Moving to India from Nigeria

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Nigeria to India — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Nigeria to India, you would find that India is 46.7% cheaper than Nigeria overall. A NGN100,000,000 salary in Nigeria would need to be roughly ₹3,800,000 in India to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.

Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓

Is India cheaper than Nigeria?

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 17.2% less

Groceries

pay 50.5% less

Transportation

pay 21.0% less

Housing

pay 66.6% less

Childcare

pay 69.9% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 6.7% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 NGN = 0.0713 INR (October 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

What salary do you need in India?

What does your salary buy?

NGN100,000,000 → ₹3,800,000

To maintain the same standard of living in India

Calculate with your salary →

Get free moving quotes to India

We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Nigeria to India, and how the trend has changed.

Living there in 2020
903 ↓ 7% vs 2015

people born in Nigeria live in India · UN DESA

Who's moving to India?

Top countries of origin for India's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Nigeria and India stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

NG
15.8
IN
2.8
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

NG
17.2
IN
15.4

India performs significantly better than Nigeria across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

NG
$260
IN
$346
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

NG
3.8
IN
7.2

India generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Nigeria leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

NG
77.0
IN
83.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

NG
0.6t
IN
2.2t

Nigeria performs better than India across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

NG
0.1
IN
3.1
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

NG
9.7%
IN
66.5%

India generally does better on infrastructure, though Nigeria leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

NG
3.1%
IN
4.2%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

NG
$1,224
IN
$2,702

Nigeria generally does better on employment & economy, though India leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

NG
54.6 yrs
IN
72.2 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

NG
69.8
IN
23.3

India performs significantly better than Nigeria across all family life metrics.

Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Federal Inland Revenue Service, Nigeria (2016), Ministry of Finance, Government of India (2016), The World Factbook (2011). How we calculate this

Weather in India vs Nigeria

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Lagos Rain: 60.6 in/yr (1538 mm)
87° / 73°F

Avg. annual high / low

Delhi Rain: 28.2 in/yr (716 mm)
88° / 66°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Lagos Delhi
Jan–Mar 91°/74°F (33°/23°C) 76°/52°F (25°/11°C)
Apr–Jun 88°/74°F (31°/23°C) 101°/78°F (38°/25°C)
Jul–Sep 83°/71°F (28°/22°C) 93°/79°F (34°/26°C)
Oct–Dec 88°/72°F (31°/22°C) 82°/56°F (28°/14°C)
View all months
Month Lagos Delhi
Jan 90°/72°F (32.2°/22.3°C) 69°/46°F (20.8°/7.8°C)
Feb 92°/74°F (33.1°/23.5°C) 75°/51°F (23.7°/10.3°C)
Mar 91°/75°F (32.7°/23.8°C) 85°/60°F (29.6°/15.4°C)
Apr 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.6°C) 97°/71°F (36.0°/21.5°C)
May 88°/74°F (30.9°/23.1°C) 104°/79°F (39.8°/26.2°C)
Jun 85°/73°F (29.2°/22.6°C) 103°/83°F (39.4°/28.3°C)
Jul 83°/72°F (28.1°/22.1°C) 95°/81°F (35.2°/27.0°C)
Aug 83°/71°F (28.1°/21.7°C) 92°/79°F (33.6°/26.2°C)
Sep 84°/71°F (28.9°/21.9°C) 93°/76°F (34.0°/24.7°C)
Oct 87°/72°F (30.4°/22.3°C) 91°/67°F (32.9°/19.4°C)
Nov 88°/73°F (31.0°/22.6°C) 82°/55°F (28.0°/12.8°C)
Dec 89°/72°F (31.9°/22.4°C) 73°/47°F (22.7°/8.4°C)

Data: Nigerian Meteorological Agency Nigerian Meteorological Agency, India Meteorological Department India Meteorological Department

Can you move from Nigeria to India?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Nigeria and India. To live, work, or study long-term in India, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check India's immigration authority.

Nigeria passport

Nigeria passport holder visiting India

Visa Required
Nigeria passport holders need a visa to enter India.
India passport

India passport holder visiting Nigeria

Visa Online (e-Visa)
India passport holders need to apply for an e-Visa before travelling to Nigeria.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in India than Nigeria?

Generally yes: India runs about 47% cheaper than Nigeria on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

How much money do I need to move to India?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a NGN100,000,000 comparable salary, that's around ₹950,000 in India for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from India?

With 3.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, India can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Nigeria and India.

Is India safe for expats?

India performs significantly better than Nigeria across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in India is 2.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 15.8 in Nigeria.

How is healthcare in India compared to Nigeria?

India generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Nigeria leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 7.2 doctors per 10,000 people in India, compared to 3.8 in Nigeria. India scores 63 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Nigeria: 38).

What's the weather like in India compared to Nigeria?

The average high temperature in Delhi is 88°F, compared to 87°F in Lagos. Delhi receives around 28.2 in of rainfall per year, while Lagos gets 60.6 in.

What language do they speak in India?

The official languages in India are English, Hindi and Tamil. In Nigeria, the official language is English.

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At a Glance

NG IN
Population 237,527,782 1,463,865,525
Currency Nigerian Naira (NGN) Indian Rupee (₹)
Languages English English, Hindi, Tamil
Driving side Right Left
Calling code +234 +91
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112