Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Caracas and San Jose, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Caracas: $1,312 a month against $4,305 in San Jose, CA, rent and utilities included – about $35,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Caracas
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Caracas Living Index
211

Cost of Living Index in San Jose, CA
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San Jose, CA Living Index

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Caracas

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$1,312

/mo nomad

San Jose, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,305

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,312 per month in Caracas vs $4,305 in San Jose, CA, rent included.

Caracas $1,312
San Jose, CA $4,305

A couple spends around $2,236 per month in Caracas vs $6,087 in San Jose, CA, rent included.

Caracas $2,236
San Jose, CA $6,087

A family of three spends $3,160 per month in Caracas vs $7,869 in San Jose, CA, rent included.

Caracas $3,160
San Jose, CA $7,869

Caracas is about 70% cheaper than San Jose, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Caracas sits 2% below the global median, while San Jose, CA is 221% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.63 VES 9,293

$22.33 $22.33

-52.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.2 VES 59.6K

$98.5 $98.5

-30.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.99 VES 9,611

$11.78 $11.78

-6.71%

Cappuccino

$3.73 VES 3,266

$5.96 $5.96

-37.42%

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

$1.54 VES 1,349

$3.15 $3.15

-51.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 VES 1,122

$2.33 $2.33

-45.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 VES 1,796

$9.15 $9.15

-77.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 VES 2,546

$9.81 $9.81

-70.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.76 VES 2,413

$1.72 $1.72

60.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 VES 2,030

$4.47 $4.47

-48.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 VES 1,655

$4.13 $4.13

-54.24%

Eggs

$4.82 VES 4,219

$5.86 $5.86

-17.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.18 VES 8,900

$19.28 $19.28

-47.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 VES 8,260

$14.00 $14.00

-32.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.51 VES 10.1K

$21.60 $21.60

-46.71%

Apples (1kg)

$7.23 VES 6,322

$5.14 $5.14

40.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 VES 1,713

$1.99 $1.99

-1.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 VES 1,864

$5.46 $5.46

-60.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 VES 2,070

$5.64 $5.64

-57.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 VES 1,956

$3.49 $3.49

-35.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 VES 1,957

$2.89 $2.89

-22.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 VES 1,411

$2.42 $2.42

-33.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 VES 2,104

$2.57 $2.57

-6.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.57 VES 3,994

$11.63 $11.63

-60.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.02 VES 10.5K

$15.59 $15.59

-22.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 VES 1,196

$2.46 $2.46

-44.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 VES 1,896

$3.32 $3.32

-34.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 VES 449

$2.45 $2.45

-79.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.63 VES 25.9K

$89.4 $89.4

-66.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.88 VES 4,271

$3.42 $3.42

42.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.68 VES 2,346

$3.03 $3.03

-11.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.17 VES 13.3K

$30.27 $30.27

-49.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 VES 754

$1.56 $1.56

-44.87%

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

$25.1K VES 22.0M

$37.3K $37.3K

-32.58%

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

$38.6K VES 33.8M

$25.9K $25.9K

49.05%

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

$22.07 VES 19.3K

$273 $273

-91.91%

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

$11.81 VES 10.3K

$48.69 $48.69

-75.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.64 VES 33.8K

$83.7 $83.7

-53.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.8 VES 58.5K

$142 $142

-52.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.23 VES 15.1K

$24.77 $24.77

-30.44%

Cinema Ticket

$6.48 VES 5,666

$16.86 $16.86

-61.57%

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

$159 VES 139.5K

$1,855 $1,855

-91.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,138 VES 5.4M

$40.4K $40.4K

-84.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.8 VES 68.0K

$59.3 $59.3

31.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 VES 44.2K

$52.1 $52.1

-2.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 VES 119.2K

$99.4 $99.4

37.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 VES 119.2K

$121 $121

12.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 VES 541.0K

$3,065 $3,065

-79.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 VES 365.3K

$2,661 $2,661

-84.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 VES 966.9K

$4,805 $4,805

-76.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$887 VES 775.5K

$4,161 $4,161

-78.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,458 VES 1.3M

$8,956 $8,956

-83.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$690 VES 603.7K

$9,098 $9,098

-92.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$304 VES 265.6K

$6,099 $6,099

-95.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

229.84%

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

Last update for Caracas: October 3, 2026

Last update for San Jose, CA: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Caracas

$418 31.4%

San Jose, CA

$2.7K 60.9% 537% $2.2K

Groceries & Markets

Caracas

$340 25.6%

San Jose, CA

$489 11.2% 43.9% $149

Eating Out

Caracas

$190 14.3%

San Jose, CA

$373 8.5% 96.1% $183

Clothing & Footwear

Caracas

$180 13.6%

San Jose, CA

$150 3.4% 17.1% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Caracas

$80 6%

San Jose, CA

$176 4% 120% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Caracas

$73 5.5%

San Jose, CA

$405 9.3% 459% $333

Getting Around

Caracas

$50 3.8%

San Jose, CA

$118 2.7% 136% $68

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $619 in Caracas versus $3,065 in San Jose, CA. 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 1908% higher in San Jose, CA, 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 $68.0 in Caracas versus $98.0 in San Jose, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $340 vs $489 – making Caracas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇪 Caracas

🇺🇸 San Jose, CA

🕒 Local time

02:46 2:46 AM

23:46 11:46 PM

3 h behind Caracas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,274,000 Capital

1,035,317

💱 Currency

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 VES = 1.14 USD

1,000 VES = 1.02 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to VES in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Caracas San Jose, CA 6,230 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Caracas
San Jose, 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 San Jose, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Jose, CA is pricier by about 228%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,968 per month in Caracas and $6,458 in San Jose, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 202% less in Caracas. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $159 per month in Caracas and $1,855 in San Jose, CA. 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 Caracas, where all-in costs run around $1,312, than in San Jose, CA at $4,305. In Caracas it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Jose, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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 Caracas. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Jose, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.