How I Went From ₦150K in 2019 to ₦500K Today—and Still Feel Poor

Before you dismiss this as complaining, hear me out. Numbers don’t lie. In 2019, I earned ₦150,000 a month and comfortably covered food, rent and still saved ₦60,000. Today I make ₦500,000, yet my real savings have halved. Back in 2019, $1 was about ₦360. Now it’s over ₦1,500. That means my ₦500,000 salary today equals just $333—below the $416 my ₦150,000 was worth. A 50kg bag of rice shot up from ₦18,000 to ₦85,000, rent from ₦350,000 to ₦1.2 million a year, and generator fuel, transport and other essentials have similarly soared. My monthly expenses now top ₦375,000. This silent erosion of our purchasing power has turned paydays into stress. I see ₦500,000 land and immediately start calculating what will run out first. Are you earning more but living less? What were you paid in 2019 and what’s your salary now? Drop your numbers below and let’s see how we really fared.

Use The App To Win ₦1m

Stories are shared by community members. This article does not represent the official view of NaijaWorld — the author is solely responsible for its content.