Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Isla de Margarita and Maracaibo

For one person, living is cheaper in Isla de Margarita: $654 a month against $787 in Maracaibo, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Isla de Margarita, Venezuela
Maracaibo, Venezuela
Isla de Margarita
🇻🇪 Venezuela
$654
/mo nomad
Maracaibo
🇻🇪 Venezuela
$787
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Isla de Margarita and in Maracaibo

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

A single person spends $654 per month in Isla de Margarita vs $787 in Maracaibo, rent included.

  • Isla de Margarita $654
  • Maracaibo $787

A couple spends around $1,221 per month in Isla de Margarita vs $1,306 in Maracaibo, rent included.

  • Isla de Margarita $1,221
  • Maracaibo $1,306

A family of three spends $1,788 per month in Isla de Margarita vs $1,825 in Maracaibo, rent included.

  • Isla de Margarita $1,788
  • Maracaibo $1,825

Isla de Margarita is about 17% cheaper than Maracaibo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Isla de Margarita and Maracaibo are more affordable than the global median – Isla de Margarita 52% lower, Maracaibo 42% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Isla de Margarita
Maracaibo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.83 VES 8,778
$10.59 VES 9,455
-7.18%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$81.0 VES 72.3K
$39.84 VES 35.6K
103.29%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
-
$8.87 VES 7,921
-
Cappuccino
$2.55 VES 2,279
$2.74 VES 2,444
-6.93%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.98 VES 875
$1.18 VES 1,056
-16.95%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.47 VES 1,317
$1.36 VES 1,212
8.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.98 VES 876
$2.32 VES 2,067
-57.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.04 VES 2,715
$2.97 VES 2,647
2.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Isla de Margarita
Maracaibo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.96 VES 1,746
$2.03 VES 1,814
-3.45%
White Bread (500g)
$2.96 VES 2,640
$2.16 VES 1,927
37.04%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.05 VES 1,834
$1.04 VES 931
97.12%
Eggs
$2.45 VES 2,184
$3.72 VES 3,319
-34.14%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.93 VES 7,078
$6.61 VES 5,896
19.97%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.21 VES 7,326
$6.48 VES 5,782
26.70%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.05 VES 7,186
$7.42 VES 6,626
8.49%
Apples (1kg)
$4.11 VES 3,669
$4.80 VES 4,281
-14.37%
Banana (1kg)
$1.51 VES 1,350
$1.42 VES 1,264
6.34%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.99 VES 1,775
$1.60 VES 1,427
24.37%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.55 VES 2,276
$1.40 VES 1,253
82.14%
Potato (1kg)
$1.46 VES 1,304
$1.17 VES 1,047
24.79%
Onion (1kg)
$1.78 VES 1,593
$1.71 VES 1,524
4.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.02 VES 908
$1.03 VES 916
-0.97%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.95 VES 1,742
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
-
$2.91 VES 2,599
-
Wine (Bottle)
$4.98 VES 4,445
$8.91 VES 7,952
-44.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.97 VES 868
$1.09 VES 972
-11.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 VES 1,372
$2.72 VES 2,432
-43.38%
🚌 Getting Around
Isla de Margarita
Maracaibo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.47 VES 419
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$42.03 VES 37.5K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.92 VES 2,610
$3.90 VES 3,485
-25.13%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.97 VES 2,648
$1.96 VES 1,745
51.53%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$17.22 VES 15.4K
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
-
$0.68 VES 609
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$14.9K VES 13.3M
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$28.1K VES 25.1M
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Isla de Margarita
Maracaibo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$29.62 VES 26.4K
$64.2 VES 57.3K
-53.88%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.73 VES 13.1K
$7.13 VES 6,367
106.59%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.41 VES 36.1K
$25.11 VES 22.4K
60.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Isla de Margarita
Maracaibo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.69 VES 44.4K
$33.45 VES 29.9K
48.55%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.05 VES 13.4K
$28.26 VES 25.2K
-46.74%
Cinema Ticket
$4.99 VES 4,450
$4.93 VES 4,397
1.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Isla de Margarita
Maracaibo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$149 VES 133.2K
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$7,312 VES 6.5M
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Isla de Margarita
Maracaibo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$78.7 VES 70.3K
$27.95 VES 24.9K
181.72%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$32.06 VES 28.6K
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 VES 90.2K
$60.1 VES 53.7K
68.01%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$99.8 VES 89.1K
$58.2 VES 51.9K
71.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Isla de Margarita
Maracaibo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$296 VES 264.0K
$160 VES 142.9K
84.65%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$92.9 VES 82.9K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$508 VES 453.9K
$304 VES 271.8K
67.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$201 VES 179.5K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$605 VES 540.3K
$747 VES 667.2K
-19.02%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$510 VES 454.9K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Isla de Margarita
Maracaibo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$218 VES 195.0K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
20
-

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

Last update for Isla de Margarita: November 3, 2026

Last update for Maracaibo: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Isla de Margarita
–
Maracaibo
$244
Eating Out
Isla de Margarita
–
Maracaibo
$172
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Isla de Margarita
–
Maracaibo
$96
Accommodation & Living
Isla de Margarita
–
Maracaibo
$93
Clothing & Footwear
Isla de Margarita
–
Maracaibo
$80
Getting Around
Isla de Margarita
–
Maracaibo
$58
Sport & Entertainment
Isla de Margarita
–
Maracaibo
$43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $296 in Isla de Margarita versus $160 in Maracaibo. 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 $81 in Isla de Margarita versus $40 in Maracaibo. Groceries tell a different story – $236 in Isla de Margarita vs $244 in Maracaibo – so Isla de Margarita wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇻🇪 Isla de Margarita
🇻🇪 Maracaibo
🕒 Local time
18:01 6:01 PM
18:01 6:01 PM
Same time as Isla de Margarita
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
90,387
2,000,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to VES – Venezuelan Bolívar Converter

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 893 VES (1,000 VES = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 1,002 VES (10,000 VES = 9.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Isla de Margarita Maracaibo 850 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Isla de Margarita
  • Maracaibo

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
Isla de Margarita vs Maracaibo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Isla de Margarita cheaper than Maracaibo?
Yes – Maracaibo is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $982 per month in Isla de Margarita and $1,180 in Maracaibo. 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 Maracaibo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $160 there versus $296 in Isla de Margarita.
How do food prices compare in Isla de Margarita and in Maracaibo?
Groceries cost about 3% more in Maracaibo, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is eating out cheaper in Isla de Margarita or in Maracaibo?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $81 in Isla de Margarita and $40 in Maracaibo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,000 enough for either Isla de Margarita or Maracaibo?
$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $654 in Isla de Margarita and $787 in Maracaibo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Isla de Margarita or in Maracaibo?
It depends on your priorities. Isla de Margarita has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $654 in Isla de Margarita to $787 in Maracaibo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Isla de Margarita vs other spots: cost of living compared

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