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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $653 in Maracay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,148 in Maracay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,643 in Maracay.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 262% more expensive than Maracay, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Maracay is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$11.76 VES 6,554

49.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$56.0 VES 31.2K

22.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$7.21 VES 4,018

95.01%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.35 VES 754

105.93%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.22 VES 682

129.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.97 VES 539

112.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.47 VES 821

203.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$1.95 VES 1,084

136.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.80 VES 1,000

-31.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$2.67 VES 1,485

-23.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.03 VES 573

86.41%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.19 VES 1,222

51.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$6.67 VES 3,717

176.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$5.63 VES 3,140

68.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$7.33 VES 4,086

161.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$4.02 VES 2,241

-34.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.87 VES 1,045

31.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.26 VES 1,262

-6.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.06 VES 1,149

38.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.62 VES 1,457

-22.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.05 VES 1,144

-9.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.36 VES 755

8.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.87 VES 1,043

-55.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$2.44 VES 1,361

192.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$10.13 VES 5,648

-22.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.12 VES 625

23.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.78 VES 993

29.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.29 VES 160

927.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$2.95 VES 1,642

55.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$2.74 VES 1,528

-24.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$9.90 VES 5,517

194.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.49 VES 273

275.51%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$24.6K VES 13.7M

58.76%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$40.2K VES 22.4M

-18.61%

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

$188 €162

$10.09 VES 5,621

1761.45%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$12.84 VES 7,156

78.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$39.35 VES 21.9K

-6.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$52.5 VES 29.3K

9.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$3.57 VES 1,988

213.45%

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

$721 €620

$130 VES 72.4K

454.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$5,571 VES 3.1M

170.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$24.75 VES 13.8K

248.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$30.04 VES 16.7K

23.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$79.1 VES 44.1K

28.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$99.8 VES 55.6K

16.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$455 VES 253.8K

1485.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$199 VES 110.7K

2510.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$179 VES 99.6K

1220.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

21.33

-84.11%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Maracay: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Barcelona pays 1220% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $56.0 in Maracay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $248 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 262% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $653 including rent). Maracay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 1220% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $130 in Maracay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Maracay – a meal for two runs $56.0 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $653 in Maracay versus $2,367 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 262% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.