Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Caracas and Maracaibo

For one person, living is cheaper in Maracaibo: $786 a month against $1,338 in Caracas, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Caracas
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Caracas Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Maracaibo
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Maracaibo Living Index

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Caracas

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$1,338

/mo nomad

Maracaibo

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$786

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Caracas and in Maracaibo

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 Maracaibo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,338 per month in Caracas vs $786 in Maracaibo, rent included.

Caracas $1,338
Maracaibo $786

A couple spends around $2,235 per month in Caracas vs $1,308 in Maracaibo, rent included.

Caracas $2,235
Maracaibo $1,308

A family of three spends $3,133 per month in Caracas vs $1,831 in Maracaibo, rent included.

Caracas $3,133
Maracaibo $1,831

Caracas costs about 70% more than Maracaibo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Caracas and Maracaibo are more affordable than the global median – Caracas 1% lower, Maracaibo 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.98 VES 9,642

$10.63 VES 9,336

3.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.1 VES 58.9K

$40.70 VES 35.7K

64.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.16 VES 9,796

$8.90 VES 7,813

25.39%

Cappuccino

$3.55 VES 3,114

$2.64 VES 2,315

34.47%

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

$1.52 VES 1,332

$1.16 VES 1,016

31.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 VES 1,144

$1.36 VES 1,193

-4.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.06 VES 1,805

$2.23 VES 1,955

-7.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 VES 2,680

$3.06 VES 2,683

-0.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.64 VES 2,313

$1.98 VES 1,738

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 VES 2,032

$2.22 VES 1,947

4.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 VES 1,624

$1.04 VES 911

77.88%

Eggs

$4.64 VES 4,076

$3.71 VES 3,253

25.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.35 VES 9,083

$6.66 VES 5,846

55.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.20 VES 8,074

$6.15 VES 5,400

49.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.64 VES 10.2K

$7.65 VES 6,720

52.16%

Apples (1kg)

$7.43 VES 6,525

$4.71 VES 4,134

57.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 VES 1,794

$1.36 VES 1,196

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 VES 1,931

$1.60 VES 1,408

37.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 VES 2,087

$1.57 VES 1,381

51.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 VES 1,965

$1.22 VES 1,071

83.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 VES 1,958

$1.76 VES 1,546

26.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 VES 1,424

$0.97 VES 853

67.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 VES 2,119

$2.04 VES 1,791

18.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.71 VES 4,132

$3.08 VES 2,708

52.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.84 VES 10.4K

$9.03 VES 7,929

31.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 VES 1,246

$1.05 VES 921

35.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 VES 1,839

$2.73 VES 2,394

-23.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 VES 448

$0.46 VES 406

10.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.43 VES 26.7K

$42.56 VES 37.4K

-28.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.08 VES 4,459

$3.94 VES 3,461

28.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.83 VES 2,483

$2.04 VES 1,793

38.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.80 VES 13.0K

$17.27 VES 15.2K

-14.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 VES 772

$0.68 VES 598

29.41%

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

$24.7K VES 21.7M

$15.0K VES 13.2M

64.31%

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

$39.7K VES 34.8M

$27.6K VES 24.2M

43.95%

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

$21.94 VES 19.3K

$63.0 VES 55.3K

-65.17%

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

$11.99 VES 10.5K

$7.46 VES 6,547

60.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.39 VES 32.8K

$24.57 VES 21.6K

52.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.9 VES 57.8K

$34.30 VES 30.1K

92.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.83 VES 15.7K

$28.54 VES 25.1K

-37.53%

Cinema Ticket

$6.53 VES 5,735

$4.87 VES 4,275

34.09%

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

$158 VES 138.4K

$152 VES 133.4K

3.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,066 VES 5.3M

$7,177 VES 6.3M

-15.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.6 VES 71.6K

$27.48 VES 24.1K

196.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 VES 45.0K

$31.97 VES 28.1K

60.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 VES 119.2K

$61.9 VES 54.4K

119.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 VES 115.2K

$58.3 VES 51.1K

125.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$604 VES 529.9K

$162 VES 142.5K

271.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$425 VES 373.1K

$91.7 VES 80.5K

363.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 VES 968.0K

$300 VES 263.3K

267.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$861 VES 755.7K

$200 VES 175.6K

330.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,464 VES 1.3M

$760 VES 667.0K

92.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$683 VES 599.8K

$498 VES 437.0K

37.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$303 VES 266.1K

$220 VES 193.1K

37.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.00%

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

Last update for Caracas: October 19, 2026

Last update for Maracaibo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Caracas

$425 31.8%

Maracaibo

$92 11.7% 78.4% $333

Groceries & Markets

Caracas

$339 25.4%

Maracaibo

$245 31.2% 27.8% $94

Eating Out

Caracas

$192 14.3%

Maracaibo

$171 21.7% 10.9% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Caracas

$180 13.5%

Maracaibo

$81 10.3% 55.1% $99

Sport & Entertainment

Caracas

$79 5.9%

Maracaibo

$44 5.6% 44.2% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Caracas

$71 5.3%

Maracaibo

$95 12.1% 33.2% $24

Getting Around

Caracas

$52 3.9%

Maracaibo

$59 7.5% 13.3% $6.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $604 in Caracas versus $162 in Maracaibo. 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 38% higher in Caracas, 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 $67.0 in Caracas versus $41.00 in Maracaibo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $339 vs $245 – making Maracaibo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇪 Caracas

🇻🇪 Maracaibo

🕒 Local time

06:19 6:19 AM

Same time as Caracas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,274,000 Capital

2,000,000

💱 Currency

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 VES = 1.14 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR

1,000 VES = 1.14 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Caracas Maracaibo 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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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 Maracaibo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Caracas is pricier by about 70%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,006 per month in Caracas and $1,179 in Maracaibo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 40% less in Maracaibo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $158 per month in Caracas and $152 in Maracaibo. 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 Maracaibo, where all-in costs run around $786, than in Caracas at $1,338. In Maracaibo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Caracas it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Maracaibo. 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.