Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lagos and Jos

For one person, living is cheaper in Jos: $535 a month against $951 in Lagos, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lagos outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

46

Cost of Living Index in Lagos
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Lagos Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Jos
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Jos Living Index

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Lagos

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$951

/mo nomad

Jos

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$535

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lagos and in Jos

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

A single person spends $951 per month in Lagos vs $535 in Jos, rent included.

Lagos $951
Jos $535

A couple spends around $1,859 per month in Lagos vs $1,104 in Jos, rent included.

Lagos $1,859
Jos $1,104

A family of three spends $2,768 per month in Lagos vs $1,674 in Jos, rent included.

Lagos $2,768
Jos $1,674

Lagos costs about 78% more than Jos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lagos and Jos are more affordable than the global median – Lagos 30% lower, Jos 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.82 ₦5,082

$1.96 ₦2,604

94.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.8 ₦67.5K

$30.24 ₦40.2K

67.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.38 ₦9,815

$3.92 ₦5,208

88.27%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ₦3,768

$3.30 ₦4,385

-14.24%

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

$0.43 ₦577

$0.48 ₦633

-10.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 ₦291

$0.71 ₦948

-69.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₦1,348

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ₦2,692

$2.08 ₦2,765

-2.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.10 ₦4,120

$3.61 ₦4,799

-14.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 ₦1,989

$0.87 ₦1,153

72.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 ₦1,669

$2.19 ₦2,909

-42.92%

Eggs

$2.27 ₦3,013

$1.88 ₦2,506

20.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.44 ₦4,578

$9.94 ₦13.2K

-65.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.79 ₦5,040

$4.86 ₦6,463

-22.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.58 ₦6,093

$4.15 ₦5,517

10.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.70 ₦2,255

$1.99 ₦2,653

-14.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 ₦1,716

$1.50 ₦1,989

-14.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.11 ₦1,475

$1.48 ₦1,964

-25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 ₦1,718

$2.36 ₦3,134

-45.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 ₦1,823

$1.87 ₦2,489

-26.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ₦1,803

$2.46 ₦3,272

-44.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 ₦1,128

$0.60 ₦797

41.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 ₦528

$0.39 ₦525

2.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.60 ₦793

$1.99 ₦2,647

-69.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.52 ₦3,346

$5.90 ₦7,854

-57.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₦721

$1.19 ₦1,584

-54.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₦612

$1.86 ₦2,474

-75.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₦532

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 ₦26.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 ₦864

$0.62 ₦828

4.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 ₦1,270

$0.80 ₦1,071

18.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 ₦2,987

$1.90 ₦2,531

18.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 ₦1,098

$0.54 ₦717

53.70%

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

$11.1K ₦14.8M

$25.9K ₦34.4M

-57.04%

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

$13.6K ₦18.1M

$18.5K ₦24.6M

-26.32%

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

$113 ₦150.7K

$101 ₦135.0K

11.67%

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

$15.08 ₦20.1K

$6.36 ₦8,458

137.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.09 ₦44.0K

$29.17 ₦38.8K

13.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.10 ₦37.4K

$40.27 ₦53.6K

-30.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.79 ₦9,027

$12.15 ₦16.2K

-44.12%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 ₦8,237

$6.36 ₦8,463

-2.67%

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

$659 ₦877.1K

$44.69 ₦59.4K

1375.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K ₦26.0M

$1,010 ₦1.3M

1835.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.85 ₦19.8K

$9.90 ₦13.2K

50.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.95 ₦23.9K

$15.29 ₦20.3K

17.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.30 ₦48.3K

$49.73 ₦66.1K

-27.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.95 ₦65.1K

$49.21 ₦65.4K

-0.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$704 ₦936.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 ₦554.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 ₦3.8M

$561 ₦746.3K

403.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 ₦2.0M

$494 ₦656.8K

206.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 ₦4.4M

$1,987 ₦2.6M

65.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,597 ₦2.1M

$1,525 ₦2.0M

4.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$117 ₦155.2K

$102 ₦135.0K

14.89%

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 Jos: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lagos

$417 43.8%

Jos

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lagos

$161 17%

Jos

$137 25.6% 15.2% $24

Groceries & Markets

Lagos

$154 16.2%

Jos

$203 38% 32.3% $50

Eating Out

Lagos

$98 10.4%

Jos

$81 15.1% 17.8% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Lagos

$53 5.6%

Jos

$56 10.4% 5.1% $2.7

Sport & Entertainment

Lagos

$40 4.3%

Jos

$53 9.9% 30.9% $13

Getting Around

Lagos

$27 2.8%

Jos

$4.7 * 0.9% 82.6% $22

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 15% higher in Lagos, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in Lagos versus $30.00 in Jos. Groceries tell a different story – $154 in Lagos vs $203 in Jos – so Lagos wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇬 Lagos

🇳🇬 Jos

🕒 Local time

15:56 3:56 PM

Same time as Lagos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,404,112

900,000

💱 Currency

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 NGN = 7.52 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.69 EUR

10,000 NGN = 7.52 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Lagos Jos 720 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Lagos
Jos

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 Jos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $951 in Lagos, $535 in Jos – roughly 78% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,426 per month in Lagos and $802 in Jos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in Lagos and $30.00 in Jos. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 32% cheaper in Lagos – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Jos, where all-in costs run around $535, than in Lagos at $951. In Jos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lagos it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jos – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Jos. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lagos makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.