Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maracaibo and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Maracaibo: $781 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Maracaibo
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Maracaibo Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Maracaibo

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$781

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Maracaibo and in Budapest

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

A single person spends $781 per month in Maracaibo vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Maracaibo $781
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $1,316 per month in Maracaibo vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Maracaibo $1,316
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $1,851 per month in Maracaibo vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Maracaibo $1,851
Budapest $3,489

Maracaibo is about 52% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Maracaibo sits 42% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.69 VES 9,326

$13.99 Ft 4,555

-23.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 VES 35.3K

$60.3 Ft 19.7K

-32.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.05 VES 7,898

$9.96 Ft 3,244

-9.14%

Cappuccino

$2.68 VES 2,334

$3.38 Ft 1,102

-20.71%

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

$1.15 VES 1,007

$2.13 Ft 693

-46.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 VES 1,185

$1.87 Ft 609

-27.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 VES 2,007

$3.75 Ft 1,222

-38.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 VES 2,586

$3.57 Ft 1,163

-17.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 VES 1,700

$1.13 Ft 369

72.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 VES 1,923

$1.84 Ft 600

19.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 VES 948

$2.39 Ft 777

-54.39%

Eggs

$3.60 VES 3,141

$3.83 Ft 1,246

-6.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.59 VES 5,752

$11.33 Ft 3,689

-41.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.21 VES 5,421

$6.74 Ft 2,194

-7.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.30 VES 6,372

$14.69 Ft 4,784

-50.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.64 VES 4,050

$1.84 Ft 598

152.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 VES 1,220

$2.01 Ft 654

-30.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 VES 1,410

$2.36 Ft 767

-31.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 VES 1,234

$3.77 Ft 1,227

-62.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 VES 1,033

$0.96 Ft 314

22.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 VES 1,551

$1.03 Ft 335

72.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 VES 889

$1.56 Ft 509

-34.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 VES 1,758

$0.66 Ft 216

204.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 VES 2,568

$7.96 Ft 2,594

-63.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.87 VES 7,741

$6.01 Ft 1,956

47.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 VES 944

$1.30 Ft 422

-16.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 VES 2,373

$2.08 Ft 677

30.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 VES 402

$1.50 Ft 490

-69.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.91 VES 36.6K

$27.61 Ft 8,991

51.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 VES 3,444

$3.30 Ft 1,075

19.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 VES 1,783

$1.30 Ft 424

56.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.18 VES 15.0K

$19.78 Ft 6,442

-13.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.74 VES 648

$1.81 Ft 591

-59.12%

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

$14.7K VES 12.8M

$29.3K Ft 9.6M

-49.84%

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

$27.9K VES 24.3M

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-18.27%

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

$63.5 VES 55.4K

$170 Ft 55.3K

-62.64%

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

$7.43 VES 6,482

$23.98 Ft 7,809

-69.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.55 VES 21.4K

$23.42 Ft 7,628

4.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.32 VES 29.1K

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-49.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.43 VES 24.8K

$19.18 Ft 6,245

48.23%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 VES 4,451

$9.52 Ft 3,101

-46.43%

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

$153 VES 133.4K

$537 Ft 174.8K

-71.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,068 VES 6.2M

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-57.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.67 VES 24.1K

$101 Ft 33.0K

-72.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.70 VES 28.5K

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-23.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.6 VES 53.7K

$113 Ft 36.7K

-45.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.1 VES 50.7K

$119 Ft 38.7K

-51.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$161 VES 140.2K

$805 Ft 262.2K

-80.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$91.8 VES 80.1K

$629 Ft 204.9K

-85.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$305 VES 266.0K

$1,549 Ft 504.6K

-80.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$198 VES 172.9K

$1,167 Ft 380.1K

-83.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$751 VES 655.4K

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-86.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$508 VES 443.1K

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-87.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$214 VES 186.7K

$1,626 Ft 529.5K

-86.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

211.04%

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

Last update for Maracaibo: October 6, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Maracaibo

$242 30.9%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 6.4% $16

Eating Out

Maracaibo

$172 22%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 30.2% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maracaibo

$95 12.2%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 128% $122

Accommodation & Living

Maracaibo

$92 11.7%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 585% $537

Clothing & Footwear

Maracaibo

$81 10.3%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 109% $88

Getting Around

Maracaibo

$58 7.4%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 25% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Maracaibo

$44 5.6%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 96% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $161 in Maracaibo versus $805 in Budapest. 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 660% higher in Budapest, 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 $40.00 in Maracaibo versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $242 vs $258 – making Maracaibo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇪 Maracaibo

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

22:48 10:48 PM

04:48 4:48 AM

6 h ahead of Maracaibo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,000,000

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 VES = 1.15 USD

1,000 VES = 1.02 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to VES – Venezuelan Bolívar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇪 Venezuelan Bolívar (Bs.S)

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 873 VES (1,000 VES = 1.15 USD). 1 EUR = 979 VES (1,000 VES = 1.02 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 326 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to VES in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Maracaibo Budapest 9,190 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Maracaibo
Budapest

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

Maracaibo vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 108%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,171 per month in Maracaibo and $2,432 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Maracaibo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 52% less in Maracaibo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $153 per month in Maracaibo and $537 in Budapest. 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 Maracaibo, where all-in costs run around $781, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Maracaibo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Maracaibo – 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 Maracaibo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.