Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Maracay Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Maracay

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $736 in Maracay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,252 in Maracay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,768 in Maracay.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 208% more expensive than in Maracay, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Maracay is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$4.91 VES 4,081

257.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$32.80 VES 27.2K

96.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$7.86 VES 6,531

48.22%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$1.70 VES 1,411

91.76%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.23 VES 1,018

102.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.16 VES 963

43.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$1.22 VES 1,011

184.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$3.08 VES 2,562

16.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$2.65 VES 2,203

-55.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.20 VES 1,830

-11.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$0.99 VES 820

57.58%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.74 VES 2,273

46.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$6.73 VES 5,589

97.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$5.76 VES 4,782

46.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$8.48 VES 7,040

114.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$4.25 VES 3,527

-45.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.96 VES 1,624

-11.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$2.11 VES 1,755

-8.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.25 VES 1,866

17.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$2.30 VES 1,908

-17.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.21 VES 1,837

-4.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.58 VES 1,315

-8.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$2.29 VES 1,899

-65.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$2.54 VES 2,109

175.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$10.04 VES 8,333

-41.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.16 VES 967

17.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.78 VES 1,477

20.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.48 VES 402

395.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$20.37 VES 16.9K

126.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$2.98 VES 2,478

40.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$2.68 VES 2,224

-58.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$10.11 VES 8,400

70.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$0.61 VES 507

268.85%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$25.5K VES 21.2M

35.25%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$38.5K VES 32.0M

8.08%

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

$171 €147

$12.66 VES 10.5K

1249.76%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$10.83 VES 8,993

75.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$36.45 VES 30.3K

-5.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$29.99 VES 24.9K

65.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$14.81 VES 12.3K

31.74%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$4.05 VES 3,361

149.38%

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

$699 €603

$74.6 VES 61.9K

837.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$6,048 VES 5.0M

193.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$52.4 VES 43.5K

99.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$36.58 VES 30.4K

31.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$82.0 VES 68.1K

24.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$94.0 VES 78.0K

36.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$225 VES 186.5K

639.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$108 VES 90.0K

1032.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$555 VES 461.2K

424.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$270 VES 224.3K

649.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$454 VES 376.7K

1692.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$200 VES 166.3K

2214.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$209 VES 173.4K

675.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

21.5

-82.42%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Maracay: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $225 in Maracay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 675% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $33.00 in Maracay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $265 per month, with Maracay cheaper across the board.

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

Lisbon vs Maracay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Maracay differ by about 208% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $736 including rent). Maracay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 675% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $225 in Maracay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $74.6 in Maracay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $736 in Maracay versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Maracay but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Maracay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Maracay are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Maracay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 208% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.