How to Play Lagos Life
Last checked 5 Oct 2026Numbers change with game updates. Spot something out of date? Tell us via the About page.
The daily loop
Every system in Lagos Life hangs off one cycle. Once it clicks, the rest of this guide is just detail. Here's a normal in-game week for most players:
- 1
Work a shift
Show up and finish it. Your job is the base of every budget.
- 2
Get paid
Shift pay lands straight away. Win 4 tasks in a shift for a 15% bonus.
- 3
Top up your needs
Food, sleep, a wash, some fun and a chat. Cheap fixes beat fancy ones.
- 4
Train a skill
Skills unlock promotions, and promotions multiply your pay.
- 5
Hustle on the side
Gigs, then a business, then land. Each rung pays more than the last.
- 6
Pay rent on Saturday
Have it set aside by Friday night. Then do it all again, richer.
1. Create your Lagosian
After signing up at the official site, you design your Sim: appearance, personality and a dream to work towards. Take your time with the look, because other players will see it everywhere from the buka to the ballot. None of these choices change your starting money, though. That is decided next, and you don't get a say.
2. The birth lottery
The server randomly decides your start. Think of it as Lagos being honest about life: some people are born in Lekki, some in Mushin.
| Start | Cash | Home | Job |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nepo Baby | ₦500,000 pocket money | Lekki Phase 1 mini-flat | Branch Manager, ₦31,500 per shift (Mon–Fri) |
| LAPO Baby | ₦76,000 (Mushin) or ₦96,000 (Yaba), including a ₦60,000 loan | Mushin face-me-I-face-you or Yaba self-contain | None — apply from your phone |
| UNILAG Fresher | ₦14,000 | UNILAG hall of residence | 100-level student with a ₦3,000 weekly allowance |
Can you reroll?
No, and starting a new life doesn't change it either. The good news: LAPO Babies and UNILAG freshers learn every skill 25% faster, so the “bad” starts catch up. Full numbers and a game plan for each are in Nepo vs LAPO Baby.
3. Find a home
Where you live sets your weekly rent, and rent is the one bill that never skips a week. Your starting options:
| Home | Area | Rent a week | Who starts here |
|---|---|---|---|
| UNILAG hall of residence | Yaba | ₦1,200 | UNILAG freshers |
| Face-me-I-face-you room | Mushin | ₦2,400 | LAPO Babies (cheapest) |
| Self-contain | Yaba | ₦6,000 | LAPO Babies (more cash up front) |
| Mini-flat, Lekki Phase 1 | Lekki | ₦17,000 | Nepo Babies (Daddy pays) |
Why Mushin is the smart starter for LAPO Babies
A face-me-I-face-you room costs ₦2,400 a week against ₦6,000 for a Yaba self-contain. With the loan repayment on top, that's ₦14,400 versus ₦18,000 a week, and the difference is a whole side gig you don't have to do. Lekki is locked to LAPO Babies at first; the game literally laughs at you for trying.
Moving up
Once your income is steady, a better area is a lifestyle choice rather than a money one. Upgrade when your weekly profit covers the new rent several times over, not the first week you can technically afford it.
4. Get a job
Open your phone, pick a career and apply. You start the next day. There are 21 careers, each tied to one skill and one workplace on the map. Compare every job by pay, hours and skill.
Which job first?
Banking has the best starting pay of any job with no skill requirement. DJ works only four short night shifts a week, which leaves your days free for gigs. Six mid-level careers, including Medicine and Aviation, won't look at you until the matching skill reaches level 3.
How shifts pay
- Finish every shift. Leaving early cuts your pay.
- Win 4 tasks in a shift to earn the +15% “Employee of the shift” bonus.
- Since the 1 October update you can choose between a 9–5 and a night shift, so pick the one that fits your gigs.
Promotions
Each career has five levels, and each step up needs a higher level in its skill. Level 5 pays many times what level 1 does, so the skill is the real investment, not the job title.
5. Keep your six needs up
Your Sim has six bars that drain through the day. Let them fall and your mood and work suffer. Here's what each one wants, and the cheapest way to give it:
Hunger
Eat
A plate at Amala Shitta costs from ₦100. Cheapest proper meal in the city.
Energy
Sleep
Sleep at home. Plan it around your shifts, especially the 10-hour hospital ones, before you book a night out.
Hygiene
Wash
Wash at home. Yes, it counts, and yes, people at the club can tell.
Bladder
Toilet
The easiest bar to fix and the most embarrassing to forget.
Fun
Play
Elegushi Beach and Oga Sunday are cheap and open late.
Social
Talk
Chat with real players, or hang out at Freedom Park. Free if you just talk.
A good habit: before starting a shift, glance at all six bars and fix anything under half. It's cheaper to top up early than to rescue a bar that has hit zero. And when NEPA takes the light at home, don't panic. Plan around it.
6. Train your skills
There are nine skills, and they quietly decide everything: which jobs you can get, how fast you're promoted and how much skilled gigs pay. This table shows what each one unlocks.
| Skill | Careers that use it | Gigs that pay more with it |
|---|---|---|
| Charisma | Product Management, Content Creator, Real Estate, Law, Banking, Football, Teaching, Retail | — |
| FitnessTrain at i-Fitness in Ikoyi | Aviation, Medicine, Nursing, Fitness Coach | — |
| Hustle | Civil Service, Event Planning, Hairstyling, Trading | WhatsApp Hustle, Run an Instagram Shop, Buy & Resell Goods |
| Music | Music, DJ | Open Mic, Piano Recital |
| CodingTrain at CcHub in Yaba (some activities are free) | Tech | — |
| Comedy | Broadcasting | Comedy Night |
| Cooking | Chef | — |
| Photography | — | Paid Beach Photoshoot |
| Dance | — | Dance Battle |
Which skill to train first
Charisma feeds the most careers (8), including Banking, Law and Product Management, so it's rarely wasted. Hustle powers the no-cost WhatsApp Hustle and Instagram Shop gigs. Music is the long game: it leads to the best-paid shift in the game and, at level 5, the Piano Recital gig.
7. Pay rent on Saturday
If you can't pay
The shortfall becomes debt that follows you into next week. Outside Mushin, unpaid rent can get you evicted, which is a much bigger problem than a quiet Friday night. If you're short, do a no-skill gig on Friday rather than hoping.
8. Hustle on the side
Between shifts, do side gigs: carry loads at Balogun Market or help at the buka with no skills at all, or perform, dance and do photoshoots once you've trained. Later, buy a business that pays out every evening at 6 PM, or land that grows in value each week. The full money ladder, with payback times for every business, is in how to make money in Lagos Life.
9. Send and receive money
Open a chat with another player and tap 💸 to send naira. The sender pays a 5% fee on top, rounded to the nearest ₦50 with a ₦50 minimum, and the money lands in their wallet straight away.
| You send | Fee | Total cost |
|---|---|---|
| ₦1,000 | ₦50 | ₦1,050 |
| ₦5,000 | ₦250 | ₦5,250 |
| ₦20,000 | ₦1,000 | ₦21,000 |
| ₦100,000 | ₦5,000 | ₦105,000 |
Transfers can't be reversed, so double-check the name. Nobody in chat can “double” your money.
10. Vote, or run for governor
Every week the city elects a governor at Polling Unit 001. It's the most Lagos feature in the game, complete with campaign slogans and suspicious generosity.
Voting
Voting is free. One person, one vote: extra accounts made to vote again break the rules.
Running
It costs ₦50,000 to get on the ballot. Whoever has the most votes by Sunday 8 PM wins and holds office for a week with an allowance of ₦25,000 a day, or ₦175,000 for the term.
Policies
The governor picks a city-wide policy. Reported options include a minimum wage raise (15% more per shift for everyone) and a food subsidy (food 30% cheaper). Vote for whichever helps your week most.
11. Live a little
Friends, dating and marriage
Chat with real players, go on dates and get married. It's also the best way to keep your social bar full for free.
The daily gem hunt
A new gem is hidden every day. Solve the clue, find it, and collect the cash prize shown in the game.
Crime
Some places offer risky ⚠️ activities. Get caught and you'll be waiting it out or paying bail at Eko Police Division. It's a money drain, not a strategy.
Quick tips from players
- Apply for a job on day one; you start the next day, so every hour you wait costs a shift.
- Keep a “Saturday pile” in your head: rent plus any loan payment, untouched until it's paid.
- Eko Casino is open 24 hours because the house never gets tired of winning.
- Never buy a business with your last naira. Bad days happen, and selling only returns 60%.
- Skip anyone selling codes or naira. There are no Lagos Life codes.
Want a day-by-day version of all this for your first seven days? The beginner guide has a plan for each start.
FAQ
How do I get a job in Lagos Life?
Open your in-game phone, choose a career and tap Apply. You start the next day. Some mid-level careers need a skill level of 3 before you can apply.
When is rent due in Lagos Life?
Rent is taken every Saturday morning. If you can't pay, it becomes debt, and outside Mushin unpaid rent can get you evicted.
What happens if my needs run out?
Low needs hurt your mood and your work. Eat, sleep, wash, use the toilet, have fun and talk to people to keep all six topped up.
How do I level up skills in Lagos Life?
Train the skill through activities at the right places and through gigs that use it. Each career depends on one skill, so train the one your job needs.
Can I send money to another player?
Yes. Open a chat with them and tap the send-money button. There is a 5% fee (minimum ₦50) paid by the sender on top of the amount.
How does the governor election work?
Anyone can vote at Polling Unit 001. Running costs ₦50,000, the most votes by Sunday 8 PM wins, and the governor gets ₦25,000 a day for a week plus a city-wide policy to choose.