Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Mesa, CA and Caracas

For one person, living is cheaper in Caracas: $1,338 a month against $3,959 in Costa Mesa, CA, rent and utilities included – about $31,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

192

Cost of Living Index in Costa Mesa, CA
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Costa Mesa, CA Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Caracas
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Caracas Living Index

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Costa Mesa, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,959

/mo nomad

Caracas

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$1,338

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Costa Mesa, CA and in Caracas

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Costa Mesa, CA and in Caracas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,959 per month in Costa Mesa, CA vs $1,338 in Caracas, rent included.

Costa Mesa, CA $3,959
Caracas $1,338

A couple spends around $5,540 per month in Costa Mesa, CA vs $2,238 in Caracas, rent included.

Costa Mesa, CA $5,540
Caracas $2,238

A family of three spends $7,121 per month in Costa Mesa, CA vs $3,138 in Caracas, rent included.

Costa Mesa, CA $7,121
Caracas $3,138

Costa Mesa, CA costs about 196% more than Caracas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Costa Mesa, CA sits 193% above the global median, while Caracas is 1% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.85 $19.85

$10.82 VES 9,501

83.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.6 $78.6

$67.1 VES 58.9K

17.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.90 $14.90

$10.83 VES 9,507

37.58%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$3.71 VES 3,258

50.67%

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

$3.40 $3.40

$1.57 VES 1,380

116.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.31 VES 1,148

90.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.32 $7.32

$1.97 VES 1,730

271.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.73 $9.73

$3.06 VES 2,690

217.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.69 VES 2,364

-58.36%

White Bread (500g)

$4.01 $4.01

$2.24 VES 1,967

79.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$1.90 VES 1,668

146.84%

Eggs

$5.09 $5.09

$4.76 VES 4,181

6.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.82 $12.82

$10.24 VES 8,987

25.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.19 $20.19

$9.35 VES 8,207

115.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.58 $21.58

$11.49 VES 10.1K

87.82%

Apples (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$7.28 VES 6,388

-31.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.06 VES 1,805

20.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$2.16 VES 1,893

109.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.80 $5.80

$2.27 VES 1,996

155.51%

Potato (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$2.27 VES 1,990

99.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.16 VES 1,901

7.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.64 VES 1,438

31.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.36 VES 2,072

-19.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.60 $11.60

$4.68 VES 4,110

147.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.06 $15.06

$11.92 VES 10.5K

26.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.43 VES 1,252

40.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 $4.18

$2.05 VES 1,799

103.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.52 VES 459

275.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.9 $69.9

$30.37 VES 26.7K

130.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 $6.10

$4.92 VES 4,317

23.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.81 VES 2,464

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.91 VES 13.1K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 $1.47

$0.88 VES 769

67.05%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$24.8K VES 21.8M

49.93%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$38.1K VES 33.5M

-32.94%

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

$218 $218

$21.49 VES 18.9K

912.61%

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

$68.5 $68.5

$11.73 VES 10.3K

484.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.5 $71.5

$38.50 VES 33.8K

85.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.81 $39.81

$65.8 VES 57.8K

-39.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.21 $12.21

$17.81 VES 15.6K

-31.44%

Cinema Ticket

$16.67 $16.67

$6.35 VES 5,573

162.52%

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

$1,196 $1,196

$157 VES 138.0K

660.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,098 VES 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.1 $57.1

$81.0 VES 71.1K

-29.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.38 $47.38

$50.1 VES 44.0K

-5.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.2 $93.2

$133 VES 117.0K

-30.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 $128

$134 VES 117.7K

-4.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,726 $2,726

$608 VES 534.1K

348.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,467 $2,467

$428 VES 375.9K

476.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,187 $4,187

$1,113 VES 977.4K

276.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,833 $3,833

$872 VES 765.6K

339.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,284 $9,284

$1,462 VES 1.3M

534.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,077 $7,077

$670 VES 587.9K

956.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$303 VES 265.6K

1978.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

-70.95%

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

Last update for Costa Mesa, CA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Caracas: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Costa Mesa, CA

$2.5K 62.3%

Caracas

$428 32% 82.6% $2K

Groceries & Markets

Costa Mesa, CA

$480 12.1%

Caracas

$338 25.2% 29.6% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Costa Mesa, CA

$358 9%

Caracas

$72 5.4% 79.9% $286

Eating Out

Costa Mesa, CA

$350 8.9%

Caracas

$191 14.3% 45.4% $159

Clothing & Footwear

Costa Mesa, CA

$147 3.7%

Caracas

$179 13.4% 22.3% $33

Getting Around

Costa Mesa, CA

$84 * 2.1%

Caracas

$51 3.8% 38.6% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Costa Mesa, CA

$73 1.9%

Caracas

$79 5.9% 7.3% $5.3

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,726 in Costa Mesa, CA versus $608 in Caracas. 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 1978% higher in Costa Mesa, 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 $79.0 in Costa Mesa, CA versus $67.0 in Caracas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $480 vs $338 – making Caracas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Costa Mesa, CA

🇻🇪 Caracas

🕒 Local time

08:43 8:43 AM

11:43 11:43 AM

3 h ahead of Costa Mesa, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

109,960

3,274,000 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

1,000 VES = 1.14 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VES, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇻🇪 Venezuelan Bolívar (Bs.S)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 878 VES (1,000 VES = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 987 VES (1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR).

VES to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Costa Mesa, CA Caracas 5,780 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Costa Mesa, CA
Caracas

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

Costa Mesa, CA vs Caracas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Costa Mesa, CA is pricier by about 196%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,938 per month in Costa Mesa, CA and $2,007 in Caracas. 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 130% less in Caracas. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,196 per month in Costa Mesa, CA and $157 in Caracas. 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 $1,338, than in Costa Mesa, CA at $3,959. In Caracas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Costa Mesa, 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, Costa Mesa, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.