ABUJA IS AS EXPENSIVE AS YOU WANT IT TO BE

I know we have all heard the tales over and over again- the multimillion naira mansions in Asokoro, the $70,000 per annum apartments in Maitama-,  these are the tales that have come to represent the capital city Abuja and it’s seemingly impossible cost of living . While I have no doubt they are true- in fact, Don’t expect to move from Lagos to Abuja on the same income and maintain the same lifestyle.The City of Abuja is as expensive as you want it to

be. That’s right, I said it, you can absolutely make it in Abuja if you’re committed to that dream.

Let’s take a look at what needs to be considered when thinking about  living in the city of Abuja.

TEMPTATION TO SPEND

Ask anyone that lives in a Abuja,  and they’ll tell you the amount of activities available is ridiculous. Restaurants, recreational parks, boutique shops, shopping malls, night clubs, lounges, fast foods, bakeries, studios and more line the streets.

Unfortunately, this can lead to the temptation to spend. If you reside  only a short walk away from your favorite place, 

FOOD

Abuja offers so many options for foodies, as it is popular for mouth watering sharwama, the best pizza, suya and chicken kebab you’ve ever had, you’ll get the best sharwamas at Drumstix and Chicken Capitol.  You can also find incredibly reasonably priced groceries at SHOPRITE and Park n Shop stores. Foodstuffs are also available at the local markets at affordable prices. You can also score great deals at happy hours and lunch specials in various eateries and restaurants in the city.

YOUR SALARY AND CAREER

Earning more is always nice. If you prioritize your finances, you can avoid the temptation to spend, and you can probably choose your place of residence a little more intelligently than your peers (deciding to share a room, or deciding you just don’t need much space). More career opportunities are directly related to higher salaries, too. There are simply more companyies in bigger cities, and thus, more job opportunities. If you want to keep moving up, living in a big city is going to help you network and use those connections to your advantage.

TRANSIT

In ABUJA, A taxi ride cost between N50 and N100 for a normal shared ride, and charges from N300 and above for an exclusive taxi ride. Owning a car is an added advantage as the roads in the city are easily accessible making navigation easy. 

Conclusion

The City of Abuja is the ultimate personal finance lesson realized- it’s all about priorities. If the opportunity to live, work, and play in arguably one of the fastest growing city in the world is your dream ask yourself if you’re willing to make it happen and get grounded in the reality of not only the numbers, but the lifestyle trade offs.

The City of Abuja is as expensive as you want it to be. When asking yourself if it’s worth living in an expensive city, I think it’s critical to consider other factors – not just ones that revolve around money.

BY BOMIA GABICE