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Salary Cost-of-Living Comparison Between Nigerian Cities

A ₦500,000 salary in Lagos and a ₦500,000 salary in Ibadan are not the same job. This converts a salary between any two Nigerian cities using cost-of-living indices, so you can tell whether an offer is actually a raise — and how much of the difference is rent alone.

🔄  Calculator

₦500,000

difference from your current salary: +₦0

Relative cost (new city ÷ current) 1.00×
Salary needed to match your lifestyle ₦500,000
Rounded to a negotiable figure ₦500,000
Monthly difference +₦0
What your current salary would buy there ₦500,000
Rent difference alone 1.00×

Works without JavaScript — the figures above are a worked example using the default values.

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Before you rely on this

  • Indices are compiled from published cost-of-living aggregates and are planning estimates, not quotes. The methodology and every input figure are published on the methodology page.
  • Cost of living and salary levels move together. Employers in Lagos and Abuja generally pay more for the same role — but usually less than the full rent differential, which is precisely why this comparison matters.

How this is calculated: Calculator logic in assets/js/calc-core.js, verified by the test suite in tests/calc-core.test.js. Rate inputs are prefilled from the figures below. · Data as of 2026-09-10
Prefilled rates are national reference values. Your own receipt, payslip or pump price always overrides them.

Frequently asked questions

How much more do I need to earn in Lagos than in Ibadan?
On these indices, roughly 93% more for the same lifestyle overall — and about 2.6 times as much for rent alone. That is why the Lagos-plus-Ibadan-commute and remote-from-a-cheaper-city strategies are so common.
Should I use gross or net salary?
Use whichever you use consistently. Gross is easier to compare against an offer; net is more honest about what you actually have to live on.
Why does the rent ratio differ from the overall ratio?
Because rent is the most geographically unequal cost in Nigeria. Lagos rents run far above the national median while food prices are much closer to it, so the overall index sits between the two.

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