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: $734 in Maracaibo versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,244 in Maracaibo versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,754 in Maracaibo versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

Living in Maracaibo costs roughly 69% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Maracaibo is 45% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.37 VES 5,777

$17.58 €15.12

-41.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.97 VES 22.3K

$68.4 €58.9

-41.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.82 VES 4,915

$14.06 €12.09

-37.27%

Cappuccino

$2.65 VES 1,476

$2.78 €2.39

-4.68%

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

$1.20 VES 671

$2.80 €2.41

-57.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 VES 724

$2.06 €1.78

-36.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 VES 1,290

$4.46 €3.84

-47.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 VES 1,643

$4.61 €3.96

-36.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 VES 996

$1.24 €1.07

44.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 VES 1,080

$2.03 €1.74

-4.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 VES 607

$1.92 €1.65

-43.23%

Eggs

$3.19 VES 1,775

$3.31 €2.85

-3.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.95 VES 3,318

$18.43 €15.85

-67.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.39 VES 3,003

$9.49 €8.16

-43.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.08 VES 3,386

$19.16 €16.48

-68.27%

Apples (1kg)

$4.51 VES 2,513

$2.64 €2.27

70.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 VES 769

$2.45 €2.11

-43.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 VES 954

$2.12 €1.82

-19.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 VES 820

$2.85 €2.45

-48.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 VES 649

$2.04 €1.75

-43.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 VES 905

$1.85 €1.59

-12.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 VES 564

$1.47 €1.26

-31.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 VES 889

$0.84 €0.73

90.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.43 VES 1,914

$7.14 €6.14

-51.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.97 VES 4,997

$7.88 €6.78

13.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 VES 591

$1.38 €1.19

-23.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 VES 1,473

$2.31 €1.99

14.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 VES 287

$2.98 €2.56

-82.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.83 VES 23.3K

$29.26 €25.17

42.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 VES 2,290

$4.60 €3.95

-10.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 VES 1,087

$2.07 €1.78

-5.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.77 VES 9,900

$29.18 €25.10

-39.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.48 VES 269

$1.84 €1.58

-73.91%

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

$22.2K VES 12.4M

$39.0K €33.6K

-43.09%

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

$31.0K VES 17.3M

$32.7K €28.1K

-5.18%

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

$16.22 VES 9,038

$188 €162

-91.36%

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

$9.02 VES 5,028

$22.93 €19.73

-60.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.85 VES 14.4K

$36.71 €31.58

-29.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.34 VES 19.1K

$57.4 €49.35

-40.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.43 VES 13.1K

$20.70 €17.80

13.19%

Cinema Ticket

$5.04 VES 2,807

$11.19 €9.63

-54.96%

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

$112 VES 62.5K

$721 €620

-84.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.9K VES 7.8M

$15.0K €12.9K

-7.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.75 VES 23.3K

$86.2 €74.2

-51.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.17 VES 23.5K

$37.07 €31.89

13.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.8 VES 32.2K

$102 €87.8

-43.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.3 VES 33.6K

$116 €99.7

-47.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$180 VES 100.5K

$1,534 €1,319

-88.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$101 VES 56.0K

$1,220 €1,050

-91.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$330 VES 183.7K

$2,696 €2,319

-87.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$209 VES 116.6K

$2,013 €1,732

-89.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$759 VES 423.0K

$7,220 €6,211

-89.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$502 VES 279.5K

$5,189 €4,463

-90.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$196 VES 109.5K

$2,359 €2,029

-91.67%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $180 in Maracaibo and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1101% 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 $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $221 vs $318 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 223% in total monthly costs ($734 vs $2,367 including rent). Maracaibo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 1101% less. 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: $180 in Maracaibo versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $112 in Maracaibo versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $734 in Maracaibo versus $2,367 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 223% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.