Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Harcourt and Lagos

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Harcourt: $394 a month against $951 in Lagos, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Port Harcourt
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Port Harcourt Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Lagos
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Lagos Living Index

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Port Harcourt

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$394

/mo nomad

Lagos

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$951

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Port Harcourt 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 Port Harcourt and in Lagos actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $394 per month in Port Harcourt vs $951 in Lagos, rent included.

Port Harcourt $394
Lagos $951

A couple spends around $816 per month in Port Harcourt vs $1,859 in Lagos, rent included.

Port Harcourt $816
Lagos $1,859

A family of three spends $1,239 per month in Port Harcourt vs $2,768 in Lagos, rent included.

Port Harcourt $1,239
Lagos $2,768

Port Harcourt is about 59% cheaper than Lagos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Port Harcourt and Lagos are more affordable than the global median – Port Harcourt 71% lower, Lagos 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ₦2,612

$3.82 ₦5,082

-48.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.96 ₦39.9K

$50.8 ₦67.5K

-40.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.63 ₦6,157

$7.38 ₦9,815

-37.26%

Cappuccino

$1.65 ₦2,195

$2.83 ₦3,768

-41.70%

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

$0.63 ₦834

$0.43 ₦577

46.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 ₦810

$0.22 ₦291

177.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 ₦1,962

$1.01 ₦1,348

45.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ₦3,954

$2.02 ₦2,692

47.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.60 ₦3,456

$3.10 ₦4,120

-16.13%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 ₦1,287

$1.50 ₦1,989

-35.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.36 ₦4,464

$1.25 ₦1,669

168.80%

Eggs

$1.73 ₦2,307

$2.27 ₦3,013

-23.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.44 ₦4,578

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.91 ₦2,540

$3.79 ₦5,040

-49.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.58 ₦6,093

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 ₦3,269

$1.70 ₦2,255

44.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ₦2,929

$1.29 ₦1,716

70.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 ₦2,366

$1.11 ₦1,475

60.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.03 ₦4,031

$1.29 ₦1,718

134.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 ₦3,031

$1.37 ₦1,823

66.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ₦1,976

$1.36 ₦1,803

9.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 ₦1,128

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ₦921

$0.40 ₦528

72.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.60 ₦793

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 ₦6,921

$2.52 ₦3,346

106.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₦956

$0.54 ₦721

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₦1,970

$0.46 ₦612

221.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 ₦532

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 ₦26.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 ₦529

$0.65 ₦864

-38.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 ₦1,270

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 ₦2,987

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 ₦781

$0.83 ₦1,098

-28.92%

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

$11.1K ₦14.8M

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

$13.6K ₦18.1M

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

$30.58 ₦40.7K

$113 ₦150.7K

-73.01%

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

$3.86 ₦5,140

$15.08 ₦20.1K

-74.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.09 ₦44.0K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.55 ₦19.4K

$28.10 ₦37.4K

-48.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.79 ₦9,027

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 ₦5,259

$6.19 ₦8,237

-36.19%

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

$24.93 ₦33.2K

$659 ₦877.1K

-96.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$801 ₦1.1M

$19.5K ₦26.0M

-95.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$6.84 ₦9,093

$14.85 ₦19.8K

-53.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$11.83 ₦15.7K

$17.95 ₦23.9K

-34.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.30 ₦48.3K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$15.02 ₦20.0K

$48.95 ₦65.1K

-69.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$152 ₦202.3K

$704 ₦936.6K

-78.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$106 ₦140.4K

$417 ₦554.1K

-74.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 ₦1.5M

$2,825 ₦3.8M

-59.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₦664.7K

$1,516 ₦2.0M

-67.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 ₦4.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,597 ₦2.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$56.9 ₦75.7K

$117 ₦155.2K

-51.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.39

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

Last update for Port Harcourt: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lagos: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Port Harcourt

$148 * 37.7%

Lagos

$154 16.2% 3.6% $5.4

Accommodation & Living

Port Harcourt

$106 26.8%

Lagos

$417 43.8% 295% $311

Eating Out

Port Harcourt

$68 17.2%

Lagos

$98 10.4% 45.5% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Harcourt

$34 * 8.7%

Lagos

$161 17% 369% $127

Sport & Entertainment

Port Harcourt

$22 5.7%

Lagos

$40 4.3% 80.3% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Port Harcourt

$15 * 3.9%

Lagos

$53 5.6% 251% $38

Getting Around

Port Harcourt

$0.4 * 0.1%

Lagos

$27 2.8% 6588% $26

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $152 in Port Harcourt versus $704 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 run about 105% higher in Lagos, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Port Harcourt versus $51.0 in Lagos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $148 vs $154 – making Port Harcourt the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇬 Port Harcourt

🇳🇬 Lagos

🕒 Local time

21:08 9:08 PM

Same time as Port Harcourt

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,382,592

10,404,112

💱 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

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Port Harcourt Lagos 440 km

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Port Harcourt
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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

Port Harcourt vs Lagos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lagos costs about 141% more than Port Harcourt, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $591 per month in Port Harcourt and $1,426 in Lagos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Port Harcourt, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Port Harcourt and $51.0 in Lagos. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Lagos, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Port Harcourt, where all-in costs run around $394, than in Lagos at $951. In Port Harcourt it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lagos it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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