Ibadan vs Kano
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Ibadan edges it, 35 to 34, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Ibadan is stronger on air quality; Kano on climate. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Nigeria's sprawling university city, cheaper and slower than Lagos, with a train between the two
Full Ibadan profile →Plan a trip to Ibadan →Ancient Hausa trading city, conservative and hot
Full Kano profile →Plan a trip to Kano →Where they differ
- Air quality. Ibadan leads on air quality, 24 to 0, against Kano. PM2.5: 39.3 µg/m³ vs 62.8 µg/m³.
- Climate. Kano leads on climate, 58 to 42, against Ibadan. Comfortable months: 5 vs 7.
- Getting there & around. Ibadan leads on getting there & around, 12 to 7, against Kano. Non-stop airport destinations: 50 vs 12.
Where they are close. Within five points on cost of living, safety, healthcare, visa ease, quality of life.
Pick Ibadan if you want
- cleaner air
Pick Kano if you want
- faster internet (9.3 Mbps measured)
- a longer comfortable season (7 months against 5)
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Ibadan | Kano |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 72 | 72 |
| Safety | 20 | 20 |
| Healthcare | 39 | 39 |
| Internet | 37 | 42 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 32 | 32 |
| Getting there & around | 12 ✓ | 7 |
| Climate | 42 | 58 ✓ |
| Air quality | 24 ✓ | 0 |
| Quality of life | 40 | 40 |
Cost
| Metric | Ibadan | Kano |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $1,050 | $1,050 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Ibadan | Kano |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 15.75 | 15.75 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 35.1 | 35.1 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 47 | 47 |
| Life expectancy | 62.9 yrs | 62.9 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Ibadan | Kano |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 6.7 Mbps | 9.3 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 2.5 Mbps | 2.5 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Ibadan | Kano |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | e-visa required | e-visa required |
| Entry, EU passport | e-visa required | e-visa required |
| Entry, UK passport | e-visa required | e-visa required |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Ibadan | Kano |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 50 ✓ | 12 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Ibadan | Kano |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 5 | 7 ✓ |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 39.3 µg/m³ ✓ | 62.8 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Ibadan or Kano?
- Ibadan and Kano cost about the same: roughly $1,050 per month for one person.
- Is Ibadan or Kano safer?
- Ibadan and Kano score the same on safety (20), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Ibadan or Kano?
- Kano: a measured median of 9.3 Mbps versus 6.7 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.11.2. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.