Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Caracas and Isla de Margarita

For one person, living is cheaper in Isla de Margarita: $653 a month against $1,338 in Caracas, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Caracas
🇻🇪 Venezuela
$1,338
/mo nomad
Isla de Margarita
🇻🇪 Venezuela
$653
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Caracas and in Isla de Margarita

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 Isla de Margarita actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,338 per month in Caracas vs $653 in Isla de Margarita, rent included.

  • Caracas $1,338
  • Isla de Margarita $653

A couple spends around $2,235 per month in Caracas vs $1,215 in Isla de Margarita, rent included.

  • Caracas $2,235
  • Isla de Margarita $1,215

A family of three spends $3,133 per month in Caracas vs $1,777 in Isla de Margarita, rent included.

  • Caracas $3,133
  • Isla de Margarita $1,777

Caracas costs about 105% more than Isla de Margarita, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Caracas and Isla de Margarita are more affordable than the global median – Caracas 1% lower, Isla de Margarita 52% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Caracas
Isla de Margarita
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.98 VES 9,642
$10.05 VES 8,821
9.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.1 VES 58.9K
$79.6 VES 69.8K
-15.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.16 VES 9,796
-
-
Cappuccino
$3.55 VES 3,114
$2.45 VES 2,149
44.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.52 VES 1,332
$0.99 VES 867
53.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 VES 1,144
$1.48 VES 1,300
-12.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.06 VES 1,805
$1.03 VES 902
100.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.05 VES 2,680
$2.98 VES 2,615
2.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Caracas
Isla de Margarita
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.64 VES 2,313
$1.96 VES 1,718
34.69%
White Bread (500g)
$2.31 VES 2,032
$2.92 VES 2,561
-20.89%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 VES 1,624
$2.02 VES 1,777
-8.42%
Eggs
$4.64 VES 4,076
$2.42 VES 2,122
91.74%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.35 VES 9,083
$8.22 VES 7,217
25.91%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.20 VES 8,074
$7.79 VES 6,837
18.10%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.64 VES 10.2K
$8.04 VES 7,057
44.78%
Apples (1kg)
$7.43 VES 6,525
$4.08 VES 3,585
82.11%
Banana (1kg)
$2.04 VES 1,794
$1.54 VES 1,350
32.47%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.20 VES 1,931
$1.98 VES 1,736
11.11%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.38 VES 2,087
$2.43 VES 2,129
-2.06%
Potato (1kg)
$2.24 VES 1,965
$1.48 VES 1,303
51.35%
Onion (1kg)
$2.23 VES 1,958
$1.76 VES 1,541
26.70%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.62 VES 1,424
$1.02 VES 900
58.82%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.41 VES 2,119
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.71 VES 4,132
-
-
Wine (Bottle)
$11.84 VES 10.4K
$4.92 VES 4,322
140.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.42 VES 1,246
$0.98 VES 857
44.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09 VES 1,839
$1.48 VES 1,296
41.22%
🚌 Getting Around
Caracas
Isla de Margarita
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.51 VES 448
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.43 VES 26.7K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.08 VES 4,459
$2.94 VES 2,581
72.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.83 VES 2,483
$3.06 VES 2,685
-7.52%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$14.80 VES 13.0K
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.88 VES 772
-
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.7K VES 21.7M
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.7K VES 34.8M
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Caracas
Isla de Margarita
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$21.94 VES 19.3K
$30.35 VES 26.6K
-27.71%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.99 VES 10.5K
$15.23 VES 13.4K
-21.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$37.39 VES 32.8K
$39.29 VES 34.5K
-4.84%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Caracas
Isla de Margarita
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$65.9 VES 57.8K
$50.3 VES 44.2K
31.00%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.83 VES 15.7K
$15.25 VES 13.4K
16.92%
Cinema Ticket
$6.53 VES 5,735
$5.09 VES 4,469
28.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Caracas
Isla de Margarita
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$158 VES 138.4K
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,066 VES 5.3M
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Caracas
Isla de Margarita
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$81.6 VES 71.6K
$79.0 VES 69.4K
3.23%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.2 VES 45.0K
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$136 VES 119.2K
$98.5 VES 86.5K
37.77%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131 VES 115.2K
$100 VES 87.9K
31.15%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Caracas
Isla de Margarita
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$604 VES 529.9K
$297 VES 261.2K
102.90%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$425 VES 373.1K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,103 VES 968.0K
$494 VES 433.6K
123.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$861 VES 755.7K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,464 VES 1.3M
$597 VES 523.8K
145.42%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$683 VES 599.8K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Caracas
Isla de Margarita
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$303 VES 266.1K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
22
0
-

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

Last update for Caracas: October 19, 2026

Last update for Isla de Margarita: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Caracas
$425
Isla de Margarita
–
Groceries & Markets
Caracas
$339
Isla de Margarita
–
Eating Out
Caracas
$192
Isla de Margarita
–
Clothing & Footwear
Caracas
$180
Isla de Margarita
–
Sport & Entertainment
Caracas
$79
Isla de Margarita
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Caracas
$71
Isla de Margarita
–
Getting Around
Caracas
$52
Isla de Margarita
–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $604 in Caracas versus $297 in Isla de Margarita. 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 $67.0 in Caracas versus $80.0 in Isla de Margarita. Groceries tell a different story – $339 in Caracas vs $234 in Isla de Margarita – so Isla de Margarita wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇻🇪 Caracas
🇻🇪 Isla de Margarita
🕒 Local time
08:36 8:36 AM
08:36 8:36 AM
Same time as Caracas
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,274,000 Capital
90,387
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to VES – Venezuelan Bolívar Converter

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 878 VES (1,000 VES = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 987 VES (1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Caracas Isla de Margarita 330 km
From you
  • Caracas
  • Isla de Margarita

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 Isla de Margarita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Isla de Margarita cheaper than Caracas?
Yes – Caracas is pricier by about 105%, 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 $2,006 per month in Caracas and $979 in Isla de Margarita. 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 Isla de Margarita, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do food prices compare in Caracas and in Isla de Margarita?
Groceries cost about 45% more in Caracas, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is eating out cheaper in Caracas or in Isla de Margarita?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Caracas and $80.0 in Isla de Margarita. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Caracas or in Isla de Margarita?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Isla de Margarita, where all-in costs run around $653, than in Caracas at $1,338. In Isla de Margarita it covers expenses comfortably, while in Caracas it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Caracas or Isla de Margarita more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Isla de Margarita – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Isla de Margarita. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Caracas makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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