Cost of Living Comparison Between Caracas and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Caracas and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,313 in Caracas versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Caracas versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,162 in Caracas versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

Living in Caracas costs roughly 47% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Caracas is 4% below, Barcelona is 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 VES 8,815

$18.39 €15.83

-40.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.5 VES 55.6K

$69.2 €59.6

-1.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.05 VES 8,971

$14.13 €12.16

-21.80%

Cappuccino

$3.53 VES 2,862

$3.13 €2.70

12.78%

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

$1.49 VES 1,206

$3.02 €2.60

-50.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 VES 1,063

$1.96 €1.69

-33.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 VES 1,647

$4.00 €3.44

-49.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 VES 2,401

$4.76 €4.10

-37.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.75 VES 2,235

$1.25 €1.07

120.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.24 VES 1,819

$2.16 €1.86

3.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 VES 1,522

$1.69 €1.45

10.65%

Eggs

$4.76 VES 3,865

$4.93 €4.25

-3.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.01 VES 8,126

$17.88 €15.39

-44.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.11 VES 7,391

$9.61 €8.27

-5.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.24 VES 9,126

$19.34 €16.65

-41.88%

Apples (1kg)

$7.11 VES 5,771

$3.24 €2.79

119.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 VES 1,609

$2.18 €1.87

-9.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 VES 1,766

$2.67 €2.30

-18.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 VES 1,900

$2.77 €2.39

-15.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 VES 1,925

$2.21 €1.91

7.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 VES 1,729

$2.19 €1.88

-2.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 VES 1,277

$1.52 €1.31

3.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 VES 1,959

$0.92 €0.79

161.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.67 VES 3,789

$7.12 €6.13

-34.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.92 VES 9,672

$8.14 €7.00

46.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 VES 1,105

$1.50 €1.29

-9.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 VES 1,664

$2.78 €2.39

-26.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 VES 425

$3.15 €2.71

-83.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.55 VES 24.8K

$26.99 €23.24

13.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 VES 4,147

$3.25 €2.80

57.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.83 VES 2,295

$1.50 €1.29

88.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.28 VES 12.4K

$34.89 €30.04

-56.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 VES 673

$1.75 €1.50

-52.57%

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

$25.1K VES 20.4M

$36.7K €31.6K

-31.53%

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

$38.5K VES 31.3M

$30.9K €26.6K

24.47%

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

$23.11 VES 18.8K

$188 €162

-87.68%

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

$11.85 VES 9,617

$15.44 €13.29

-23.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.68 VES 29.8K

$37.80 €32.54

-2.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.0 VES 54.4K

$57.2 €49.22

17.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.84 VES 14.5K

$16.80 €14.46

6.19%

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 VES 5,352

$11.58 €9.97

-43.09%

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

$161 VES 131.0K

$1,003 €863

-83.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,113 VES 5.0M

$17.0K €14.6K

-64.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.5 VES 60.5K

$89.2 €76.8

-16.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.55 VES 37.8K

$40.87 €35.18

13.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 VES 99.6K

$110 €94.7

11.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 VES 114.2K

$123 €106

14.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$608 VES 493.9K

$1,673 €1,440

-63.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 VES 351.7K

$1,331 €1,146

-67.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,104 VES 895.9K

$2,596 €2,234

-57.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$866 VES 703.0K

$1,950 €1,679

-55.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,457 VES 1.2M

$7,573 €6,519

-80.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$681 VES 552.9K

$5,370 €4,623

-87.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$303 VES 246.1K

$2,402 €2,068

-87.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

596.20%

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

Last update for Caracas: August 30, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $608 in Caracas and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 692% 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 $69.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $335 vs $332, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

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 Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Caracas and Barcelona differ by about 90% in total monthly costs ($1,313 vs $2,495 including rent). Caracas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 692% lower in Barcelona. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $608 in Caracas versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $161 in Caracas versus $1,003 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,313 in Caracas versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Caracas but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Caracas 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, Caracas and Barcelona 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 Caracas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.