Given the relatively low incomes in Nigeria, you might be worried that the cost of living in Abuja will be too costly while searching for homes to rent or purchase. However, there are neighborhoods where you may find nice and affordable places to live in Abuja.
The city’s population has been growing rapidly recently, and as a result, satellite towns, including Karu Urban Area, Suleja, Gwagwalada, Lugbe, and Kuje, as well as other smaller communities, have sprung up around the enormous planned capital city.
Regardless of how expensive a city is, folks with ordinary incomes nevertheless manage to make ends meet. There will always be areas of the city that are still reasonably priced for people with average incomes to thrive. And that is what this post, nice affordable places to live in Abuja, will concentrate on.
Table of Contents
Affordable Places To Live In Abuja
In no particular order, the cheapest or most affordable places to live in Abuja are listed and explained according to the populace of the town and possibly renting:
1. Kubwa
Civil servants, businessmen, women, riders on commercial motorcycles, artisans, and entrepreneurs are the primary residents in Kubwa. It is located in Bwari’s area council and a significant suburb in the Abuja metropolitan region.
The area is dominated by local enterprises, including supermarkets, stores, and general markets (such as Kubwa Market, site 2-phase 1 Market, etc.). A two-bedroom apartment in Kubwa costs between N500,000 and N1.6 million per year to rent.
Middle-class folks predominate there in large numbers. The market and neighboring environs in this region have practically everything you need. It is also quite simple to visit other areas of Abuja through this neighborhood, so it’s always a good idea to rent an apartment in Kubwa.
2. Lugbe
One of Abuja’s well-liked suburbs, Lugbe, is part of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC). It is heavily inhabited and primarily residential. Due to its location along the airport road, Lugbe is 17 minutes by car from Abuja’s Central Business District and 13 minutes from the airport. The districts of Lugbe are South Lugbe, North Lugbe, Central Lugbe, West Lugbe, and East Lugbe. This makes it more accessible to working-class individuals.
Lugbe has gained notoriety and drawn major development due to its closeness to the city center and the Abuja airport. It is a good place to invest in real estate because the neighborhood is expanding quickly.
Since a two-bedroom apartment in this neighborhood may cost anywhere between N450,000 to N1.5 million a year, it is overrun with Corpers, who cannot afford to rent flats in Abuja’s fanciest areas.
3. Lokogoma
Lokogoma is a rapidly expanding community, and people are constantly moving in. The neighborhood, which is around an 18-minute drive from Abuja’s Central Business District, contains all the essential services one could want to feel at home in a strange place.
The middle class lives in Lokogoma, which is mostly a residential region with lots of estates. The neighborhood is one of the busiest in Abuja despite being under development. A two-bedroom apartment in the area costs residents between N500,000 and N2 million annually.
4. Jikwoyi
One of the satellite towns of Abuja with the highest population increase is Jikwoyi. Jikwoyi Phase 1, Jikwoyi Phase 1 Extension, Jikwoyi Phase 2, and Jikwoyi Phase 3 are the four phases of the neighborhood, located around 17 minutes drive from Abuja’s Central Business District.
Due to the district’s availability of reasonably priced housing, population growth has been consistently phenomenal. A two-bedroom apartment here costs between N400,000 and N1.7 million per year to rent.
5. Karu Urban Area
An estimated 2 million people live in the Karu Urban area, which borders Nasarawa and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Karu is one of the cities in the world that is expanding the quickest, with an annual growth rate of 40%. The urban region includes settlements like Kurunduma, New Nyanya, Mararaba, New Karu, Ado, and Masaka and younger, rapidly expanding settlements like One Man Village
Compared to other parts of Abuja, renting a property in Karu is more reasonable; locals pay between N500,000 and N1.2 million per month for a two-bedroom apartment, depending on where they live. The ordinary Nigerian can afford transportation to other areas from this location.
6. Galadimawa
One of the least expensive locations to reside in Abuja is Galadimawa. The Central Business District of Abuja is roughly an 18-minute drive from the region, occupied by middle-class residents.
It is situated close to Baze University and the African University of Science and Technology and offers many commercial and social amenities, including malls, restaurants, hotels, and businesses. Depending on where they live, locals pay between N900,000 and N2.5 million to rent a two-bedroom apartment.
7. Apo Dutse
Apo Dutse is one of the nice and affordable places to live in Abuja. Numerous luxurious home complexes, lovely parks, and hotels can be found there. Due to the abundance of facilities nearby, the region is among Abuja’s areas that are developing quickly.
Depending on where they live, locals pay between N800,000 and N2.5 million to rent a two-bedroom apartment in Apo Dutse.
8. Kuje
Kuje is a bustling market town with various roadside shops offering medicines, food, supplies, ironmongery, tools, phone cards, and CDs. A unique aspect of Kuje is its vibrant market, which is held every four days and has booths offering smoked fish, fruit, vegetables, extremely fresh meat, other necessities, household items, fabric, shoes, and apparel. Other posters on the market show European football players with their homes, spouses, and vehicles.
Due to its closeness to Abuja and the eradication of informal settlements along the airport route, Kuje is experiencing a rapid boom in home construction. Renting an apartment in Kuje can save you a lot of money because a two-bedroom apartment there can go for between N400,000 and N700,000.
9. Dawaki
Dawaki, which is primarily a residential neighborhood, is governed by the Bwari Neighbourhood Council. Approximately 20 minutes away from Abuja’s Central Business District. The main thoroughfare in Dawaki is the Murtala Mohammed Expressway.
It has a sufficient supply of electricity and water. It is a quickly developing area that has drawn many people searching for inexpensive housing. Dawaki properties are also receiving investments from real estate investors. Thus, more cheap homes will become accessible.
Middle-class and low-income people are getting homes from them—a three-bedroom apartment costs between N350,000 and N800,000 annually.
10. Jahi
Jahi is a growing neighborhood between Katampe and Gwarinpa with a lot of promise. It offers a great position that is only a half-hour or so from the Central Area. It is now one of the most desirable areas in Abuja to invest, making it one of the top locations to live.
Real estate in this neighborhood is reasonably priced for a phase 2 neighborhood because it is still under development. However, prices will almost certainly increase as soon as government infrastructure projects are scheduled to start.
Locals and residents may rent a two-bedroom flat in Jahi for between N500,000 and N4,000,000 annually.
11. Ushafa
USHAFA is a little community surrounded by rocks, and the majority of the residents built their dwellings on these rocks. It’s located in the Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, and despite not being the largest town there, it’s well-known for its pottery-making skills.
The community has welcomed visitors worldwide, including former US President Bill Clinton, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and other outstanding men and women, because of their talent in pottery production.
As a result, Ushafa is now one of the main tourist destinations in the capital city. In Ushafa, a two-bedroom apartment would cost between N 600,000 and N 1,200,000 a year.
12. NyaNya
Nyanya is a town in Nasarawa State. It is one of the towns that collectively comprise the Karu Urban Area, a group of cities extending into the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). It is a district of the Karu Local Government Area in Nasarawa State. It is loosely regarded as a component of the Abuja metropolitan region.
Its neighboring towns include Mararaba, Ado, Masaka, New Karu, and Koroduma, as well as villages that grew as a result of Abuja’s rapid expansion of its administrative and commercial operations into neighboring towns and the Federal Capital Territory Administration’s (FCTA) evacuation of tens of thousands of residents from Abuja.
Nyanya is regarded as one of Abuja’s largest satellite towns, and each Wednesday is market day. Customers come to the market from all across Abuja and beyond. The majority of shoppers go to the market to purchase “second hand” clothing, often known as “Okirika” or “bend down select.” A two or three-bedroom flat may be rented here for between N300,000 and N2,100,000 per year by locals and newcomers.
13. Dei-Dei
A satellite town along the Kubwa-Zuba highway, DEI-DEI is home to the MOPOL Barracks, the International Livestock Market, and the Building Materials Market. Many Nigerians live in the town, most of whom earn modest wages as street vendors, construction workers, drivers, food vendors, and concoction dealers, to name a few.
This neighborhood is infamous for various crimes and serves as a shelter for hawkers and street children. After Kubwa, in the Dei-dei neighborhood of Abuja, lies the Dei dei market, another fruit market where you can buy tomatoes, peppers, and onions in baskets and at reasonable prices.
There is no day or hour in this market. Going early lowers prices since merchants would be eager to move perishable items. A two-bedroom apartment might cost anything from N600,000 and N4,000,000 per year, depending on where you reside in the city.
Summary
In this list, we’ve narrowed down some of the affordable places to live in Abuja, which will be helpful to both potential new residents and those who are already residing there but want to downsize.
You should share this information with everyone you know who is relocating to Abuja. You can assist a lot.
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FAQ’s
What’s life like in Kubwa like?
Abuja’s Kubwa neighborhood is a desirable area to reside in and is not far from the city’s CBD. The area’s rent is also reasonable, including all the essential facilities one may want to feel at home in a new place.
What areas in Abuja is the best to live in?
Asokoro
Maitama
Wuse
Garki
Gwarinpa
Where in Abuja is the most secure?
Asokoro
Maitama
Wuse
Kubwa
Where can a low-income earner find an affordable place to live in Abuja?
Lugbe
Kubwa
Kuje
Dawaki
Apo