Cost-of-living planning in Lagos

Build a personal budget for Lagos, Lagos. Start with your household's actual rent quote, travel pattern and recurring bills rather than a claimed city-wide average.

What to collect for your budget

Category	Evidence to use	Timing to record
Housing	Written rent quote, service charges, fees and deposits	Annual rent and cash due before moving
Food	Your household's shopping list and recent receipts	Weekly or monthly; household size matters
Transport	Actual route fares or distance, fuel consumption and maintenance	Paid journey legs and workdays
Power and utilities	Applicable tariff, meter receipts, backup-power and water costs	Monthly usage and irregular purchases
Other obligations	Healthcare, education, debt, dependants and savings goals	Monthly, termly and annual costs

Use net income for affordability

Compare rent with actual take-home pay, not a mechanically doubled budget or an inferred local salary. A 25% or 30% rent-to-income share is a guideline only; check all other expenses and the advance-rent requirement. A city does not have one electricity band: confirm your own feeder and customer tariff.

Legacy budget illustration for Lagos — not a current price survey

These amounts are computed from unverified example anchors and city factors. The overall factor 185 uses an arbitrary baseline of 100. It does not measure a premium over the Nigerian median.

Illustrative monthly budget for one adult; rent annualised
Item	Monthly example	Annual example
One-bedroom rent	₦117,500	₦1,410,000
Two-bedroom rent (alternative)	₦195,833	₦2,350,000
Groceries	₦157,000	₦1,884,000
Transport	₦86,000	₦1,032,000
Data / internet	₦16,000	₦192,000
Utilities and levies	₦37,000	₦444,000
Illustrative subtotal using one-bedroom rent	₦413,500	₦4,962,000

Excludes healthcare, school fees, generator fuel, debt, savings and upfront moving fees. The two-bedroom figure is an alternative, not added to the subtotal. This is not a minimum living cost or an affordability recommendation.

Rent affordability Compare the recurring budget with your entered upfront costs and savings. Relocation budget Compare actual monthly budgets and after-tax offers, not assumed city wages. Electricity bill Check units, tariff and VAT using your receipt or a dated, jurisdiction-specific schedule. Commute cost Separate fuel-only spending from the other commute costs you enter.

Salary-offer planning by role

Compare budgets for another city

Frequently asked questions

Are these current market prices for Lagos?

No. These are legacy budget illustrations without a verified city-level observation set. Obtain current quotes for the neighbourhood, property and journey you are considering.

What does the budget subtotal include?

The illustration includes one-bedroom rent annualised over 12 months, groceries, transport, data and utilities. The two-bedroom figure is an alternative, not an additional cost. Healthcare, school fees, generator fuel, debt, savings and upfront fees are excluded.

How do I assess rent affordability?

Use your quoted annual rent and actual take-home income. A 25% or 30% rent-to-income ratio is a planning guideline, not a guarantee. Check other expenses and the advance-rent cash requirement separately.

Can a city determine my electricity band?

No. Confirm the applicable feeder, customer category and tariff with your provider and vending receipt. A city label does not establish your band or hours of supply.