Living in Kano, Nigeria
Kano is a major inland city in Nigeria (over 5 million people in the city proper). It has a warm climate, averaging 26°C over the year with about 764 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €2,076 a month to live centrally, and Nigeria sits in our low to medium tax tier. For foreigners, long-term residency in Nigeria is possible, with conditions.
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- Est. cost
- €2,076
- a month for a couple
- Tax tier
- Low to medium
- personal income tax
- Climate
- 26°C
- 764 mm rain a year
- Size
- Major
- over 5 million people
- Safety
- 38/100
- country-level
- Internet
- ~20 Mbps
- median fixed broadband
- Residency
- Possible, with conditions
- for most foreigners
Travel advisory. As of 13 October 2026, the US State Department advises against travel to Kano State, the region Kano is in. Our quiz and best-cities lists leave Kano out, and the safety figures below are country averages that do not reflect the advisory. Read the current advisory on travel.state.gov and your own government's travel advice.
What stands out about Kano
- More affordable than 86% of the cities we compare
Healthcare
Nigeria scores 40 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 1% of the cities we compare.
Source: Our own country-level healthcare estimate (0 to 100), shared by every city in Nigeria.
Safety and stability
Nigeria scores 38 out of 100 on safety, safer than 3% of the cities we compare. Its EIU Democracy Index score is 4.2 out of 10.
Source: Our own country-level safety estimate (0 to 100, higher is safer), shared by every city in Nigeria. Stability: EIU Democracy Index.
Internet and remote work
Median fixed broadband in Nigeria runs at about 20 Mbps, faster than 5% of the cities we compare.
Source: Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median fixed broadband download speed, country-level.
Cost of living
We estimate a couple needs about €2,076 a month to live centrally in Kano, 24% below the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 86% of them.
Source: OurNextCity model: a country-level cost index (New York = 100) scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget.
Climate
Kano averages 26°C across the year with about 764 mm of rain, which makes it warm and moderately wet. It is warmer than 78% of the 1225 cities we track.
Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.
Residency and visas
Possible, with conditions. Long-term residence runs mainly through employer-sponsored CERPAC permits under the expatriate quota system, with self-funded permanent-residence routes for investors and for retirees arriving from abroad.
The cheapest self-funded routes we track for Nigeria:
- Investment: about $250k (Nigeria N3A Small Scale Enterprise Investor Visa, US$250,000-500,000 imported and retained as investor's capital; as of June 2026)
For short visits, 17 of 198 passports can enter visa-free and 181 can get an e-visa or visa on arrival.
Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules, figures as of June 2026. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).
Language and culture
Main languages: English. English proficiency: limited. Social openness scores 40 out of 100.
Source: EF English Proficiency Index (country-level); social openness is our secularism and tolerance composite.
Taxes
Nigeria sits in our low to medium tax tier: moderate personal income tax. We use three tiers (zero or very low, low to medium, high) and apply them to every city in the country.
Taxes are a dealbreaker filter in OurNextCity: a couple who caps tax at zero or very low will not see Kano in their results.
Source: OurNextCity tax tiers, assigned by hand from each country's top marginal personal income tax rate and overall tax reputation, with no fixed rate cut-offs. Country-level and coarse by design; not tax advice.
Questions couples ask about Kano
Is Kano a good place to live for couples?
It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, Kano scores well on affordability. It is weaker on safety, healthcare, internet speed and social openness. Expect a warm, moderately wet climate (26°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks 915 cities for both of you at once.
How much does it cost a couple to live in Kano?
We estimate about €2,076 a month for a couple living centrally, 24% below the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from a country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.
What are taxes like in Kano?
Nigeria is in our low to medium tax tier (moderate personal income tax). Tiers are country-level and deliberately coarse: zero or very low, low to medium, and high. Couples who make zero or very low tax a must-have will not see Kano in their results.
Can foreigners live in Nigeria long term?
Our assessment: possible, with conditions. Long-term residence runs mainly through employer-sponsored CERPAC permits under the expatriate quota system, with self-funded permanent-residence routes for investors and for retirees arriving from abroad. The cheapest self-funded routes we track: investment, about $250k (as of 2026-06).
What is the weather like in Kano?
Kano averages 26°C across the year with about 764 mm of rain, which makes it warm and moderately wet. It is warmer than 78% of the cities we track.
Cities like Kano
Closest matches in other countries across climate, size, coast, cost, safety, healthcare, internet, language and politics.
Near Kano
Moving to Nigeria as a couple
Entry, residency, taxes and costs for a couple who both hold one of these passports.