Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berkeley, CA and Caracas

For one person, living is cheaper in Caracas: $1,338 a month against $3,878 in Berkeley, CA, rent and utilities included – about $30,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

188

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

Cost of Living Index in Caracas
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Caracas Living Index

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Berkeley, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,878

/mo nomad

Caracas

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$1,338

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,878 per month in Berkeley, CA vs $1,338 in Caracas, rent included.

Berkeley, CA $3,878
Caracas $1,338

A couple spends around $5,546 per month in Berkeley, CA vs $2,238 in Caracas, rent included.

Berkeley, CA $5,546
Caracas $2,238

A family of three spends $7,215 per month in Berkeley, CA vs $3,138 in Caracas, rent included.

Berkeley, CA $7,215
Caracas $3,138

Berkeley, CA costs about 190% more than Caracas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Berkeley, CA sits 187% above the global median, while Caracas is 1% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.39 $22.39

$10.82 VES 9,501

106.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.3 $80.3

$67.1 VES 58.9K

19.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.52 $10.52

$10.83 VES 9,507

-2.86%

Cappuccino

$6.07 $6.07

$3.71 VES 3,258

63.61%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$1.57 VES 1,380

107.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.31 VES 1,148

135.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.90 $5.90

$1.97 VES 1,730

199.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.65 $7.65

$3.06 VES 2,690

150.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.69 VES 2,364

-25.65%

White Bread (500g)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.24 VES 1,967

102.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.74 $5.74

$1.90 VES 1,668

202.11%

Eggs

$6.07 $6.07

$4.76 VES 4,181

27.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.78 $26.78

$10.24 VES 8,987

161.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.58 $16.58

$9.35 VES 8,207

77.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.69 $21.69

$11.49 VES 10.1K

88.77%

Apples (1kg)

$7.14 $7.14

$7.28 VES 6,388

-1.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.06 VES 1,805

24.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.21 $6.21

$2.16 VES 1,893

187.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$10.45 $10.45

$2.27 VES 1,996

360.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.27 VES 1,990

57.71%

Onion (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$2.16 VES 1,901

124.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.64 VES 1,438

54.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.36 VES 2,072

30.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.57 $11.57

$4.68 VES 4,110

147.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.82 $12.82

$11.92 VES 10.5K

7.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.43 VES 1,252

44.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.05 VES 1,799

35.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.52 VES 459

375.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.1 $93.1

$30.37 VES 26.7K

206.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 $3.41

$4.92 VES 4,317

-30.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$2.81 VES 2,464

-32.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.52 $39.52

$14.91 VES 13.1K

165.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 $1.47

$0.88 VES 769

67.05%

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

$37.7K $37.7K

$24.8K VES 21.8M

51.73%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$38.1K VES 33.5M

-31.66%

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

$180 $180

$21.49 VES 18.9K

738.67%

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

$61.7 $61.7

$11.73 VES 10.3K

425.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.7 $76.7

$38.50 VES 33.8K

99.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.54 $49.54

$65.8 VES 57.8K

-24.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.94 $7.94

$17.81 VES 15.6K

-55.42%

Cinema Ticket

$15.27 $15.27

$6.35 VES 5,573

140.47%

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

$2,565 $2,565

$157 VES 138.0K

1531.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.2K $35.2K

$6,098 VES 5.4M

477.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.2 $71.2

$81.0 VES 71.1K

-12.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.5 $70.5

$50.1 VES 44.0K

40.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 $96.2

$133 VES 117.0K

-27.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$235 $235

$134 VES 117.7K

75.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,594 $2,594

$608 VES 534.1K

326.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,219 $2,219

$428 VES 375.9K

418.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,778 $4,778

$1,113 VES 977.4K

329.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,487 $3,487

$872 VES 765.6K

299.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,047 $8,047

$1,462 VES 1.3M

450.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,245 $7,245

$670 VES 587.9K

981.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,775 $6,775

$303 VES 265.6K

2139.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

-69.91%

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

Last update for Berkeley, CA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Caracas: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berkeley, CA

$2.2K 57.2%

Caracas

$428 32% 80.7% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Berkeley, CA

$578 14.9%

Caracas

$338 25.2% 41.6% $241

Eating Out

Berkeley, CA

$354 9.1%

Caracas

$191 14.3% 46% $163

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berkeley, CA

$319 8.2%

Caracas

$72 5.4% 77.5% $247

Clothing & Footwear

Berkeley, CA

$213 5.5%

Caracas

$179 13.4% 15.7% $33

Getting Around

Berkeley, CA

$116 3%

Caracas

$51 3.8% 55.6% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Berkeley, CA

$80 2.1%

Caracas

$79 5.9% 2% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,594 in Berkeley, CA versus $608 in Caracas. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 2140% higher in Berkeley, CA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Berkeley, CA versus $67.0 in Caracas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $578 vs $338 – making Caracas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Berkeley, CA

🇻🇪 Caracas

🕒 Local time

11:39 11:39 AM

14:39 2:39 PM

3 h ahead of Berkeley, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

121,363

3,274,000 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

1,000 VES = 1.14 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 878 VES (1,000 VES = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 987 VES (1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR).

VES to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Berkeley, CA Caracas 6,270 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Berkeley, 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

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

Yes – Berkeley, CA is pricier by about 190%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,817 per month in Berkeley, CA and $2,007 in Caracas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Caracas, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 207% less in Caracas. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,565 per month in Berkeley, CA and $157 in Caracas. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Caracas, where all-in costs run around $1,338, than in Berkeley, CA at $3,878. In Caracas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berkeley, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Caracas – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Caracas. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Berkeley, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.