Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Irvine, CA and Caracas

For one person, living is cheaper in Caracas: $1,312 a month against $4,017 in Irvine, CA, rent and utilities included – about $32,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

193

Cost of Living Index in Irvine, CA
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Irvine, CA Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Caracas
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Caracas Living Index

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Irvine, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,017

/mo nomad

Caracas

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$1,312

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,017 per month in Irvine, CA vs $1,312 in Caracas, rent included.

Irvine, CA $4,017
Caracas $1,312

A couple spends around $5,870 per month in Irvine, CA vs $2,236 in Caracas, rent included.

Irvine, CA $5,870
Caracas $2,236

A family of three spends $7,722 per month in Irvine, CA vs $3,160 in Caracas, rent included.

Irvine, CA $7,722
Caracas $3,160

Irvine, CA costs about 206% more than Caracas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Irvine, CA sits 200% above the global median, while Caracas is 2% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.95 $24.95

$10.63 VES 9,293

134.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.9 $99.9

$68.2 VES 59.6K

46.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.27 $11.27

$10.99 VES 9,611

2.55%

Cappuccino

$5.79 $5.79

$3.73 VES 3,266

55.23%

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

$2.70 $2.70

$1.54 VES 1,349

75.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.28 VES 1,122

58.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.09 $8.09

$2.05 VES 1,796

294.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.64 $9.64

$2.91 VES 2,546

231.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$2.76 VES 2,413

-58.70%

White Bread (500g)

$5.63 $5.63

$2.32 VES 2,030

142.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$1.89 VES 1,655

126.98%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$4.82 VES 4,219

1.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.35 $12.35

$10.18 VES 8,900

21.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.37 $20.37

$9.44 VES 8,260

115.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.02 $14.02

$11.51 VES 10.1K

21.81%

Apples (1kg)

$5.56 $5.56

$7.23 VES 6,322

-23.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.96 VES 1,713

-12.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 $4.24

$2.13 VES 1,864

99.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$2.37 VES 2,070

170.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.52 $3.52

$2.24 VES 1,956

57.14%

Onion (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$2.24 VES 1,957

60.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.61 VES 1,411

48.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.41 VES 2,104

-5.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.82 $11.82

$4.57 VES 3,994

158.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.22 $15.22

$12.02 VES 10.5K

26.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.37 VES 1,196

28.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.17 VES 1,896

43.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.51 VES 449

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.7 $71.7

$29.63 VES 25.9K

142.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.40 $4.40

$4.88 VES 4,271

-9.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.68 VES 2,346

-31.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.19 $36.19

$15.17 VES 13.3K

138.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 $1.60

$0.86 VES 754

86.05%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

$25.1K VES 22.0M

44.46%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$38.6K VES 33.8M

-34.43%

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

$216 $216

$22.07 VES 19.3K

879.16%

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

$71.4 $71.4

$11.81 VES 10.3K

504.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.0 $69.0

$38.64 VES 33.8K

78.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.65 $41.65

$66.8 VES 58.5K

-37.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.45 $13.45

$17.23 VES 15.1K

-21.94%

Cinema Ticket

$11.79 $11.79

$6.48 VES 5,666

81.94%

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

$1,941 $1,941

$159 VES 139.5K

1117.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.9K $41.9K

$6,138 VES 5.4M

582.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 $73.1

$77.8 VES 68.0K

-5.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.96 $39.96

$50.6 VES 44.2K

-20.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.7 $78.7

$136 VES 119.2K

-42.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$173 $173

$136 VES 119.2K

27.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,867 $2,867

$619 VES 541.0K

363.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,430 $2,430

$418 VES 365.3K

481.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,921 $4,921

$1,106 VES 966.9K

345.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,103 $4,103

$887 VES 775.5K

362.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,212 $8,212

$1,458 VES 1.3M

463.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,979 $7,979

$690 VES 603.7K

1056.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,726 $6,726

$304 VES 265.6K

2114.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

-69.82%

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

Last update for Irvine, CA: October 4, 2026

Last update for Caracas: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Irvine, CA

$2.4K 61.3%

Caracas

$418 31.4% 82.8% $2K

Groceries & Markets

Irvine, CA

$473 11.9%

Caracas

$340 25.6% 28.1% $133

Eating Out

Irvine, CA

$382 9.6%

Caracas

$190 14.3% 50.2% $191

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Irvine, CA

$356 9%

Caracas

$73 5.5% 79.7% $284

Clothing & Footwear

Irvine, CA

$164 4.1%

Caracas

$180 13.6% 9.8% $16

Getting Around

Irvine, CA

$93 2.4%

Caracas

$50 3.8% 46.6% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Irvine, CA

$65 1.7%

Caracas

$80 6% 22.3% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,867 in Irvine, CA 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 2114% higher in Irvine, 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 $100 in Irvine, CA versus $68.0 in Caracas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $473 vs $340 – making Caracas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Irvine, CA

🇻🇪 Caracas

🕒 Local time

01:30 1:30 AM

04:30 4:30 AM

3 h ahead of Irvine, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

209,716

3,274,000 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 VES = 1.14 USD

1,000 VES = 1.02 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 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).

VES to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Irvine, CA Caracas 5,770 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Irvine, 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

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

Yes – Irvine, CA is pricier by about 206%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,025 per month in Irvine, CA 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 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 142% less in Caracas. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,941 per month in Irvine, CA and $159 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 $1,312, than in Irvine, CA at $4,017. In Caracas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Irvine, 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, Irvine, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.