A household cook prepares daily meals — breakfast, lunch, and dinner — using Nigerian and sometimes continental recipes. In Lagos, a good cook saves significant money vs eating out (₦2,000-₦5,000 per restaurant meal vs ₦500-₦1,000 per home-cooked meal per person) and ensures healthier eating. Professional chefs with hotel experience command Island premiums of ₦100K-₦150K.
📋 Duties & responsibilities
•Preparing breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily
•Menu planning and grocery shopping (market runs)
•Kitchen organization and food storage
•Maintaining kitchen hygiene standards
•Catering for guests and small parties
•Adapting to family dietary preferences/restrictions
•Managing food budget and reporting expenses
🎓 Qualifications
•Cooking experience — 2+ years preferred
•Knowledge of Nigerian cuisine (essential)
•Continental cooking skills (bonus for Island families)
•Hygiene consciousness
•Market navigation skills — knowing where to buy quality ingredients cheaply
•Budget management — tracking food expenses
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Lagos.Cool Editorial
4 June 2026 · 2 min read
Lagos.Cool Editorial
A household cook costs ₦40,000-₦150,000/month but saves ₦80,000-₦200,000/month in eating-out expenses. The math: a family of 4 eating lunch and dinner at Mama Put costs ₦3,000-₦4,000/day (₦90,000-₦120,000/month). A cook at ₦60,000 + ₦80,000 food budget = ₦140,000/month for all meals — the same or less, and healthier. The hidden cost is the food budget itself: Lagos families typically spend ₦60,000-₦120,000/month on raw ingredients (from the Lagos.cool cooking calculator data). The cook manages this budget and does the market runs. A common Lagos practice: give the cook a weekly market allowance (₦15,000-₦30,000) and review the market book for accountability.
⏰ A day in the life
7:00 AM: Breakfast prep — eggs, toast, plantain, tea. 9:00 AM: Market run (3 days/week) or kitchen prep on non-market days. 11:00 AM-1:00 PM: Lunch prep — soups, stews, rice or swallow. 2:00-4:00 PM: Kitchen cleanup, food storage, dishwashing. 5:00-7:00 PM: Dinner prep, family service. 7:30 PM: Final cleanup.
🤔 Should you hire one?
✓ Hire if:
✓Family of 3+ eating most meals at home
✓Weekly food spend already exceeds ₦40,000 on takeout
✗Budget under ₦60,000/month for food + cook combined
✗You enjoy cooking and have time for it
✗Most meals are simple (Indomie, sandwiches, etc.)
💡 Hiring tips
1Do a cooking test: ask the candidate to prepare 3 dishes (a soup, a rice dish, a protein) during the trial
2Test their market knowledge: give them ₦10,000 and ask them to buy ingredients for a specific meal — see what they bring back and at what prices
3A cook who does market runs should provide receipts or a market book
4Agree on a weekly food budget and review it monthly
5If combined with househelp duties, increase salary by 30-50%
🚩 Red flags to watch for
✗Inflated market prices (the cook keeping the difference — very common)
✗Wasteful cooking portions (cooking too much, taking leftovers home)
✗Poor hygiene practices in the kitchen
✗Inability to cook more than 3-4 dishes
✗Resistance to trying new recipes
✓ Pros
✓Saves money vs eating out — ₦80K-₦200K/month savings
✓Healthier meals — you control ingredients and portions
✓Reduces daily decision fatigue about food
✓Handles market runs and food budget management
✓Essential for families with specific dietary needs
✗ Cons
✗Food budget is a hidden cost (₦60K-₦120K/month on top of salary)
✗Market inflation risk — cook may overstate prices
✗Limited menu variety if cook has narrow skill set
✗Food waste management
✗Combined cook/househelp roles lead to burnout
🔍 Where to find
Personal referrals — best for trustworthy cooksCatering companies (for experienced chefs transitioning to private)Facebook groups: Lagos Cook Jobs, Private Chef LagosAgencies: Eden Life, Staffing Solutions
FAQ
A Cook / Chef in Lagos earns ₦40,000–₦80,000/month on the mainland and ₦60,000–₦150,000/month on the Island.