International quality housing in Abuja is not cheap. You may expect to pay around 1,200 usd per month for a small, dark 2 bedroom apartment (and even then are not super easy to find). A similar apartment with good lighting and decent fixtures will cost you nearer the 2,000 mark. From their, the sky is the limit; there are some simply incredible houses available to rent but I dread to think how much they would cost.
One constant complaint by foreigners in Nigeria is that the apartments are all dark. Indeed, this is the first thing we were told when we were thinking of coming and, on arrival we discovered that it was very true. The apartments have traditionally been designed this way to try and keep them cool. I don’t understand how this logic holds with the more upmarket apartment buildings because they have A/C throughout and 24/7 electricity by generator, but for some reason the traditional designs continue to be built. You do get used to the lack of light, to a certain extent, but it’s really less than ideal. If you have the opportunity to pay a little more for a bright place, I would highly recommend it.
