Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Caracas

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelona: $783 a month against $1,338 in Caracas, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Caracas
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Caracas Living Index

Jump to prices

Barcelona

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$783

/mo nomad

Caracas

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$1,338

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona 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 Barcelona and in Caracas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $783 in Barcelona versus $1,338 in Caracas.

Barcelona $783
Caracas $1,338

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,289 in Barcelona versus $2,235 in Caracas.

Barcelona $1,289
Caracas $2,235

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,795 in Barcelona versus $3,133 in Caracas.

Barcelona $1,795
Caracas $3,133

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 41% less than in Caracas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Barcelona 42% lower, Caracas 1% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.58 VES 8,411

$10.98 VES 9,642

-12.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.09 VES 27.3K

$67.1 VES 58.9K

-53.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.88 VES 8,673

$11.16 VES 9,796

-11.47%

Cappuccino

$2.30 VES 2,021

$3.55 VES 3,114

-35.21%

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

$1.02 VES 899

$1.52 VES 1,332

-32.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 VES 609

$1.30 VES 1,144

-46.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 VES 904

$2.06 VES 1,805

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 VES 1,707

$3.05 VES 2,680

-36.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 VES 1,745

$2.64 VES 2,313

-24.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 VES 1,771

$2.31 VES 2,032

-12.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 VES 1,519

$1.85 VES 1,624

-6.49%

Eggs

$3.93 VES 3,453

$4.64 VES 4,076

-15.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.47 VES 4,805

$10.35 VES 9,083

-47.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.81 VES 5,979

$9.20 VES 8,074

-25.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.30 VES 6,407

$11.64 VES 10.2K

-37.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.54 VES 3,105

$7.43 VES 6,525

-52.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 VES 1,563

$2.04 VES 1,794

-12.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 VES 1,431

$2.20 VES 1,931

-25.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 VES 1,874

$2.38 VES 2,087

-10.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 VES 1,281

$2.24 VES 1,965

-34.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 VES 1,286

$2.23 VES 1,958

-34.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 VES 1,551

$1.62 VES 1,424

9.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 VES 1,706

$2.41 VES 2,119

-19.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.31 VES 2,909

$4.71 VES 4,132

-29.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.12 VES 9,765

$11.84 VES 10.4K

-6.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 VES 631

$1.42 VES 1,246

-49.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 VES 1,716

$2.09 VES 1,839

-6.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 VES 168

$0.51 VES 448

-62.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.43 VES 10.9K

$30.43 VES 26.7K

-59.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.48 VES 6,568

$5.08 VES 4,459

47.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 VES 976

$2.83 VES 2,483

-60.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.90 VES 13.1K

$14.80 VES 13.0K

0.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.52 VES 456

$0.88 VES 772

-40.91%

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

$22.8K VES 20.0M

$24.7K VES 21.7M

-7.84%

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

$40.7K VES 35.7M

$39.7K VES 34.8M

2.52%

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

$49.54 VES 43.5K

$21.94 VES 19.3K

125.80%

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

$15.28 VES 13.4K

$11.99 VES 10.5K

27.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.46 VES 35.5K

$37.39 VES 32.8K

8.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.32 VES 26.6K

$65.9 VES 57.8K

-53.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.17 VES 13.3K

$17.83 VES 15.7K

-14.92%

Cinema Ticket

$3.94 VES 3,456

$6.53 VES 5,735

-39.66%

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

$64.1 VES 56.3K

$158 VES 138.4K

-59.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,066 VES 5.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 VES 52.3K

$81.6 VES 71.6K

-26.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.53 VES 37.3K

$51.2 VES 45.0K

-17.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.0 VES 56.2K

$136 VES 119.2K

-52.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.2 VES 51.9K

$131 VES 115.2K

-54.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$199 VES 174.5K

$604 VES 529.9K

-67.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$114 VES 100.0K

$425 VES 373.1K

-73.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$369 VES 324.2K

$1,103 VES 968.0K

-66.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$277 VES 242.9K

$861 VES 755.7K

-67.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$421 VES 369.4K

$1,464 VES 1.3M

-71.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$237 VES 208.5K

$683 VES 599.8K

-65.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$268 VES 235.1K

$303 VES 266.1K

-11.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

23.12

5.09%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 18, 2026

Last update for Caracas: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$248 31.7%

Caracas

$339 25.4% 36.7% $91

Eating Out

Barcelona

$150 19.1%

Caracas

$192 14.3% 27.9% $42

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$114 14.6%

Caracas

$425 31.8% 273% $311

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$105 13.5%

Caracas

$71 5.3% 32.3% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$101 13%

Caracas

$180 13.5% 77.5% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$38 4.9%

Caracas

$79 5.9% 107% $41

Getting Around

Barcelona

$26 3.4%

Caracas

$52 3.9% 97% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $199 in Barcelona and $604 in Caracas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Caracas pays 13% 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: $31.00 in Barcelona vs $67.0 in Caracas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $248 vs $339 per month, with Barcelona cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇪 Barcelona

🇻🇪 Caracas

🕒 Local time

04:29 4:29 AM

Same time as Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

560,122

3,274,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 VES = 1.14 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR

1,000 VES = 1.14 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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

Barcelona vs Caracas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona wins on cost – living expenses run 71% lower than in Caracas. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Barcelona the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 13% lower in Caracas. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $199 in Barcelona versus $604 in Caracas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Barcelona – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $67.0 in Caracas. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $783 per month in Barcelona versus $1,338 in Caracas – a 71% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $783 in Barcelona versus $1,338 in Caracas, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Caracas. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona 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 Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Caracas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.