Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Caracas and Bakersfield, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Caracas: $1,312 a month against $3,146 in Bakersfield, CA, rent and utilities included – about $22,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Caracas
🇻🇪 Venezuela
$1,312
/mo nomad
Bakersfield, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,146
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Caracas and in Bakersfield, CA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Caracas and in Bakersfield, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,312 in Caracas versus $3,146 in Bakersfield, CA.

  • Caracas $1,312
  • Bakersfield, CA $3,146

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,236 in Caracas versus $4,361 in Bakersfield, CA.

  • Caracas $2,236
  • Bakersfield, CA $4,361

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,160 in Caracas versus $5,575 in Bakersfield, CA.

  • Caracas $3,160
  • Bakersfield, CA $5,575

Living in Caracas costs roughly 58% less than in Bakersfield, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Caracas is 2% below, Bakersfield, CA is 135% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Caracas
Bakersfield, CA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.63 VES 9,293
$18.87 $18.87
-43.67%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.2 VES 59.6K
$64.2 $64.2
6.17%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.99 VES 9,611
$13.91 $13.91
-20.99%
Cappuccino
$3.73 VES 3,266
$6.05 $6.05
-38.35%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 VES 1,349
$2.67 $2.67
-42.32%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 VES 1,122
$2.04 $2.04
-37.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.05 VES 1,796
$6.14 $6.14
-66.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 VES 2,546
$5.89 $5.89
-50.59%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Caracas
Bakersfield, CA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.76 VES 2,413
$1.08 $1.08
155.56%
White Bread (500g)
$2.32 VES 2,030
$4.16 $4.16
-44.23%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.89 VES 1,655
$5.30 $5.30
-64.34%
Eggs
$4.82 VES 4,219
$3.42 $3.42
40.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.18 VES 8,900
$12.83 $12.83
-20.65%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.44 VES 8,260
$13.26 $13.26
-28.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.51 VES 10.1K
$15.95 $15.95
-27.84%
Apples (1kg)
$7.23 VES 6,322
$4.14 $4.14
74.64%
Banana (1kg)
$1.96 VES 1,713
$2.07 $2.07
-5.31%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.13 VES 1,864
$3.96 $3.96
-46.21%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.37 VES 2,070
$3.82 $3.82
-37.96%
Potato (1kg)
$2.24 VES 1,956
$2.19 $2.19
2.28%
Onion (1kg)
$2.24 VES 1,957
$2.41 $2.41
-7.05%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.61 VES 1,411
$2.13 $2.13
-24.41%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.41 VES 2,104
$2.36 $2.36
2.12%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.57 VES 3,994
$9.95 $9.95
-54.07%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.02 VES 10.5K
$17.72 $17.72
-32.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.37 VES 1,196
$1.90 $1.90
-27.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 VES 1,896
$4.76 $4.76
-54.41%
🚌 Getting Around
Caracas
Bakersfield, CA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.51 VES 449
$1.75 $1.75
-70.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.63 VES 25.9K
$57.5 $57.5
-48.44%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.88 VES 4,271
$3.01 $3.01
62.13%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.68 VES 2,346
$2.08 $2.08
28.85%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$15.17 VES 13.3K
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.86 VES 754
$1.51 $1.51
-43.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.1K VES 22.0M
$37.4K $37.4K
-32.71%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.6K VES 33.8M
$26.3K $26.3K
46.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Caracas
Bakersfield, CA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$22.07 VES 19.3K
$400 $400
-94.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.81 VES 10.3K
$60.0 $60.0
-80.31%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$38.64 VES 33.8K
$74.3 $74.3
-48.00%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Caracas
Bakersfield, CA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$66.8 VES 58.5K
$38.76 $38.76
72.42%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.23 VES 15.1K
$24.77 $24.77
-30.44%
Cinema Ticket
$6.48 VES 5,666
$15.05 $15.05
-56.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Caracas
Bakersfield, CA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$159 VES 139.5K
$1,482 $1,482
-89.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,138 VES 5.4M
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Caracas
Bakersfield, CA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$77.8 VES 68.0K
$61.5 $61.5
26.49%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.6 VES 44.2K
$48.13 $48.13
5.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$136 VES 119.2K
$99.7 $99.7
36.70%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$136 VES 119.2K
$123 $123
10.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Caracas
Bakersfield, CA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$619 VES 541.0K
$1,694 $1,694
-63.49%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$418 VES 365.3K
$1,567 $1,567
-73.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,106 VES 966.9K
$2,401 $2,401
-53.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$887 VES 775.5K
$2,511 $2,511
-64.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,458 VES 1.3M
$2,496 $2,496
-41.57%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$690 VES 603.7K
$2,464 $2,464
-71.99%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Caracas
Bakersfield, CA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$304 VES 265.6K
$3,646 $3,646
-91.67%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
22
6.43
242.15%

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

Last update for Caracas: October 3, 2026

Last update for Bakersfield, CA: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Caracas
$418
Bakersfield, CA
$1.6K 275% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Caracas
$340
Bakersfield, CA
$411 20.9% $71
Eating Out
Caracas
$190
Bakersfield, CA
$327 71.7% $136
Clothing & Footwear
Caracas
$180
Bakersfield, CA
$150 17.1% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Caracas
$80
Bakersfield, CA
$69 13.7% $11
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Caracas
$73
Bakersfield, CA
$535 637% $462
Getting Around
Caracas
$50
Bakersfield, CA
$78 55.9% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Caracas and $1,694 in Bakersfield, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bakersfield, CA pays 1100% 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 Caracas vs $64.0 in Bakersfield, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $340 vs $411, with Caracas cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇻🇪 Caracas
🇺🇸 Bakersfield, CA
🕒 Local time
09:50 9:50 AM
06:50 6:50 AM
3 h behind Caracas
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,274,000 Capital
373,640
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to VES – Venezuelan Bolívar Converter

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 875 VES (1,000 VES = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 980 VES (1,000 VES = 1.02 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Caracas Bakersfield, CA 5,920 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Caracas
  • Bakersfield, CA

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
Caracas vs Bakersfield, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bakersfield, CA cheaper than Caracas?
Caracas is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 140% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Caracas or Bakersfield, CA?
On paper, salaries run 1100% lower in Bakersfield, CA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Caracas and Bakersfield, CA?
Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Caracas versus $1,694 in Bakersfield, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Caracas or in Bakersfield, CA?
Dining out is cheaper in Caracas – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $64.0 in Bakersfield, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Caracas and in Bakersfield, CA?
All in, you'll spend $1,312 per month in Caracas versus $3,146 in Bakersfield, CA – a 140% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Caracas or in Bakersfield, CA?
At $1,312 in Caracas versus $3,146 in Bakersfield, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Caracas but tight or insufficient in Bakersfield, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Caracas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Caracas or in Bakersfield, CA?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Caracas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 140% less than in Bakersfield, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Caracas vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?