Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maiduguri and Jos

For one person, living is cheaper in Maiduguri: $170 a month against $537 in Jos, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Jos
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Jos Living Index

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Maiduguri

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$170

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Jos

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$537

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Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $170 per month in Maiduguri vs $537 in Jos, rent included.

Maiduguri $170
Jos $537

A couple spends around $284 per month in Maiduguri vs $1,104 in Jos, rent included.

Maiduguri $284
Jos $1,104

A family of three spends $398 per month in Maiduguri vs $1,671 in Jos, rent included.

Maiduguri $398
Jos $1,671

Maiduguri is about 68% cheaper than Jos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Maiduguri and Jos are more affordable than the global median – Maiduguri 87% lower, Jos 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$0.51 ₦673

$1.98 ₦2,640

-74.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.74 ₦39.6K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$1.83 ₦2,433

$4.12 ₦5,477

-55.58%

Cappuccino

$0.89 ₦1,178

$3.27 ₦4,355

-72.78%

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

$0.27 ₦361

$0.51 ₦677

-47.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 ₦249

$0.73 ₦966

-73.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₦1,363

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ₦2,850

Milk (1 liter)

$3.69 ₦4,905

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 ₦1,368

$0.86 ₦1,150

19.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 ₦2,598

$2.19 ₦2,918

-10.96%

Eggs

$1.75 ₦2,326

$1.85 ₦2,466

-5.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.85 ₦13.1K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.90 ₦6,515

$4.95 ₦6,581

-1.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.04 ₦5,375

$4.18 ₦5,559

-3.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.08 ₦5,430

$1.97 ₦2,624

107.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 ₦1,959

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 ₦1,938

Tomato (1kg)

$0.97 ₦1,291

$2.34 ₦3,113

-58.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 ₦1,973

$1.86 ₦2,474

-20.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 ₦1,349

$2.36 ₦3,136

-57.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 ₦514

$0.55 ₦733

-29.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₦417

$0.37 ₦489

-16.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.01 ₦2,679

Wine (Bottle)

$5.83 ₦7,754

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 ₦1,591

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₦2,473

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ₦485

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 ₦833

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 ₦1,089

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 ₦2,436

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.25 ₦331

$0.58 ₦772

-56.90%

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

$25.7K ₦34.1M

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

$18.3K ₦24.4M

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

$102 ₦135.4K

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

$7.92 ₦10.5K

$6.54 ₦8,694

21.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.58 ₦39.3K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.21 ₦53.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.89 ₦10.5K

$11.81 ₦15.7K

-33.19%

Cinema Ticket

$6.34 ₦8,429

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

$45.19 ₦60.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,017 ₦1.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.38 ₦27.1K

$10.09 ₦13.4K

101.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.88 ₦23.8K

$14.84 ₦19.7K

20.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$25.37 ₦33.7K

$50.2 ₦66.7K

-49.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$24.82 ₦33.0K

$49.67 ₦66.1K

-50.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$562 ₦746.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ₦652.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,962 ₦2.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,530 ₦2.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$100 ₦133.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.5

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

Last update for Maiduguri: October 20, 2026

Last update for Jos: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Maiduguri

–

Jos

$203 37.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maiduguri

–

Jos

$138 25.7%

Eating Out

Maiduguri

–

Jos

$82 15.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Maiduguri

–

Jos

$56 10.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Maiduguri

–

Jos

$53 9.9%

Getting Around

Maiduguri

–

Jos

$4.7 * 0.9%

Accommodation & Living

Maiduguri

–

Jos

- * 0%

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

Good to know

🇳🇬 Maiduguri

🇳🇬 Jos

🕒 Local time

11:49 11:49 AM

Same time as Maiduguri

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,197,497

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

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Maiduguri Jos 510 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Maiduguri
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

Maiduguri vs Jos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $170 in Maiduguri, $537 in Jos – roughly 216% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $255 per month in Maiduguri and $805 in Jos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $170 in Maiduguri and $537 in Jos. That's a gap of about 216%.

Groceries cost about 106% more in Jos, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $170 in Maiduguri and $537 in Jos, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Maiduguri – 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 Maiduguri. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Jos makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.