Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Caracas and El Centro, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Caracas: $1,367 a month against $2,700 in El Centro, CA, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Caracas, Venezuela
El Centro, CA, United States
Caracas
🇻🇪 Venezuela
$1,367
/mo nomad
El Centro, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,700
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,367 per month in Caracas vs $2,700 in El Centro, CA, rent included.

  • Caracas $1,367
  • El Centro, CA $2,700

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Caracas vs $3,848 in El Centro, CA, rent included.

  • Caracas $2,297
  • El Centro, CA $3,848

A family of three spends $3,227 per month in Caracas vs $4,996 in El Centro, CA, rent included.

  • Caracas $3,227
  • El Centro, CA $4,996

Caracas is about 49% cheaper than El Centro, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Caracas
El Centro, CA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.99 VES 9,738
$13.62 $13.62
-19.31%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.2 VES 59.5K
$44.97 $44.97
49.32%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.96 VES 9,706
$11.39 $11.39
-3.78%
Cappuccino
$3.66 VES 3,244
$4.89 $4.89
-25.15%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.49 VES 1,319
$2.54 $2.54
-41.34%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.29 VES 1,140
$1.96 $1.96
-34.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.94 VES 1,721
$4.90 $4.90
-60.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.08 VES 2,733
$7.95 $7.95
-61.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Caracas
El Centro, CA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.70 VES 2,391
$1.16 $1.16
132.76%
White Bread (500g)
$2.23 VES 1,974
$5.88 $5.88
-62.07%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.83 VES 1,624
$4.37 $4.37
-58.12%
Eggs
$4.86 VES 4,310
$4.91 $4.91
-1.02%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.23 VES 9,059
$12.67 $12.67
-19.26%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.18 VES 8,134
$20.39 $20.39
-54.98%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.27 VES 9,981
$13.90 $13.90
-18.92%
Apples (1kg)
$7.29 VES 6,460
$5.50 $5.50
32.55%
Banana (1kg)
$1.97 VES 1,743
$1.70 $1.70
15.88%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.20 VES 1,953
$4.28 $4.28
-48.60%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.25 VES 1,991
$6.72 $6.72
-66.52%
Potato (1kg)
$2.28 VES 2,023
$3.64 $3.64
-37.36%
Onion (1kg)
$2.23 VES 1,972
$3.47 $3.47
-35.73%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.55 VES 1,375
$2.28 $2.28
-32.02%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.29 VES 2,032
$2.31 $2.31
-0.87%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.61 VES 4,085
$11.64 $11.64
-60.40%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.05 VES 10.7K
$14.85 $14.85
-18.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 VES 1,205
$1.70 $1.70
-20.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 VES 1,896
$3.26 $3.26
-34.36%
🚌 Getting Around
Caracas
El Centro, CA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.44 VES 386
$2.26 $2.26
-80.53%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.05 VES 26.6K
$58.6 $58.6
-48.69%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.07 VES 4,488
$4.46 $4.46
13.68%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.77 VES 2,451
$1.88 $1.88
47.34%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$14.85 VES 13.2K
$35.36 $35.36
-58.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.82 VES 728
$1.53 $1.53
-46.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.0K VES 22.1M
$27.4K $27.4K
-8.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.8K VES 35.3M
$26.0K $26.0K
53.31%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Caracas
El Centro, CA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$21.31 VES 18.9K
$216 $216
-90.12%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.78 VES 10.4K
$72.1 $72.1
-83.66%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$37.59 VES 33.3K
$70.5 $70.5
-46.64%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Caracas
El Centro, CA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.1 VES 59.4K
$34.32 $34.32
95.43%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.41 VES 15.4K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.47 VES 5,730
$11.90 $11.90
-45.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Caracas
El Centro, CA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$158 VES 139.8K
$1,895 $1,895
-91.67%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,023 VES 5.3M
$42.8K $42.8K
-85.93%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Caracas
El Centro, CA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$81.3 VES 72.0K
$72.7 $72.7
11.86%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.8 VES 45.8K
$40.38 $40.38
28.16%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$132 VES 116.8K
$79.1 $79.1
66.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$134 VES 118.5K
$173 $173
-22.60%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Caracas
El Centro, CA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$652 VES 577.8K
$1,401 $1,401
-53.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$460 VES 407.2K
$1,300 $1,300
-64.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,178 VES 1.0M
$2,246 $2,246
-47.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$964 VES 854.4K
$2,076 $2,076
-53.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,497 VES 1.3M
$2,709 $2,709
-44.75%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$670 VES 593.8K
$2,661 $2,661
-74.81%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Caracas
El Centro, CA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$308 VES 273.2K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
22
6.64
231.33%

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

Last update for Caracas: October 26, 2026

Last update for El Centro, CA: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Caracas
$460
El Centro, CA
$1.3K 183% $841
Groceries & Markets
Caracas
$335
El Centro, CA
$477 42.4% $142
Eating Out
Caracas
$192
El Centro, CA
$260 35.7% $68
Clothing & Footwear
Caracas
$179
El Centro, CA
$164 8.4% $15
Sport & Entertainment
Caracas
$80
El Centro, CA
$58 27.4% $22
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Caracas
$71
El Centro, CA
$358 407% $288
Getting Around
Caracas
$51
El Centro, CA
$81 60.7% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $652 in Caracas versus $1,401 in El Centro, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Caracas versus $45 in El Centro, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $335 in Caracas vs $477 in El Centro, CA – so Caracas wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇻🇪 Caracas
🇺🇸 El Centro, CA
🕒 Local time
13:35 1:35 PM
10:35 10:35 AM
3 h behind Caracas
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,274,000 Capital
44,322
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to VES – Venezuelan Bolívar Converter

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 886 VES (1,000 VES = 1.13 USD). 1 EUR = 986 VES (1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Caracas El Centro, CA 5,540 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Caracas
  • El Centro, 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 El Centro, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Caracas cheaper than El Centro, CA?
Yes – El Centro, CA is pricier by about 97%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,051 per month in Caracas and $4,049 in El Centro, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Caracas, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $652 there versus $1,401 in El Centro, CA.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 49% less in Caracas. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $158 per month in Caracas and $1,895 in El Centro, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is Caracas or El Centro, CA more family-friendly?
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.

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