Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Maracaibo Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Maracaibo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $745 in Maracaibo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,249 in Maracaibo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,753 in Maracaibo.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 211% more expensive than in Maracaibo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Maracaibo is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$10.59 VES 7,784

66.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$40.33 VES 29.6K

72.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$8.79 VES 6,458

61.09%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.75 VES 2,025

1.82%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.15 VES 844

144.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.30 VES 956

58.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$2.20 VES 1,614

109.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$3.03 VES 2,228

54.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.72 VES 1,266

-28.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.01 VES 1,476

1.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.11 VES 817

78.38%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$3.04 VES 2,236

14.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$5.90 VES 4,335

210.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$5.27 VES 3,874

86.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$6.34 VES 4,657

201.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$4.31 VES 3,166

-36.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.37 VES 1,007

73.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.68 VES 1,238

23.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.48 VES 1,084

85.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.17 VES 861

67.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.69 VES 1,241

5.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.99 VES 726

49.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.63 VES 1,202

-44.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$3.44 VES 2,529

107.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$9.27 VES 6,814

-14.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.07 VES 783

28.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.65 VES 1,946

-9.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.49 VES 358

514.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$42.21 VES 31.0K

-30.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$3.90 VES 2,866

11.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.96 VES 1,443

8.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$17.73 VES 13.0K

66.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$0.52 VES 380

250.00%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$22.8K VES 16.8M

66.03%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$31.2K VES 22.9M

3.74%

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

$189 €166

$16.36 VES 12.0K

1055.44%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$8.61 VES 6,328

158.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$25.41 VES 18.7K

46.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$34.13 VES 25.1K

70.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$23.62 VES 17.4K

-12.53%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$4.97 VES 3,650

118.71%

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

$706 €618

$111 VES 81.7K

535.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$14.3K VES 10.5M

3.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$41.23 VES 30.3K

116.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$41.87 VES 30.8K

-12.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$58.7 VES 43.1K

77.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$59.6 VES 43.8K

100.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$181 VES 132.7K

774.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$102 VES 75.1K

1111.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$327 VES 240.4K

729.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$213 VES 156.3K

859.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$763 VES 561.2K

885.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$497 VES 365.6K

953.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$198 VES 145.8K

1091.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

26.6

-87.26%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Maracaibo: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $181 in Maracaibo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1092% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $40.00 in Maracaibo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $220 per month, with Maracaibo cheaper across the board.

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 Maracaibo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Maracaibo differ by about 211% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $745 including rent). Maracaibo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1092% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $181 in Maracaibo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $111 in Maracaibo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $745 in Maracaibo versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Maracaibo but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Maracaibo 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.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Maracaibo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Maracaibo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 211% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.