Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Calabar

For one person, living is cheaper in Calabar: $821 a month against $4,086 in London, rent and utilities included – about $39,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

195

Cost of Living Index in London
Learn more

London Living Index

Jump to prices

London

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$4,086

/mo nomad

Calabar

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Calabar

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

A single person spends $4,086 per month in London vs $821 in Calabar, rent included.

London $4,086
Calabar $821

A couple spends around $5,891 per month in London vs $1,130 in Calabar, rent included.

London $5,891
Calabar $1,130

A family of three spends $7,696 per month in London vs $1,440 in Calabar, rent included.

London $7,696
Calabar $1,440

London costs about 398% more than Calabar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

London sits 200% above the global median, while Calabar is 40% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.55 £19.98

$1.14 ₦1,531

2228.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 £80.5

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.78 £8.12

Cappuccino

$5.71 £4.30

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

$3.01 £2.26

$0.35 ₦475

760.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 £1.72

$0.19 ₦255

1105.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.08 £6.84

$0.87 ₦1,160

943.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.07 £6.07

$1.22 ₦1,637

561.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.43

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 £1.53

$1.37 ₦1,831

48.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 £1.84

$1.46 ₦1,959

67.81%

Eggs

$5.07 £3.82

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.71 £9.56

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.61 £7.99

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.68 £13.31

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 £2.39

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 £1.09

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 £2.36

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 £2.57

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 £1.26

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 £1.33

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 £1.08

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 £1.41

$0.43 ₦577

334.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.91 £17.99

Wine (Bottle)

$13.48 £10.14

$4.51 ₦6,047

198.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 £2.32

$1.10 ₦1,480

180.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 £3.31

$1.51 ₦2,020

190.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.08 £3.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$252 £190

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 £4.32

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.35 £2.52

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.2 £43.07

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 £1.57

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

$38.0K £28.6K

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

$40.4K £30.4K

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

$387 £291

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

$18.57 £13.98

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.69 £30.62

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 £43.33

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 £14.87

Cinema Ticket

$18.33 £13.79

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

$2,957 £2,225

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.9K £27.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 £89.4

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 £42.35

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 £98.5

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 £124

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,811 £2,116

$1,138 ₦1.5M

147.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,291 £1,724

$761 ₦1.0M

201.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,185 £3,902

$1,872 ₦2.5M

177.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,805 £2,864

$1,328 ₦1.8M

186.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.7K £13.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,405 £6,325

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,070 £3,816

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.79

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

Last update for London: October 26, 2026

Last update for Calabar: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

London

$2.3K 56.1%

Calabar

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

London

$446 10.9%

Calabar

–

Eating Out

London

$396 9.7%

Calabar

–

Groceries & Markets

London

$356 8.7%

Calabar

–

Getting Around

London

$291 7.1%

Calabar

–

Clothing & Footwear

London

$212 5.2%

Calabar

–

Sport & Entertainment

London

$94 2.3%

Calabar

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,811 in London versus $1,138 in Calabar. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Good to know

🇬🇧 London

🇳🇬 Calabar

🕒 Local time

21:01 9:01 PM

22:01 10:01 PM

1 h ahead of London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,908,083 Capital

371,022

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

10,000 NGN = 7.46 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NGN, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

British Pound exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.753 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.838 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,492 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.7 EUR).

USD to GBP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

London Calabar 5,230 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

London
Calabar

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 Calabar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,086 in London, $821 in Calabar – Calabar comes out roughly 80% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,129 per month in London and $1,232 in Calabar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Calabar, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,138 there versus $2,811 in London.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,086 in London and $821 in Calabar. That makes Calabar about 80% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 742% more in London, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Calabar, where all-in costs run around $821, than in London at $4,086. In Calabar it covers expenses comfortably, while in London it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. London has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $821 in Calabar to $4,086 in London. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.