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Lagos vs Nairobi cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ณ๐ฌ Lagos
๐ฐ๐ช Nairobi
At a glance
- Where Nairobi is clearly cheaper: Haircut (33%โ), Laundry (27%โ), Coffee (20%โ)
- Where Lagos is clearly cheaper: SIM card (64%โ), Beer (58%โ), Half-day tour (48%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Nairobi is easier to travel (2.8 vs 3.4). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Lagos 4 vs Nairobi 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Lagos | Nairobi | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฆ 4,500$2.9 | KSh 600$4.65 | Lagos โ38% |
| Street food1 item | โฆ 1,500$0.97 | KSh 150$1.16 | Lagos โ17% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฆ 18,000$11.6 | KSh 2,300$17.8 | Lagos โ35% |
| Coffeeone cup | โฆ 6,000$3.87 | KSh 400$3.1 | Nairobi โ20% |
| Beerone bottle | โฆ 1,500$0.97 | KSh 300$2.33 | Lagos โ58% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โฆ 10,000$6.45 | KSh 800$6.2 | similar |
| Bottled water | โฆ 400$0.26 | KSh 50$0.39 | Lagos โ33% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โฆ 1,200$0.77 | KSh 80$0.62 | Nairobi โ20% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โฆ 3,500$2.26 | KSh 500$3.88 | Lagos โ42% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฆ 3,150$2.03 | KSh 335$2.6 | Lagos โ22% |
| Transitone ride | โฆ 500$0.32 | KSh 70$0.54 | Lagos โ41% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฆ 27,000$17.4 | KSh 3,000$23.3 | Lagos โ25% |
| Hotel night3-star | โฆ 75,000$48.4 | KSh 9,000$69.8 | Lagos โ31% |
| Studio rent (month) | โฆ 470,000$303 | KSh 50,000$388 | Lagos โ22% |
| Laundry | โฆ 3,300$2.13 | KSh 200$1.55 | Nairobi โ27% |
| SIM card1 week data | โฆ 3,500$2.26 | KSh 800$6.2 | Lagos โ64% |
| Haircutcut | โฆ 9,000$5.81 | KSh 500$3.88 | Nairobi โ33% |
| Massage1 hour | โฆ 30,000$19.4 | KSh 3,500$27.1 | Lagos โ29% |
| Half-day tourper person | โฆ 50,000$32.3 | KSh 8,000$62 | Lagos โ48% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โฆ 15,000$9.68 | KSh 1,500$11.6 | Lagos โ17% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Lagos or Nairobi?
Lagos is 28% cheaper than Nairobi. Daily budget $83.1 vs $121; a month $1,207 vs $1,613.
Which is easier to travel, Lagos or Nairobi?
Nairobi is easier: Nairobi 2.8/5 vs Lagos 3.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Lagos and Nairobi?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Lagos is about $1,207 and Nairobi about $1,613 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.