Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lagos and Ondo

For one person, living is cheaper in Ondo: $373 a month against $952 in Lagos, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lagos, Nigeria
Ondo, Nigeria
Lagos
🇳🇬 Nigeria
$952
/mo nomad
Ondo
🇳🇬 Nigeria
$373
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lagos and in Ondo

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

A single person spends $952 per month in Lagos vs $373 in Ondo, rent included.

  • Lagos $952
  • Ondo $373

A couple spends around $1,852 per month in Lagos vs $770 in Ondo, rent included.

  • Lagos $1,852
  • Ondo $770

A family of three spends $2,753 per month in Lagos vs $1,168 in Ondo, rent included.

  • Lagos $2,753
  • Ondo $1,168

Lagos costs about 155% more than Ondo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Lagos and Ondo are more affordable than the global median – Lagos 30% lower, Ondo 73% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lagos
Ondo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.62 ₦4,837
$3.82 ₦5,099
-5.24%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$50.7 ₦67.7K
$49.30 ₦65.9K
2.78%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.67 ₦10.3K
$7.54 ₦10.1K
1.72%
Cappuccino
$2.82 ₦3,768
$2.77 ₦3,703
1.81%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.43 ₦576
$0.14 ₦191
207.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.24 ₦323
$0.22 ₦293
9.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.97 ₦1,301
$1.01 ₦1,356
-3.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.95 ₦2,611
$2.03 ₦2,707
-3.94%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lagos
Ondo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$3.20 ₦4,281
$3.21 ₦4,284
-0.31%
White Bread (500g)
$1.49 ₦1,992
$1.46 ₦1,952
2.05%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.26 ₦1,688
$1.24 ₦1,659
1.61%
Eggs
$2.27 ₦3,036
$2.22 ₦2,972
2.25%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.42 ₦4,575
$3.42 ₦4,565
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.77 ₦5,036
$3.79 ₦5,061
-0.53%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$4.36 ₦5,827
$2.54 ₦3,393
71.65%
Apples (1kg)
$1.63 ₦2,181
$1.62 ₦2,163
0.62%
Banana (1kg)
$1.33 ₦1,774
$1.32 ₦1,760
0.76%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.13 ₦1,510
$1.12 ₦1,502
0.89%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.49 ₦1,994
$1.50 ₦2,003
-0.67%
Potato (1kg)
$1.61 ₦2,152
$1.54 ₦2,058
4.55%
Onion (1kg)
$1.52 ₦2,031
$1.53 ₦2,043
-0.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.89 ₦1,187
$0.82 ₦1,098
8.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.40 ₦529
$0.36 ₦483
11.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$0.55 ₦733
$0.57 ₦768
-3.51%
Wine (Bottle)
$2.37 ₦3,170
$2.47 ₦3,298
-4.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.54 ₦717
$0.54 ₦719
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 ₦664
$0.49 ₦656
2.04%
🚌 Getting Around
Lagos
Ondo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.38 ₦510
$0.14 ₦188
171.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$21.99 ₦29.4K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.70 ₦932
$0.70 ₦937
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.97 ₦1,293
$0.95 ₦1,273
2.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.10 ₦2,813
$2.10 ₦2,813
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.85 ₦1,134
$0.86 ₦1,154
-1.16%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$11.3K ₦15.1M
$11.2K ₦15.0M
0.81%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.0K ₦38.8M
$29.0K ₦38.8M
-0.06%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lagos
Ondo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$112 ₦149.2K
$7.28 ₦9,725
1433.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.92 ₦19.9K
$14.75 ₦19.7K
1.15%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.44 ₦43.4K
$32.81 ₦43.9K
-1.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lagos
Ondo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$27.80 ₦37.2K
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.91 ₦9,237
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.23 ₦8,327
$6.33 ₦8,455
-1.58%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lagos
Ondo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$654 ₦874.0K
$678 ₦905.9K
-3.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.1K ₦26.8M
$19.8K ₦26.5M
1.22%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lagos
Ondo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$14.83 ₦19.8K
$14.34 ₦19.2K
3.42%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$17.94 ₦24.0K
$17.77 ₦23.7K
0.96%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$36.62 ₦48.9K
$36.74 ₦49.1K
-0.33%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$47.49 ₦63.5K
$48.62 ₦65.0K
-2.32%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lagos
Ondo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$704 ₦941.2K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$417 ₦557.9K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,809 ₦3.8M
$222 ₦296.7K
1165.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,498 ₦2.0M
$149 ₦199.0K
906.09%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,242 ₦4.3M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,607 ₦2.1M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lagos
Ondo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$118 ₦157.5K
$26.50 ₦35.4K
344.64%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
18.39
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 Ondo: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lagos
$417
Ondo
- * 100%
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lagos
$159
Ondo
$55 65.5% $104
Groceries & Markets
Lagos
$156
Ondo
$149 4.3% $6.8
Eating Out
Lagos
$97
Ondo
$97 0.3% $0.3
Clothing & Footwear
Lagos
$53
Ondo
$53 0.5% $0.3
Sport & Entertainment
Lagos
$40
Ondo
$13 * 68.6% $28
Getting Around
Lagos
$29
Ondo
$6 * 79.3% $23

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Lagos are about 4.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51 in Lagos versus $49 in Ondo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $156 vs $149 – making Ondo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇳🇬 Lagos
🇳🇬 Ondo
🕒 Local time
03:15 3:15 AM
03:15 3:15 AM
Same time as Lagos
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
10,404,112
275,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to NGN – Nigerian Naira Converter

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1,337 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.48 USD). 1 EUR = 1,498 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.68 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lagos Ondo 170 km
From you
  • Lagos
  • Ondo

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 Ondo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lagos or Ondo?
Lagos costs about 155% more than Ondo, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Lagos and in Ondo?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,427 per month in Lagos and $559 in Ondo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do dining costs compare in Lagos and in Ondo?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $51 in Lagos and $49 in Ondo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Lagos or in Ondo?
Groceries cost about 5% more in Lagos, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Lagos or in Ondo?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Ondo, where all-in costs run around $373, than in Lagos at $952. In Ondo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lagos it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Lagos or Ondo?
It depends on your priorities. Lagos has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $373 in Ondo to $952 in Lagos. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Should I move to Lagos or to Ondo?
If budget matters most, go with Ondo. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lagos makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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