Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Caracas and Maracay

For one person, living is cheaper in Maracay: $735 a month against $1,367 in Caracas, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Caracas
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Caracas Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Maracay
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Maracay Living Index

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Caracas

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$1,367

/mo nomad

Maracay

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$735

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Caracas and in Maracay

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

A single person spends $1,367 per month in Caracas vs $735 in Maracay, rent included.

Caracas $1,367
Maracay $735

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Caracas vs $1,245 in Maracay, rent included.

Caracas $2,297
Maracay $1,245

A family of three spends $3,227 per month in Caracas vs $1,755 in Maracay, rent included.

Caracas $3,227
Maracay $1,755

Caracas costs about 86% more than Maracay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.99 VES 9,754

$4.93 VES 4,373

122.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.2 VES 59.6K

$32.44 VES 28.8K

107.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.96 VES 9,722

$7.96 VES 7,067

37.69%

Cappuccino

$3.66 VES 3,250

$1.62 VES 1,441

125.93%

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

$1.49 VES 1,321

$1.21 VES 1,071

23.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 VES 1,142

$1.19 VES 1,060

8.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.94 VES 1,724

$1.17 VES 1,036

65.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 VES 2,737

$2.96 VES 2,631

4.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.70 VES 2,395

$2.68 VES 2,375

0.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 VES 1,977

$2.33 VES 2,069

-4.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 VES 1,626

$1.03 VES 917

77.67%

Eggs

$4.86 VES 4,317

$2.72 VES 2,415

78.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.23 VES 9,074

$6.55 VES 5,816

56.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.18 VES 8,147

$5.59 VES 4,959

64.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.27 VES 9,997

$8.14 VES 7,222

38.45%

Apples (1kg)

$7.29 VES 6,471

$4.10 VES 3,642

77.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 VES 1,746

$2.05 VES 1,821

-3.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 VES 1,956

$2.15 VES 1,906

2.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 VES 1,995

$2.27 VES 2,017

-0.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 VES 2,026

$2.32 VES 2,056

-1.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 VES 1,976

$2.19 VES 1,947

1.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 VES 1,377

$1.62 VES 1,435

-4.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 VES 2,036

$2.27 VES 2,018

0.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.61 VES 4,092

$2.52 VES 2,234

82.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.05 VES 10.7K

$9.88 VES 8,764

21.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 VES 1,207

$1.13 VES 1,002

20.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 VES 1,899

$1.72 VES 1,527

24.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 VES 387

$0.48 VES 425

-8.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.05 VES 26.7K

$20.18 VES 17.9K

48.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.07 VES 4,495

$3.02 VES 2,679

67.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.77 VES 2,455

$2.71 VES 2,402

2.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.85 VES 13.2K

$9.94 VES 8,822

49.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 VES 729

$0.69 VES 611

18.84%

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

$25.0K VES 22.2M

-0.08%

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

$39.8K VES 35.3M

$39.3K VES 34.9M

1.33%

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

$21.31 VES 18.9K

$12.72 VES 11.3K

67.53%

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

$11.78 VES 10.5K

$11.71 VES 10.4K

0.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 VES 33.4K

$38.69 VES 34.3K

-2.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.1 VES 59.5K

$29.13 VES 25.8K

130.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.41 VES 15.5K

$15.30 VES 13.6K

13.79%

Cinema Ticket

$6.47 VES 5,739

$3.97 VES 3,522

62.97%

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

$158 VES 140.0K

$75.3 VES 66.8K

109.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,023 VES 5.3M

$5,991 VES 5.3M

0.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.3 VES 72.1K

$52.4 VES 46.4K

55.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.8 VES 45.9K

$36.03 VES 32.0K

43.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 VES 116.9K

$82.4 VES 73.1K

59.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 VES 118.7K

$95.0 VES 84.3K

40.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$652 VES 578.8K

$221 VES 195.9K

195.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 VES 407.9K

$108 VES 96.2K

324.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,178 VES 1.0M

$571 VES 506.4K

106.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$964 VES 855.8K

$274 VES 243.2K

251.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,497 VES 1.3M

$445 VES 394.6K

236.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$670 VES 594.8K

$198 VES 176.0K

237.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$308 VES 273.6K

$209 VES 185.7K

47.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

21.5

2.33%

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

Last update for Caracas: October 26, 2026

Last update for Maracay: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Caracas

$460 33.6%

Maracay

$108 14.8% 76.4% $351

Groceries & Markets

Caracas

$335 24.5%

Maracay

$264 35.9% 21.2% $71

Eating Out

Caracas

$192 14%

Maracay

$104 14.2% 45.7% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Caracas

$179 13.1%

Maracay

$120 16.3% 33.3% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Caracas

$80 5.9%

Maracay

$37 5% 53.7% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Caracas

$71 5.2%

Maracay

$63 8.6% 10.7% $7.6

Getting Around

Caracas

$51 3.7%

Maracay

$39 5.3% 23.8% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $652 in Caracas versus $221 in Maracay. 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 47% 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 in Caracas versus $32 in Maracay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $335 vs $264 – making Maracay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇪 Caracas

🇻🇪 Maracay

🕒 Local time

21:27 9:27 PM

Same time as Caracas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,274,000 Capital

425,606

💱 Currency

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 VES = 1.13 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR

1,000 VES = 1.13 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Caracas vs Maracay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Caracas is pricier by about 86%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,051 per month in Caracas and $1,102 in Maracay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Maracay, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $221 there versus $652 in Caracas.

Public transport costs about 33% less in Maracay. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $158 per month in Caracas and $75 in Maracay. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Maracay – 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 Maracay. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Caracas makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.