Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between El Centro, CA and Caracas

For one person, living is cheaper in Caracas: $1,367 a month against $2,700 in El Centro, CA, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

El Centro, CA, United States
Caracas, Venezuela
El Centro, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,700
/mo nomad
Caracas
🇻🇪 Venezuela
$1,367
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,700 per month in El Centro, CA vs $1,367 in Caracas, rent included.

  • El Centro, CA $2,700
  • Caracas $1,367

A couple spends around $3,848 per month in El Centro, CA vs $2,297 in Caracas, rent included.

  • El Centro, CA $3,848
  • Caracas $2,297

A family of three spends $4,996 per month in El Centro, CA vs $3,227 in Caracas, rent included.

  • El Centro, CA $4,996
  • Caracas $3,227

El Centro, CA costs about 97% more than Caracas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
El Centro, CA
Caracas
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.62 $13.62
$10.99 VES 9,738
23.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.97 $44.97
$67.2 VES 59.5K
-33.03%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.39 $11.39
$10.96 VES 9,706
3.92%
Cappuccino
$4.89 $4.89
$3.66 VES 3,244
33.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 $2.54
$1.49 VES 1,319
70.47%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.96 $1.96
$1.29 VES 1,140
51.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.90 $4.90
$1.94 VES 1,721
152.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.95 $7.95
$3.08 VES 2,733
158.12%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
El Centro, CA
Caracas
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 $1.16
$2.70 VES 2,391
-57.04%
White Bread (500g)
$5.88 $5.88
$2.23 VES 1,974
163.68%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.37 $4.37
$1.83 VES 1,624
138.80%
Eggs
$4.91 $4.91
$4.86 VES 4,310
1.03%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.67 $12.67
$10.23 VES 9,059
23.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$20.39 $20.39
$9.18 VES 8,134
122.11%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.90 $13.90
$11.27 VES 9,981
23.34%
Apples (1kg)
$5.50 $5.50
$7.29 VES 6,460
-24.55%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 $1.70
$1.97 VES 1,743
-13.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.28 $4.28
$2.20 VES 1,953
94.55%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.72 $6.72
$2.25 VES 1,991
198.67%
Potato (1kg)
$3.64 $3.64
$2.28 VES 2,023
59.65%
Onion (1kg)
$3.47 $3.47
$2.23 VES 1,972
55.61%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.28 $2.28
$1.55 VES 1,375
47.10%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.31 $2.31
$2.29 VES 2,032
0.87%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.64 $11.64
$4.61 VES 4,085
152.49%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.85 $14.85
$12.05 VES 10.7K
23.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 $1.70
$1.36 VES 1,205
25.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.26 $3.26
$2.14 VES 1,896
52.34%
🚌 Getting Around
El Centro, CA
Caracas
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.26 $2.26
$0.44 VES 386
413.64%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$58.6 $58.6
$30.05 VES 26.6K
94.91%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.46 $4.46
$5.07 VES 4,488
-12.03%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.88 $1.88
$2.77 VES 2,451
-32.13%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.36 $35.36
$14.85 VES 13.2K
138.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.53 $1.53
$0.82 VES 728
86.59%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.4K $27.4K
$25.0K VES 22.1M
9.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.0K $26.0K
$39.8K VES 35.3M
-34.77%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
El Centro, CA
Caracas
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$216 $216
$21.31 VES 18.9K
911.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$72.1 $72.1
$11.78 VES 10.4K
511.97%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$70.5 $70.5
$37.59 VES 33.3K
87.42%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
El Centro, CA
Caracas
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.32 $34.32
$67.1 VES 59.4K
-48.83%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.41 VES 15.4K
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.90 $11.90
$6.47 VES 5,730
83.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
El Centro, CA
Caracas
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,895 $1,895
$158 VES 139.8K
1100.71%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$42.8K $42.8K
$6,023 VES 5.3M
610.52%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
El Centro, CA
Caracas
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.7 $72.7
$81.3 VES 72.0K
-10.60%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.38 $40.38
$51.8 VES 45.8K
-21.97%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.1 $79.1
$132 VES 116.8K
-39.95%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$173 $173
$134 VES 118.5K
29.20%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
El Centro, CA
Caracas
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,401 $1,401
$652 VES 577.8K
114.72%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,300 $1,300
$460 VES 407.2K
182.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,246 $2,246
$1,178 VES 1.0M
90.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,076 $2,076
$964 VES 854.4K
115.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,709 $2,709
$1,497 VES 1.3M
80.99%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,661 $2,661
$670 VES 593.8K
296.91%
💵 Salaries & Financials
El Centro, CA
Caracas
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$308 VES 273.2K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.64
22
-69.82%

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

Last update for El Centro, CA: October 24, 2026

Last update for Caracas: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
El Centro, CA
$1.3K
Caracas
$460 64.7% $841
Groceries & Markets
El Centro, CA
$477
Caracas
$335 29.8% $142
Monthly Utilities & Internet
El Centro, CA
$358
Caracas
$71 80.3% $288
Eating Out
El Centro, CA
$260
Caracas
$192 26.3% $68
Clothing & Footwear
El Centro, CA
$164
Caracas
$179 9.2% $15
Getting Around
El Centro, CA
$81
Caracas
$51 37.8% $31
Sport & Entertainment
El Centro, CA
$58
Caracas
$80 37.6% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,401 in El Centro, CA versus $652 in Caracas. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in El Centro, CA versus $67 in Caracas. Groceries tell a different story – $477 in El Centro, CA vs $335 in Caracas – so Caracas wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇺🇸 El Centro, CA
🇻🇪 Caracas
🕒 Local time
08:39 8:39 AM
11:39 11:39 AM
3 h ahead of El Centro, CA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
44,322
3,274,000 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

VES, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 886 VES (1,000 VES = 1.13 USD). 1 EUR = 986 VES (1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • El Centro, CA Caracas 5,540 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • El Centro, 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
El Centro, CA vs Caracas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Caracas cheaper than El Centro, CA?
Yes – El Centro, CA is pricier by about 97%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,049 per month in El Centro, CA and $2,051 in Caracas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Caracas, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $652 there versus $1,401 in El Centro, CA.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 49% less in Caracas. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,895 per month in El Centro, CA and $158 in Caracas. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is El Centro, CA or Caracas more family-friendly?
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.

El Centro, CA vs other spots: cost of living compared

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