Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ensenada and Caracas

For one person, living is cheaper in Ensenada: $1,077 a month against $1,312 in Caracas, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Ensenada
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Ensenada Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Caracas
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Caracas Living Index

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Ensenada

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,077

/mo nomad

Caracas

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$1,312

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,077 per month in Ensenada vs $1,312 in Caracas, rent included.

Ensenada $1,077
Caracas $1,312

A couple spends around $1,707 per month in Ensenada vs $2,236 in Caracas, rent included.

Ensenada $1,707
Caracas $2,236

A family of three spends $2,336 per month in Ensenada vs $3,160 in Caracas, rent included.

Ensenada $2,336
Caracas $3,160

Ensenada is about 18% cheaper than Caracas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ensenada and Caracas are more affordable than the global median – Ensenada 20% lower, Caracas 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.98 MX$220

$10.63 VES 9,293

12.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.40 MX$632

$68.2 VES 59.6K

-49.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.38 MX$136

$10.99 VES 9,611

-32.85%

Cappuccino

$3.06 MX$56.2

$3.73 VES 3,266

-17.96%

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

$1.18 MX$21.71

$1.54 VES 1,349

-23.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 MX$12.67

$1.28 VES 1,122

-46.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.84 MX$52.1

$2.05 VES 1,796

38.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 MX$73.0

$2.91 VES 2,546

36.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 MX$32.29

$2.76 VES 2,413

-36.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 MX$48.30

$2.32 VES 2,030

13.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$31.40

$1.89 VES 1,655

-9.52%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.0

$4.82 VES 4,219

-43.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.54 MX$157

$10.18 VES 8,900

-16.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.75 MX$124

$9.44 VES 8,260

-28.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.39 MX$191

$11.51 VES 10.1K

-9.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 MX$39.77

$7.23 VES 6,322

-69.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 MX$30.08

$1.96 VES 1,713

-16.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 MX$33.37

$2.13 VES 1,864

-14.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 MX$29.05

$2.37 VES 2,070

-33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 MX$24.73

$2.24 VES 1,956

-39.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 MX$33.72

$2.24 VES 1,957

-17.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.09

$1.61 VES 1,411

-8.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$19.07

$2.41 VES 2,104

-56.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 MX$74.5

$4.57 VES 3,994

-11.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.45 MX$247

$12.02 VES 10.5K

11.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 MX$33.18

$1.37 VES 1,196

32.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.04

$2.17 VES 1,896

23.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 MX$15.96

$0.51 VES 449

70.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.92 MX$659

$29.63 VES 25.9K

21.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 MX$54.5

$4.88 VES 4,271

-39.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 MX$36.37

$2.68 VES 2,346

-26.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.57 MX$359

$15.17 VES 13.3K

29.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$25.11

$0.86 VES 754

59.30%

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

$20.0K MX$367.4K

$25.1K VES 22.0M

-20.41%

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

$24.6K MX$451.5K

$38.6K VES 33.8M

-36.35%

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

$48.01 MX$882

$22.07 VES 19.3K

117.54%

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

$32.03 MX$588

$11.81 VES 10.3K

171.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.68 MX$490

$38.64 VES 33.8K

-30.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.95 MX$568

$66.8 VES 58.5K

-53.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.17 MX$205

$17.23 VES 15.1K

-35.17%

Cinema Ticket

$4.65 MX$85.3

$6.48 VES 5,666

-28.24%

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

$197 MX$3,615

$159 VES 139.5K

23.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,889 MX$89.8K

$6,138 VES 5.4M

-20.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 MX$994

$77.8 VES 68.0K

-30.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.13 MX$810

$50.6 VES 44.2K

-12.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,892

$136 VES 119.2K

-24.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.9 MX$1,064

$136 VES 119.2K

-57.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$528 MX$9,700

$619 VES 541.0K

-14.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$333 MX$6,109

$418 VES 365.3K

-20.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,007 MX$18.5K

$1,106 VES 966.9K

-8.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$649 MX$11.9K

$887 VES 775.5K

-26.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,345 MX$24.7K

$1,458 VES 1.3M

-7.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$687 MX$12.6K

$690 VES 603.7K

-0.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$12.4K

$304 VES 265.6K

121.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

-48.64%

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

Last update for Ensenada: October 6, 2026

Last update for Caracas: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ensenada

$333 30.6%

Caracas

$418 31.4% 25.5% $85

Groceries & Markets

Ensenada

$255 23.5%

Caracas

$340 25.6% 33.1% $85

Eating Out

Ensenada

$184 16.9%

Caracas

$190 14.3% 3.1% $5.8

Clothing & Footwear

Ensenada

$117 10.7%

Caracas

$180 13.6% 54.6% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ensenada

$107 9.8%

Caracas

$73 5.5% 32% $34

Getting Around

Ensenada

$52 4.8%

Caracas

$50 3.8% 4.4% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Ensenada

$40 3.7%

Caracas

$80 6% 98.3% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $528 in Ensenada versus $619 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 122% higher in Ensenada, 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 $34.00 in Ensenada versus $68.0 in Caracas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $340 – making Ensenada the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Ensenada

🇻🇪 Caracas

🕒 Local time

22:16 10:16 PM

01:16 1:16 AM

3 h ahead of Ensenada

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

330,652

3,274,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

1,000 VES = 1.14 USD

1,000 VES = 1.02 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VES, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

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).

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).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ensenada Caracas 5,610 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Ensenada
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

Ensenada vs Caracas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Caracas is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,616 per month in Ensenada and $1,968 in Caracas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 21% less in Ensenada. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Ensenada and $159 in Caracas. 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 Ensenada, where all-in costs run around $1,077, than in Caracas at $1,312. In Ensenada it covers expenses comfortably, while in Caracas it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ensenada – 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 Ensenada. 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.