Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Lagos

For one person, living is cheaper in Lagos: $964 a month against $4,048 in London, rent and utilities included – about $37,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

London, United Kingdom
Lagos, Nigeria
London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$4,048
/mo nomad
Lagos
🇳🇬 Nigeria
$964
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Lagos

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

A single person spends $4,048 per month in London vs $964 in Lagos, rent included.

  • London $4,048
  • Lagos $964

A couple spends around $5,903 per month in London vs $1,871 in Lagos, rent included.

  • London $5,903
  • Lagos $1,871

A family of three spends $7,758 per month in London vs $2,777 in Lagos, rent included.

  • London $7,758
  • Lagos $2,777

London costs about 320% more than Lagos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

London sits 199% above the global median, while Lagos is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
London
Lagos
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$26.36 £19.59
$3.78 ₦5,080
597.35%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$109 £80.7
$50.0 ₦67.3K
116.97%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.71 £7.96
$7.39 ₦9,936
44.93%
Cappuccino
$5.59 £4.15
$2.87 ₦3,854
94.77%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 £2.23
$0.44 ₦592
581.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 £1.65
$0.22 ₦295
909.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.65 £7.17
$1.03 ₦1,382
836.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.26 £6.14
$2.02 ₦2,719
308.91%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
London
Lagos
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.97 £1.46
$3.14 ₦4,226
-37.26%
White Bread (500g)
$2.09 £1.55
$1.43 ₦1,919
46.15%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.59 £1.93
$1.20 ₦1,614
115.83%
Eggs
$5.37 £3.99
$2.24 ₦3,010
139.73%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.12 £9.75
$3.45 ₦4,646
280.29%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.03 £8.20
$3.92 ₦5,265
181.38%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.73 £13.18
$4.35 ₦5,847
307.59%
Apples (1kg)
$3.17 £2.36
$1.68 ₦2,261
88.69%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 £1.03
$1.26 ₦1,688
9.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.82 £2.10
$1.10 ₦1,477
156.36%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.36 £2.50
$1.26 ₦1,688
166.67%
Potato (1kg)
$1.70 £1.26
$1.46 ₦1,970
16.44%
Onion (1kg)
$1.78 £1.32
$1.92 ₦2,580
-7.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.49 £1.11
$0.90 ₦1,212
65.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 £1.35
$0.40 ₦532
355.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.85 £17.73
$0.58 ₦779
4012.07%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.44 £9.99
$2.64 ₦3,554
409.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.11 £2.31
$0.54 ₦732
475.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.49 £3.34
$0.49 ₦662
816.33%
🚌 Getting Around
London
Lagos
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.13 £3.07
$0.78 ₦1,048
429.49%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$266 £198
$21.97 ₦29.6K
1110.65%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.98 £4.45
$0.70 ₦938
754.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.39 £2.52
$0.95 ₦1,275
256.84%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$56.6 £42.03
$2.21 ₦2,968
2458.82%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.21 £1.64
$0.92 ₦1,241
140.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.3K £28.4K
$11.4K ₦15.3M
236.42%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.0K £30.5K
$30.8K ₦41.5M
33.05%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
Lagos
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$372 £277
$113 ₦152.1K
229.14%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.66 £13.87
$14.67 ₦19.7K
27.20%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.53 £30.13
$35.64 ₦47.9K
13.72%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
London
Lagos
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.0 £41.63
$28.38 ₦38.2K
97.39%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.10 £12.71
$6.90 ₦9,277
147.83%
Cinema Ticket
$17.95 £13.34
$6.35 ₦8,536
182.68%
🧸 Childcare & Education
London
Lagos
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,946 £2,189
$661 ₦889.3K
345.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$47.6K £35.4K
$18.6K ₦25.0M
155.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
London
Lagos
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$116 £86.4
$14.47 ₦19.5K
703.32%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.9 £42.29
$18.12 ₦24.4K
214.02%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$128 £95.1
$36.71 ₦49.4K
248.46%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$154 £114
$47.80 ₦64.3K
221.92%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
London
Lagos
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,935 £2,182
$702 ₦943.9K
318.22%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,258 £1,678
$423 ₦568.8K
433.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,250 £3,902
$2,801 ₦3.8M
87.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,859 £2,868
$1,515 ₦2.0M
154.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$17.2K £12.8K
$3,241 ₦4.4M
430.25%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$8,278 £6,153
$1,652 ₦2.2M
401.09%
💵 Salaries & Financials
London
Lagos
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,621 £4,177
$120 ₦161.0K
4595.93%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.78
18.39
-74.01%

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

Last update for London: November 1, 2026

Last update for Lagos: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
London
$2.3K
Lagos
$423 81.3% $1.8K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
London
$432
Lagos
$163 62.1% $268
Eating Out
London
$396
Lagos
$99 75.1% $297
Groceries & Markets
London
$360
Lagos
$155 57.1% $206
Getting Around
London
$305
Lagos
$31 90% $275
Clothing & Footwear
London
$205
Lagos
$53 74.3% $152
Sport & Entertainment
London
$92
Lagos
$41 55.3% $51

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,935 in London versus $702 in Lagos. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in London are about 47 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $109 in London versus $50 in Lagos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $360 vs $155 – making Lagos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 London
🇳🇬 Lagos
🕒 Local time
05:09 5:09 AM
06:09 6:09 AM
1 h ahead of London
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,908,083 Capital
10,404,112
💱 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 = 1,345 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.44 USD). 1 EUR = 1,510 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.62 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • London Lagos 5,020 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • London
  • Lagos

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 Lagos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, London or Lagos?
London costs about 320% more than Lagos, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 London and in Lagos?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,072 per month in London and $1,446 in Lagos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, London or Lagos?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Lagos, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $702 there versus $2,935 in London.
How do childcare costs compare in London and in Lagos?
Kindergarten costs $2,946 per month in London and $661 in Lagos. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in London or in Lagos?
Groceries cost about 133% more in London, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in London or in Lagos?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,048 in London and $964 in Lagos. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Lagos – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to London or to Lagos?
If budget matters most, go with Lagos. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, London makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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