Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Caracas and Puerto Penasco

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Penasco: $1,216 a month against $1,312 in Caracas, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. The total is higher in Caracas despite lower rent and utilities.

65

Cost of Living Index in Caracas
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Caracas Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Penasco
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Puerto Penasco Living Index

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Caracas

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$1,312

/mo nomad

Puerto Penasco

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,216

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Caracas and in Puerto Penasco

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

A single person spends $1,312 per month in Caracas vs $1,216 in Puerto Penasco, rent included.

Caracas $1,312
Puerto Penasco $1,216

A couple spends around $2,236 per month in Caracas vs $1,963 in Puerto Penasco, rent included.

Caracas $2,236
Puerto Penasco $1,963

A family of three spends $3,160 per month in Caracas vs $2,710 in Puerto Penasco, rent included.

Caracas $3,160
Puerto Penasco $2,710

Caracas costs about 8% more than Puerto Penasco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Caracas and Puerto Penasco are more affordable than the global median – Caracas 2% lower, Puerto Penasco 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.63 VES 9,293

$12.20 MX$224

-12.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.2 VES 59.6K

$44.66 MX$820

52.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.99 VES 9,611

$8.56 MX$157

28.39%

Cappuccino

$3.73 VES 3,266

$4.83 MX$88.7

-22.77%

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

$1.54 VES 1,349

$1.40 MX$25.67

10.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 VES 1,122

$1.05 MX$19.32

21.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 VES 1,796

$2.67 MX$49.05

-23.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 VES 2,546

$3.95 MX$72.6

-26.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.76 VES 2,413

$1.60 MX$29.32

72.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 VES 2,030

$3.05 MX$55.9

-23.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 VES 1,655

$1.68 MX$30.92

12.50%

Eggs

$4.82 VES 4,219

$2.99 MX$54.8

61.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.18 VES 8,900

$4.88 MX$89.7

108.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 VES 8,260

$10.75 MX$197

-12.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.51 VES 10.1K

$9.68 MX$178

18.90%

Apples (1kg)

$7.23 VES 6,322

$4.47 MX$82.1

61.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 VES 1,713

$1.91 MX$35.06

2.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 VES 1,864

$3.15 MX$57.8

-32.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 VES 2,070

$2.11 MX$38.80

12.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 VES 1,956

$1.95 MX$35.88

14.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 VES 1,957

$2.02 MX$37.14

10.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 VES 1,411

$1.46 MX$26.85

10.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 VES 2,104

$1.59 MX$29.19

51.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.57 VES 3,994

$4.48 MX$82.2

2.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.02 VES 10.5K

$13.70 MX$252

-12.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 VES 1,196

$1.57 MX$28.91

-12.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 VES 1,896

$1.56 MX$28.67

39.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 VES 449

$0.64 MX$11.71

-20.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.63 VES 25.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.88 VES 4,271

$2.25 MX$41.40

116.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.68 VES 2,346

$3.13 MX$57.5

-14.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.17 VES 13.3K

$11.22 MX$206

35.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 VES 754

$1.38 MX$25.27

-37.68%

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

$25.1K VES 22.0M

$21.3K MX$391.3K

17.99%

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

$38.6K VES 33.8M

$24.4K MX$448.1K

58.32%

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

$22.07 VES 19.3K

$71.5 MX$1,314

-69.15%

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

$11.81 VES 10.3K

$12.60 MX$231

-6.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.64 VES 33.8K

$43.81 MX$804

-11.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.8 VES 58.5K

$33.41 MX$613

100.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.23 VES 15.1K

$20.26 MX$372

-14.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.48 VES 5,666

$5.43 MX$99.6

19.34%

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

$159 VES 139.5K

$226 MX$4,143

-29.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,138 VES 5.4M

$4,696 MX$86.2K

30.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.8 VES 68.0K

$55.9 MX$1,026

39.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 VES 44.2K

$42.12 MX$773

20.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 VES 119.2K

$100 MX$1,839

36.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 VES 119.2K

$90.6 MX$1,664

50.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 VES 541.0K

$533 MX$9,787

16.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 VES 365.3K

$387 MX$7,112

7.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 VES 966.9K

$958 MX$17.6K

15.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$887 VES 775.5K

$764 MX$14.0K

15.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,458 VES 1.3M

$1,873 MX$34.4K

-22.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$690 VES 603.7K

$1,168 MX$21.4K

-40.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$304 VES 265.6K

$596 MX$10.9K

-49.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.55

108.53%

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

Last update for Caracas: October 3, 2026

Last update for Puerto Penasco: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Caracas

$418 31.4%

Puerto Penasco

$387 31.9% 7.3% $30

Groceries & Markets

Caracas

$340 25.6%

Puerto Penasco

$293 24.1% 13.9% $47

Eating Out

Caracas

$190 14.3%

Puerto Penasco

$212 17.5% 11.6% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Caracas

$180 13.6%

Puerto Penasco

$130 10.7% 28% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Caracas

$80 6%

Puerto Penasco

$44 3.6% 44.5% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Caracas

$73 5.5%

Puerto Penasco

$128 10.5% 76.4% $55

Getting Around

Caracas

$50 3.8%

Puerto Penasco

$20 * 1.7% 59.1% $30

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $619 in Caracas versus $533 in Puerto Penasco. 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 96% higher in Puerto Penasco, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Caracas versus $45.00 in Puerto Penasco. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $340 vs $293 – making Puerto Penasco the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇪 Caracas

🇲🇽 Puerto Penasco

🕒 Local time

01:55 1:55 AM

22:55 10:55 PM

3 h behind Caracas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,274,000 Capital

56,756

💱 Currency

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 VES = 1.14 USD

1,000 VES = 1.02 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to VES – Venezuelan Bolívar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇪 Venezuelan Bolívar (Bs.S)

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 875 VES (1,000 VES = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 981 VES (1,000 VES = 1.02 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

USD to VES in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Caracas Puerto Penasco 5,320 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Caracas
Puerto Penasco

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 Puerto Penasco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Caracas is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,968 per month in Caracas and $1,824 in Puerto Penasco. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,312 in Caracas and $1,216 in Puerto Penasco. That's a gap of about 8%.

Kindergarten costs $159 per month in Caracas and $226 in Puerto Penasco. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Puerto Penasco, where all-in costs run around $1,216, than in Caracas at $1,312. In Puerto Penasco it covers expenses comfortably, while in Caracas it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Puerto Penasco. 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.