Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Abuja

For one person, living is cheaper in Abuja: $1,087 a month against $4,048 in London, rent and utilities included – about $35,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

London, United Kingdom
Abuja, Nigeria
London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$4,048
/mo nomad
Abuja
🇳🇬 Nigeria
$1,087
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,048 in London versus $1,087 in Abuja.

  • London $4,048
  • Abuja $1,087

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,903 in London versus $1,937 in Abuja.

  • London $5,903
  • Abuja $1,937

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,758 in London versus $2,786 in Abuja.

  • London $7,758
  • Abuja $2,786

Living in London is roughly 272% more expensive than in Abuja, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: London is 199% above, Abuja is 20% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
London
Abuja
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$26.36 £19.59
$2.07 ₦2,781
1173.43%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$109 £80.7
$29.92 ₦40.2K
262.87%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.71 £7.96
$3.93 ₦5,274
172.52%
Cappuccino
$5.59 £4.15
$3.36 ₦4,514
66.37%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 £2.23
$0.43 ₦577
597.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 £1.65
$0.66 ₦890
236.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.65 £7.17
$0.99 ₦1,335
874.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.26 £6.14
$1.98 ₦2,653
317.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
London
Abuja
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.97 £1.46
$3.61 ₦4,840
-45.43%
White Bread (500g)
$2.09 £1.55
$1.27 ₦1,706
64.57%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.59 £1.93
$2.17 ₦2,916
19.35%
Eggs
$5.37 £3.99
$1.79 ₦2,408
200.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.12 £9.75
$11.19 ₦15.0K
17.25%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.03 £8.20
$5.37 ₦7,207
105.40%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.73 £13.17
$6.06 ₦8,131
192.57%
Apples (1kg)
$3.17 £2.36
$2.00 ₦2,682
58.50%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 £1.03
$1.48 ₦1,980
-6.76%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.82 £2.10
$1.47 ₦1,969
91.84%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.36 £2.50
$2.32 ₦3,117
44.83%
Potato (1kg)
$1.70 £1.26
$1.84 ₦2,474
-7.61%
Onion (1kg)
$1.78 £1.32
$2.48 ₦3,332
-28.23%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.49 £1.11
$0.60 ₦803
148.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 £1.35
$0.36 ₦485
405.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.85 £17.72
$1.95 ₦2,622
1123.08%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.44 £9.98
$5.69 ₦7,644
136.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.11 £2.31
$1.18 ₦1,589
163.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.49 £3.34
$1.85 ₦2,477
142.70%
🚌 Getting Around
London
Abuja
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.13 £3.07
$0.46 ₦624
797.83%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$266 £198
$32.00 ₦42.9K
731.19%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.98 £4.44
$0.63 ₦841
849.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.39 £2.52
$0.79 ₦1,060
329.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$56.6 £42.03
$1.84 ₦2,464
2973.37%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.21 £1.64
$0.53 ₦717
316.98%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.3K £28.4K
$26.1K ₦35.1M
46.55%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.0K £30.5K
$36.4K ₦48.9M
12.66%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
Abuja
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$372 £277
$111 ₦149.2K
235.04%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.66 £13.87
$6.54 ₦8,776
185.32%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.53 £30.12
$28.96 ₦38.9K
39.95%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
London
Abuja
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.0 £41.63
$32.73 ₦43.9K
71.16%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.10 £12.71
$9.31 ₦12.5K
83.67%
Cinema Ticket
$17.95 £13.34
$6.27 ₦8,422
186.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
London
Abuja
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,946 £2,189
$45.02 ₦60.4K
6442.74%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$47.6K £35.4K
$5,561 ₦7.5M
756.34%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
London
Abuja
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$116 £86.4
$25.67 ₦34.5K
352.82%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.9 £42.28
$59.4 ₦79.7K
-4.22%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$128 £95.1
$77.3 ₦103.7K
65.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$154 £114
$106 ₦142.5K
44.92%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
London
Abuja
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,935 £2,182
$1,078 ₦1.4M
172.22%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,258 £1,678
$436 ₦585.5K
417.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,250 £3,901
$2,673 ₦3.6M
96.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,859 £2,868
$1,365 ₦1.8M
182.68%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$17.2K £12.8K
$695 ₦932.5K
2373.46%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$8,278 £6,152
$371 ₦497.9K
2131.67%
💵 Salaries & Financials
London
Abuja
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,621 £4,177
$166 ₦223.3K
3278.96%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.78
22.5
-78.76%

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

Last update for London: November 1, 2026

Last update for Abuja: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
London
$2.3K
Abuja
$436 80.7% $1.8K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
$432
Abuja
$147 66% $285
Eating Out
London
$396
Abuja
$82 79.3% $314
Groceries & Markets
London
$360
Abuja
$218 39.5% $142
Getting Around
London
$305
Abuja
$38 87.4% $267
Clothing & Footwear
London
$205
Abuja
$121 41% $84
Sport & Entertainment
London
$92
Abuja
$45 50.7% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,935 in London and $1,078 in Abuja. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays about 34 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $109 in London vs $30 in Abuja for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $360 vs $218 per month, with Abuja cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇧 London
🇳🇬 Abuja
🕒 Local time
04:59 4:59 AM
05:59 5:59 AM
1 h ahead of London
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,908,083 Capital
776,298 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

NGN, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.743 GBP (1 GBP = 1.35 USD). 1 EUR = 0.834 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1,342 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,507 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.64 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • London Abuja 4,770 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • London
  • 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
London vs Abuja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in London and in Abuja?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $4,048 in London and $1,087 in Abuja, so Abuja is about 73% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: London or Abuja?
Average pay in London is about 34 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in London and in Abuja?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,935 in London versus $1,078 in Abuja. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city is more expensive overall: London or Abuja?
All in, you’ll spend $4,048 per month in London versus $1,087 in Abuja – Abuja is about 73% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How do commuting costs compare in London and in Abuja?
A monthly transit pass in Abuja runs roughly 88% less than in London. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,087 in Abuja versus $4,048 in London, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Abuja but tight or insufficient in London. The gap between the two cities makes Abuja the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between London and Abuja?
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.
Where should expats move: London or Abuja?
Expats usually find Abuja gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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