Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bakersfield, CA and Caracas

For one person, living is cheaper in Caracas: $1,312 a month against $3,146 in Bakersfield, CA, rent and utilities included – about $22,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Bakersfield, CA
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Bakersfield, CA Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Caracas
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Caracas Living Index

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Bakersfield, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,146

/mo nomad

Caracas

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$1,312

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bakersfield, CA and in Caracas

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bakersfield, CA and in Caracas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,146 in Bakersfield, CA versus $1,312 in Caracas.

Bakersfield, CA $3,146
Caracas $1,312

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,361 in Bakersfield, CA versus $2,236 in Caracas.

Bakersfield, CA $4,361
Caracas $2,236

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,575 in Bakersfield, CA versus $3,160 in Caracas.

Bakersfield, CA $5,575
Caracas $3,160

Living in Bakersfield, CA is roughly 140% more expensive than in Caracas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bakersfield, CA is 135% above, Caracas is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.87 $18.87

$10.63 VES 9,293

77.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.2 $64.2

$68.2 VES 59.6K

-5.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 $13.91

$10.99 VES 9,611

26.57%

Cappuccino

$6.05 $6.05

$3.73 VES 3,266

62.20%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.54 VES 1,349

73.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.28 VES 1,122

59.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.14 $6.14

$2.05 VES 1,796

199.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$2.91 VES 2,546

102.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$2.76 VES 2,413

-60.87%

White Bread (500g)

$4.16 $4.16

$2.32 VES 2,030

79.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$1.89 VES 1,655

180.42%

Eggs

$3.42 $3.42

$4.82 VES 4,219

-29.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.83 $12.83

$10.18 VES 8,900

26.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.26 $13.26

$9.44 VES 8,260

40.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.95 $15.95

$11.51 VES 10.1K

38.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 $4.14

$7.23 VES 6,322

-42.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.96 VES 1,713

5.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$2.13 VES 1,864

85.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.82 $3.82

$2.37 VES 2,070

61.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.24 VES 1,956

-2.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.24 VES 1,957

7.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.61 VES 1,411

32.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.41 VES 2,104

-2.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.95 $9.95

$4.57 VES 3,994

117.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.72 $17.72

$12.02 VES 10.5K

47.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.37 VES 1,196

38.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 $4.76

$2.17 VES 1,896

119.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.75 $1.75

$0.51 VES 449

243.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.5 $57.5

$29.63 VES 25.9K

93.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 $3.01

$4.88 VES 4,271

-38.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.68 VES 2,346

-22.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.17 VES 13.3K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$0.86 VES 754

75.58%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$37.4K $37.4K

$25.1K VES 22.0M

48.62%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.3K $26.3K

$38.6K VES 33.8M

-31.88%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$400 $400

$22.07 VES 19.3K

1714.09%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$60.0 $60.0

$11.81 VES 10.3K

407.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.3 $74.3

$38.64 VES 33.8K

92.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.76 $38.76

$66.8 VES 58.5K

-42.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.77 $24.77

$17.23 VES 15.1K

43.76%

Cinema Ticket

$15.05 $15.05

$6.48 VES 5,666

132.25%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,482 $1,482

$159 VES 139.5K

829.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,138 VES 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.5 $61.5

$77.8 VES 68.0K

-20.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.13 $48.13

$50.6 VES 44.2K

-4.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 $99.7

$136 VES 119.2K

-26.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$136 VES 119.2K

-9.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,694 $1,694

$619 VES 541.0K

173.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 $1,567

$418 VES 365.3K

275.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,401 $2,401

$1,106 VES 966.9K

117.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,511 $2,511

$887 VES 775.5K

183.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,496 $2,496

$1,458 VES 1.3M

71.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,464 $2,464

$690 VES 603.7K

257.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,646 $3,646

$304 VES 265.6K

1100.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

-70.77%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Bakersfield, CA: October 6, 2026

Last update for Caracas: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bakersfield, CA

$1.6K 50%

Caracas

$418 31.4% 73.4% $1.1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bakersfield, CA

$535 17.1%

Caracas

$73 5.5% 86.4% $462

Groceries & Markets

Bakersfield, CA

$411 13.1%

Caracas

$340 25.6% 17.3% $71

Eating Out

Bakersfield, CA

$327 10.4%

Caracas

$190 14.3% 41.8% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Bakersfield, CA

$150 4.8%

Caracas

$180 13.6% 20.6% $31

Getting Around

Bakersfield, CA

$78 2.5%

Caracas

$50 3.8% 35.8% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Bakersfield, CA

$69 2.2%

Caracas

$80 6% 15.9% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,694 in Bakersfield, CA and $619 in Caracas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bakersfield, CA pays 1100% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $64.0 in Bakersfield, CA vs $68.0 in Caracas. Groceries flip the comparison at $411 vs $340, with Caracas cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bakersfield, CA

🇻🇪 Caracas

🕒 Local time

23:33 11:33 PM

02:33 2:33 AM

3 h ahead of Bakersfield, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

373,640

3,274,000 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 VES = 1.14 USD

1,000 VES = 1.02 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VES, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇻🇪 Venezuelan Bolívar (Bs.S)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 875 VES (1,000 VES = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 981 VES (1,000 VES = 1.02 EUR).

VES to USD in detail →

On the map

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Bakersfield, CA Caracas 5,920 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Bakersfield, CA
Caracas

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Bakersfield, CA vs Caracas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Caracas is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 140% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1100% higher in Bakersfield, CA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,694 in Bakersfield, CA versus $619 in Caracas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Caracas – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $64.0 in Bakersfield, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,146 per month in Bakersfield, CA versus $1,312 in Caracas – a 140% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,312 in Caracas versus $3,146 in Bakersfield, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Caracas but tight or insufficient in Bakersfield, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Caracas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Caracas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 140% less than in Bakersfield, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.