Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Maracay Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Maracay

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $736 in Maracay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $1,252 in Maracay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,768 in Maracay.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 237% more expensive than in Maracay, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Maracay is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$4.91 VES 4,081

275.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$32.80 VES 27.2K

111.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$7.86 VES 6,531

78.75%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$1.70 VES 1,411

82.94%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$1.23 VES 1,018

140.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$1.16 VES 963

68.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$1.22 VES 1,011

227.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$3.08 VES 2,562

50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$2.65 VES 2,203

-50.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.20 VES 1,830

-4.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.99 VES 820

84.85%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$2.74 VES 2,273

88.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$6.73 VES 5,589

160.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$5.76 VES 4,782

64.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$8.48 VES 7,040

135.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$4.25 VES 3,527

-25.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.96 VES 1,624

12.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$2.11 VES 1,755

23.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$2.25 VES 1,866

26.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$2.30 VES 1,908

-5.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$2.21 VES 1,837

-4.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.58 VES 1,315

2.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$2.29 VES 1,899

-61.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$2.54 VES 2,109

182.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$10.04 VES 8,333

-17.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.16 VES 967

29.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$1.78 VES 1,477

54.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$0.48 VES 402

554.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$20.37 VES 16.9K

28.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$2.98 VES 2,478

8.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$2.68 VES 2,224

-43.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$10.11 VES 8,400

248.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.61 VES 507

186.89%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$25.5K VES 21.2M

43.85%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$38.5K VES 32.0M

-17.75%

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

$187 €161

$12.66 VES 10.5K

1378.04%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$10.83 VES 8,993

39.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$36.45 VES 30.3K

3.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$29.99 VES 24.9K

85.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$14.81 VES 12.3K

13.03%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$4.05 VES 3,361

189.14%

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

$1,011 €871

$74.6 VES 61.9K

1255.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$6,048 VES 5.0M

182.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$52.4 VES 43.5K

74.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$36.58 VES 30.4K

12.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$82.0 VES 68.1K

34.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$94.0 VES 78.0K

34.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$225 VES 186.5K

658.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$108 VES 90.0K

1098.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$555 VES 461.2K

365.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$270 VES 224.3K

614.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$454 VES 376.7K

1604.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$200 VES 166.3K

2588.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$209 VES 173.4K

1036.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

21.5

-85.30%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Maracay: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $225 in Maracay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1037% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $33.00 in Maracay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $265 per month, with Maracay 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 Maracay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Maracay differ by about 237% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $736 including rent). Maracay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1037% 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $225 in Maracay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $74.6 in Maracay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $736 in Maracay versus $2,482 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Maracay but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Maracay 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 Maracay 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 Maracay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 237% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.