Cheaper Rent or Better Life? Lagos Mainland Exposed

What Exactly Are Lagos Island and Mainland?

A quick little introduction: Lagos is divided into two kind of main parts.

There is the Mainland side. It has Surulere, Ikeja, Badagry and different popular estates in there like Magodo or Omole Estates, those type of places.

And then there’s the Island. I think it is the most popular globally because a lot of celebrities live here. It is in the movies and different things like that. So that has Victoria Island, Lekki, Lekki Phase One, Ikoyi, and then it is extending further out to Chevron, Ibeju-Lekki, all these different areas. That’s on the Island.

For this stay we chose to be on the Island for many different reasons. Also, if you are a returnee or an expat and you want to ease yourself into the Nigerian culture, I typically recommend the Island. And then if you want a lower cost of living and you want to experience the authentic, true Lagos, Nigerian heartbeat, then I feel like you need to be on the Mainland.

Check out the exact apartment we stayed in Lekki right here: Proof Suites Lekki – Modern & Quiet

1. Noise Levels – My Personal #1 Reason

From my observation, the number one thing that I want to emphasize is one of my main reasons for choosing to stay on the Island is noise.

I feel like the Island part of Lagos is a bit more quieter. It is easy to find a quiet space.

For me, I do a lot of video calls. I do a lot of things that I record. So I need my environment to be a little bit more quieter.

In contrast to that, the Mainland is chaotic. There is a lot of people honking everywhere. There is music blasting. There are people talking loud, yelling. There are a lot of vendors. It is just very, very concentrated on the Mainland.

Although I like that. I like the vibrancy of knowing that there is a lot of action going on. But for me and my work it requires me to have a space where I can focus and concentrate and have less noise around me.

So that is one big difference.

If you are more of the type that gets bored too easily and you want a lot of action, then maybe the Mainland is where you want. But if you are more like you need a lot more serenity, more quiet space, then maybe Island is better for you. Looking for a reliable, clean, quiet short-let in Lekki Phase 1 with constant power and fast Wi-Fi? See our current rates and availability at Proof Hotels Lekki

2. Business District & Job Opportunities

Number two: the Island seems to be the business district of Lagos. There is a lot of businesses on the Mainland as well. But it seems to me that any business that I look up, any big business, anybody that I am trying to talk to or transact with, it seems like their headquarters is typically on the Island.

I also observe that there is a lot of traffic of people coming from the Mainland into the main Island part. That lets me know that a lot of jobs are here. A lot of opportunities are here.

People are literally going through the headache of the traffic — which means sometimes being stuck in traffic for one to two to three hours a day — to come to the Island to work and then go back to the Mainland.

A lot of the reasons why people are making that commute is that the opportunity and the work is here for them. But they cannot afford to live here because it is expensive.

3. Cost of Living – The Ridiculously Expensive Reality (2025 Update)

The good thing is there is a lot of opportunities, there is a lot of businesses, and also prices are a little bit higher. So I think people probably make a little bit more money doing business transactions on the Island.

Now, downside of the Island: it is ridiculously expensive. And when I say ridiculously expensive, specifically real estate.

On the Mainland, you can still find places around 1-4 million naira per year for a decent apartment (around $600-$2,500 USD depending on the area and exchange rate in November 2025).

But on the Island, even in 2025, lower-end rents in Lekki or Ikoyi start from 6-8 million naira upwards per year, and easily climb to 15-30 million+ for luxury spots. Short-term Airbnb? Still minimum 2-4 thousand dollars a month.

Most people’s income does not even come close to that here. That is why they have to live on the Mainland and come to the Island.

The people that are living here are either expats or foreigners or people that own businesses that generate enough income for them to be able to afford living here.

That is why Island has a reputation of being a place where the rich people live and a lot of celebrities live here, a lot of “big men” live here on the Island. There is also a little bit of a status that is connected with living on the Island. When you live on the Island, people naturally look at you a little bit differently. But it comes with the price.

4. Infrastructure & Access to Entertainment

The infrastructure, I think, is better. The Island is a little bit better organized. It also has easier accessibility to things like the beach, restaurants, rooftop lounges, entertainment, concerts, event centers, events. A lot of them seem to happen on the Island.

If you want to live here and you do not want to go through the traffic, then you have to pay to have access to all of that stuff.

Lagos is very interesting because you can live very, very cheap. You can also live very expensive. Lagos has the ability to be fluid so it can match whatever lifestyle you want to live. Whether you want to live a billion-dollar lifestyle with a rooftop in a great location, ocean view — you have it here. And if you also want to lower your cost of living, you can also live here. What I like about it is you can scale as high or as low as you want and there is room for you to do that.

5. Water Quality – Big Island Downside

Downside of living on the Island number one is the water quality is poor, dirty. In different places that we have lived at here, you turn on the tap water and it is brown.

You cannot brush your teeth with it. You cannot bathe with it. Certainly if you wash your clothes with it, white is going to be brown.

Some estates and apartments have a lot of extra filtration systems that they have built into the apartment. That is the only way that you can get clean water. Sometimes it is clean, sometimes it is not, but you just never know when it is going to be.

A lot of the toilets, a lot of the sinks get dirty because of the dirty brown water splashing everywhere.

That is definitely a big downside of living on the Island. The water on the Mainland is great. The water on the Mainland is pure, it is cleaner.

6. Flooding – The Reason I Only Visit in Dry Season

Another disadvantage of living on the Island, which makes me probably the most hesitant — although people like living here so much they are willing to deal with it — is a lot of places on the Island are very flood-prone.

If there is heavy rain or anything like that, it is easy to go down to a street or a neighborhood and have the water be almost close to your hip height. The water being halfway through the car.

For flooding updates → NiMet Rainfall Forecast – Nigeria Meteorological Agency (official rainy season predictions)

Although it happens and then it later fades as well. But there have been so many stories of just horrible flooding experiences on the Island (and yes, even in 2025 it is still a major issue in many areas).

I was very, very deliberate on the time that I came here because I knew I wanted to live on the Island. I wanted to come when it is not rainy season. Nigeria has dry and rainy season, and I make sure that I am only going to be here during dry season. When it is flood season, I am out.

If you are definitely gonna buy a house here or rent and you want to stay the whole year, I highly recommend that you definitely come to do your shopping during rainy season so you can see what it is like in your neighborhood.

7. Security & Safety Feelings

To me, it seems like the Island feels more secure. When I am on the Mainland, there is a lot more anxiety that I have to think about. I have to think about somebody pickpocketing me. I have to be extra cautious.

But here it feels very family-friendly, it feels more secure. I am out in public on my phone, I walk by myself. It does not seem to be a problem.

You can still live on the Mainland and be safe, but you probably need to be in an estate that has its own private security and a lot of places have their own private gateman.

8. Food – Mainland Wins Hands Down

I love food, so I am a foodie, I love to eat. It seems like the Island does not have great African food. The good thing is a lot more things are accessible here that are international on the Island.

But I want good amala or good ogbono soup or those type of things. When you eat it on the Mainland, oh, it is so much different. It tastes better, it is authentic, it is not watered down.

There is more street food access on the Mainland for sure — roasted corn on the street or bole or accessible fruits or fried yams or suya or chicken. For food, Mainland by far, way, way better.

9. Mindset, Networking & Connections

This is one thing that I did not know how to quantify, but it seems a lot of people agree with this, and this is intangible: mindset.

The people here definitely have a different mindset. People’s mindset is a little bit more elevated here than on the Mainland. People here have a little bit more vision, they think a little bit more long-term.

If you want to be around people that are very entrepreneurial, business-minded, forward thinkers, it seems like a lot of them are attracted to the Island.

One thing that I have learned living in Lagos, Nigeria is that connection and the people that you know is everything. If you want to make a lot of connections with the movers and shakers, I think the Island is better.

Final Summary – Which One Should You Choose in 2025?

Key Factors to Consider Before Deciding

All right guys, so long story short and just to kind of summarize everything I have said: where you choose to live just depends on a lot of factors.

Obviously the most important one is your cost of living.

Choose Mainland If…

If you want to save money and you still want to live comfortable and have access to the amenities and good food and all of that stuff, then Mainland is the place to go.

If you want the authentic spirit of Lagos, the real heartbeat, the best street food, and you can handle the noise and vibrancy, Mainland is perfect.

Choose Island If…

But if you have a higher level of income and you want to live a little bit more luxurious lifestyle and you want to be where things are happening, where there is a lot of business happening, where there is a lot of movers and shakers, a lot of entertainment, and your work and your business is on the Island, then I would recommend you live on the Island because the traffic of commuting is not worth your headache.

The Daily Commute Reality Most People Face

Pretty much a lot of people mainly just live on the Island and stay on the Island, or live on the Mainland and stay on the Mainland and then occasionally commute. But some people that commute from the Mainland to the Island, the biggest complaint is the amount of time they have to spend in traffic. It is a big problem in Lagos.

My Advice for Newcomers, Returnees & Expats

And if you are brand new to Lagos or maybe you are returning or you have never been to Lagos, I feel like the Island is an easy way to integrate into the Lagos, Nigeria culture.

If you want to experience true, authentic spirit of Lagos, Nigeria, the Mainland is the place to be. Mainland feels like Lagos to me. It has the spirit of Lagos. And the Island is a little bit more polished.

Try Both – You Might Be Surprised

So if you ever come here, I would definitely recommend that you experience both because you would be surprised — you might actually like the Mainland better than the Island.

Some people think the Island is too fake, it is too bougie, it is a little bit restrictive, and some people feel like the Mainland just feels more comfortable for them.

My Personal Choice Right Now

But as for us for now, we love the Island, but I am not opposed to living on the Mainland either if the cost of living is going to be a lot cheaper.

Because of my field and my business needs and everything that I do, the Island seems like a much more convenient place for me to live, and with my family and my wife, when I take that into consideration, it seems like as a family the Island matches better with our lifestyle.

Thank you so much for reading this full post. I hope that it was informative for you. I hope that it gave you lots of ideas of the things to expect and why some people live on the Island and the Mainland and what the hype is about.

If you enjoyed this post, please make sure that you share it. I am very honored that you are reading this. Thank you so much for taking the time, and I will see you guys on the next one. Peace.