As an expat be prepared to hear “this is normal in Georgia” every time something goes wrong. No one is in a hurry to fix anything - from broken lift in the building (I even got stuck once on a Sunday night and was told “maybe someone will come tomorrow to free you”! - had to break out myself) to your wifi (stopped working for almost 2 weeks, not until we threatened to change companies that they decided to send a technician). We didn’t find it very friendly. People don’t smile, staff in stores are surly and unhelpful. The taxi drivers are the worst in the world (including Uber). Utter maniacs. The cost of living has risen steeply because of inflation. People also constantly thought we were Russian and we got yelled at several times by locals who don’t want Russians around (for obvious reasons). Overall, it’s not the most pleasant place to be an expat. However, the food is delicious (if heavy), the scenery is gorgeous. The mobile data is cheap, but groceries ans eating out is more expensive than we expected. I’d recommend it for a month or two, but no more.
Pros and Cons of Living in Lagos, Nigeria
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Pros of Living in Lagos
Affordable to live Warm now Warm all year round Good air quality on average Easy to make friends People can speak basic English Not many people smoke tobacco
Cons of Living in Lagos
Freedom of speech is weak Not very democratic Not very safe Very slow internet Not much to do Very sweaty and humid now Feels crowded Difficult to do business Quality of education is low Roads are very dangerous Not safe for women Not family friendly Hostile towards LGBTQ+ -
Super expensive in summer and a lot of drunk british tourists in winter affordable but very humid, very cold in apartments, restaurants, etc, most of the places closed.
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Nice but also not nice. British normie tourist place with a few hipster/surfer cafes like Abigail's Coffee & Waves and Black and White. There's not much else to do here and the town lacks class and nice hotels. I'd skip this and go to Ericeira instead.
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very beautiful in summer but in winter it is a ghost town, apart from the fact that there are many gypsies who are aggressive. if it is to visit, it is OK. If it is for living I would consider Praia da Rocha or Alvor.
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Loved it outside of the season plenty to do if you are into outdoor stuff, great vibe, growing, active nomad community, Loads of restaurants, great coffee places. Perfect if you are done with big cities.
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Super expensive and nothing to do in winter (a ghost town); I prefer Albuferia or Praia da Rocha (Portimao)
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A lot of Digital Nomads coming back to Lagos now in the side-season. Nice vibe around here a lot of sunshine, the beaches not packed anymore with tourists. Just a great place to be in this time of the year. A nice coliving & coworking place also exists here. Highly recommend!
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Pros - Great digital nomad community - Lots of sport and social meetups - Great laptop-friendly coffeeshops - Beautiful outdoors beaches, activities etc Cons - Difficult and expensive with accommodation during summer season - Cars allowed to drive on small walking streets in city center (like all over PT) On the surface Lagos seems like a sleepy place with not much going on, but as soon as you find the meetups, coffeeshops and various nomad activities such as beach volleyball on praia da luz (there is a whatsapp group for everything) you realise this place has a lot to offer beside beautiful nature. Lagos is getting more and more interesting as a DN-hub and also a place to reside long term as an expat. A growing number of expats are making Lagos their permanent residence, building a vibrant community. A great alternative to Lisbon IMO, close to other nice spots in Algarve + Spain.
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