Cost of Living Comparison Between Maracaibo and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Maracaibo and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $745 in Maracaibo versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,249 in Maracaibo versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,753 in Maracaibo versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Maracaibo costs roughly 68% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Maracaibo is 44% below, Barcelona is 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.59 VES 7,784

$17.66 €15.45

-40.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.33 VES 29.6K

$69.7 €61.0

-42.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.79 VES 6,458

$14.16 €12.39

-37.92%

Cappuccino

$2.75 VES 2,025

$2.80 €2.45

-1.79%

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

$1.15 VES 844

$2.81 €2.46

-59.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 VES 956

$2.06 €1.81

-36.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 VES 1,614

$4.60 €4.02

-52.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 VES 2,228

$4.69 €4.10

-35.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 VES 1,266

$1.23 €1.08

39.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 VES 1,476

$2.03 €1.78

-0.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 VES 817

$1.98 €1.73

-43.94%

Eggs

$3.04 VES 2,236

$3.49 €3.05

-12.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.90 VES 4,335

$18.33 €16.04

-67.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.27 VES 3,874

$9.83 €8.60

-46.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.34 VES 4,657

$19.13 €16.73

-66.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.31 VES 3,166

$2.73 €2.38

57.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 VES 1,007

$2.38 €2.09

-42.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 VES 1,238

$2.08 €1.82

-19.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 VES 1,084

$2.75 €2.41

-46.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 VES 861

$1.96 €1.72

-40.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 VES 1,241

$1.79 €1.57

-5.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 VES 726

$1.48 €1.29

-33.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 VES 1,202

$0.91 €0.80

79.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 VES 2,529

$7.13 €6.24

-51.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.27 VES 6,814

$7.88 €6.89

17.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 VES 783

$1.38 €1.21

-22.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 VES 1,946

$2.39 €2.09

10.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 VES 358

$3.01 €2.63

-83.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.21 VES 31.0K

$29.35 €25.68

43.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.90 VES 2,866

$4.36 €3.82

-10.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 VES 1,443

$2.13 €1.86

-7.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.73 VES 13.0K

$29.60 €25.90

-40.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.52 VES 380

$1.82 €1.59

-71.43%

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

$22.8K VES 16.8M

$37.9K €33.1K

-39.77%

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

$31.2K VES 22.9M

$32.4K €28.3K

-3.60%

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

$16.36 VES 12.0K

$189 €165

-91.35%

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

$8.61 VES 6,328

$22.29 €19.50

-61.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.41 VES 18.7K

$37.16 €32.51

-31.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.13 VES 25.1K

$58.0 €50.8

-41.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.62 VES 17.4K

$20.66 €18.08

14.33%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 VES 3,650

$10.87 €9.51

-54.28%

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

$111 VES 81.7K

$706 €618

-84.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.3K VES 10.5M

$14.9K €13.0K

-3.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.23 VES 30.3K

$89.4 €78.3

-53.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.87 VES 30.8K

$36.60 €32.02

14.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.7 VES 43.1K

$104 €91.0

-43.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.6 VES 43.8K

$119 €104

-50.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$181 VES 132.7K

$1,579 €1,381

-88.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$102 VES 75.1K

$1,238 €1,083

-91.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$327 VES 240.4K

$2,712 €2,373

-87.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$213 VES 156.3K

$2,039 €1,784

-89.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$763 VES 561.2K

$7,527 €6,585

-89.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$497 VES 365.6K

$5,239 €4,584

-90.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$198 VES 145.8K

$2,364 €2,068

-91.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

26.6

3.39

684.66%

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

Last update for Maracaibo: July 13, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $181 in Maracaibo and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1092% 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: $40.00 in Maracaibo vs $70.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $220 vs $320 per month, with Maracaibo 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

Maracaibo vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maracaibo and Barcelona differ by about 211% in total monthly costs ($745 vs $2,320 including rent). Maracaibo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1092% lower in Barcelona. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $181 in Maracaibo versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $111 in Maracaibo versus $706 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $745 in Maracaibo versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Maracaibo but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Maracaibo 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, Maracaibo and Barcelona 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 Maracaibo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 211% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.