2,392

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lagos and in Ikeja

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

A single person spends $952 per month in Lagos vs $2,392 in Ikeja, rent included.

Lagos $952
Ikeja $2,392

A couple spends around $1,852 per month in Lagos vs $4,077 in Ikeja, rent included.

Lagos $1,852
Ikeja $4,077

A family of three spends $2,753 per month in Lagos vs $5,762 in Ikeja, rent included.

Lagos $2,753
Ikeja $5,762

Lagos is about 60% cheaper than Ikeja.

Lagos sits 30% below the global median, while Ikeja is 76% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.62 ₦4,851

$0.49 ₦663

638.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.7 ₦67.9K

$11.21 ₦15.0K

352.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.67 ₦10.3K

$7.56 ₦10.1K

1.46%

Cappuccino

$2.82 ₦3,778

$2.84 ₦3,802

-0.70%

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

$0.43 ₦578

$0.14 ₦182

207.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 ₦324

$0.07 ₦96.1

242.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.97 ₦1,305

$0.29 ₦387

234.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 ₦2,619

$2.02 ₦2,704

-3.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.20 ₦4,293

$0.72 ₦960

344.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 ₦1,997

$0.77 ₦1,027

93.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 ₦1,692

Eggs

$2.27 ₦3,044

$2.25 ₦3,016

0.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.42 ₦4,587

$3.59 ₦4,809

-4.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ₦5,050

$3.81 ₦5,106

-1.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.36 ₦5,843

$4.56 ₦6,110

-4.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 ₦2,187

$1.68 ₦2,252

-2.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 ₦1,779

$1.32 ₦1,775

0.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 ₦1,514

$1.13 ₦1,510

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₦1,999

$1.54 ₦2,069

-3.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 ₦2,158

$1.59 ₦2,128

1.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 ₦2,037

$1.56 ₦2,096

-2.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 ₦1,190

$0.84 ₦1,122

5.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 ₦531

$0.36 ₦485

11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.55 ₦735

$0.59 ₦788

-6.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.37 ₦3,179

$2.36 ₦3,161

0.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₦719

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₦666

$0.50 ₦671

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₦512

$0.09 ₦126

322.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.99 ₦29.5K

$3.33 ₦4,468

560.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 ₦934

$0.70 ₦938

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 ₦1,296

$0.90 ₦1,207

7.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 ₦2,821

$2.18 ₦2,923

-3.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 ₦1,137

$0.13 ₦176

553.85%

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

$11.3K ₦15.2M

$11.2K ₦15.0M

1.00%

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

$29.0K ₦38.9M

$28.2K ₦37.8M

2.70%

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

$112 ₦149.6K

$110 ₦147.5K

1.45%

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

$14.92 ₦20.0K

$14.51 ₦19.5K

2.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.44 ₦43.5K

$33.25 ₦44.6K

-2.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.80 ₦37.3K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.91 ₦9,263

Cinema Ticket

$6.23 ₦8,350

$6.33 ₦8,485

-1.58%

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

$654 ₦876.4K

$667 ₦894.3K

-2.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K ₦26.9M

$19.5K ₦26.1M

3.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.83 ₦19.9K

$14.51 ₦19.4K

2.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.94 ₦24.0K

$18.28 ₦24.5K

-1.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.62 ₦49.1K

$36.38 ₦48.8K

0.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.49 ₦63.6K

$48.13 ₦64.5K

-1.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$704 ₦943.8K

$3,483 ₦4.7M

-79.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 ₦559.5K

$1,968 ₦2.6M

-78.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,809 ₦3.8M

$6,383 ₦8.6M

-55.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,498 ₦2.0M

$4,948 ₦6.6M

-69.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,242 ₦4.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,607 ₦2.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$118 ₦157.9K

$73.8 ₦98.9K

59.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.39

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

Last update for Lagos: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ikeja: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lagos

$417 43.9%

Ikeja

$2K 82.3% 372% $1.6K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lagos

$159 16.7%

Ikeja

$158 6.6% 0.8% $1.2

Groceries & Markets

Lagos

$156 16.4%

Ikeja

$125 5.2% 19.9% $31

Eating Out

Lagos

$97 10.2%

Ikeja

$67 2.8% 31.1% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Lagos

$53 5.5%

Ikeja

$53 2.2% 0.4% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Lagos

$40 4.2%

Ikeja

$13 * 0.5% 68.6% $28

Getting Around

Lagos

$29 3.1%

Ikeja

$8.9 0.4% 69.3% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $704 in Lagos versus $3,483 in Ikeja. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 60% higher in Lagos, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51 in Lagos versus $11 in Ikeja. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $156 vs $125 – making Ikeja the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇬 Lagos

🇳🇬 Ikeja

🕒 Local time

11:20 11:20 AM

Same time as Lagos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,404,112

861,300

💱 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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Lagos Ikeja 17 km

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Lagos
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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 Ikeja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ikeja costs about 151% more than Lagos, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,427 per month in Lagos and $3,589 in Ikeja. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lagos, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $704 there versus $3,483 in Ikeja.

Interestingly, groceries are about 20% cheaper in Ikeja – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51 in Lagos and $11 in Ikeja. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $952 in Lagos and $2,392 in Ikeja. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Lagos has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $952 in Lagos to $2,392 in Ikeja. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.