Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maracaibo and Caracas

For one person, living is cheaper in Maracaibo: $786 a month against $1,338 in Caracas, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Maracaibo
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Maracaibo Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Caracas
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Caracas Living Index

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Maracaibo

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$786

/mo nomad

Caracas

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$1,338

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Maracaibo and in Caracas

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 Caracas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $786 per month in Maracaibo vs $1,338 in Caracas, rent included.

Maracaibo $786
Caracas $1,338

A couple spends around $1,308 per month in Maracaibo vs $2,235 in Caracas, rent included.

Maracaibo $1,308
Caracas $2,235

A family of three spends $1,831 per month in Maracaibo vs $3,133 in Caracas, rent included.

Maracaibo $1,831
Caracas $3,133

Maracaibo is about 41% cheaper than Caracas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Maracaibo and Caracas are more affordable than the global median – Maracaibo 42% lower, Caracas 1% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.63 VES 9,336

$10.98 VES 9,642

-3.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.70 VES 35.7K

$67.1 VES 58.9K

-39.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 VES 7,813

$11.16 VES 9,796

-20.25%

Cappuccino

$2.64 VES 2,315

$3.55 VES 3,114

-25.63%

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

$1.16 VES 1,016

$1.52 VES 1,332

-23.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 VES 1,193

$1.30 VES 1,144

4.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 VES 1,955

$2.06 VES 1,805

8.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 VES 2,683

$3.05 VES 2,680

0.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 VES 1,738

$2.64 VES 2,313

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 VES 1,947

$2.31 VES 2,032

-3.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 VES 911

$1.85 VES 1,624

-43.78%

Eggs

$3.71 VES 3,253

$4.64 VES 4,076

-20.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.66 VES 5,846

$10.35 VES 9,083

-35.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.15 VES 5,400

$9.20 VES 8,074

-33.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.65 VES 6,720

$11.64 VES 10.2K

-34.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.71 VES 4,134

$7.43 VES 6,525

-36.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 VES 1,196

$2.04 VES 1,794

-33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 VES 1,408

$2.20 VES 1,931

-27.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 VES 1,381

$2.38 VES 2,087

-34.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 VES 1,071

$2.24 VES 1,965

-45.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 VES 1,546

$2.23 VES 1,958

-21.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 VES 853

$1.62 VES 1,424

-40.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 VES 1,791

$2.41 VES 2,119

-15.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.08 VES 2,708

$4.71 VES 4,132

-34.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.03 VES 7,929

$11.84 VES 10.4K

-23.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 VES 921

$1.42 VES 1,246

-26.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 VES 2,394

$2.09 VES 1,839

30.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 VES 406

$0.51 VES 448

-9.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.56 VES 37.4K

$30.43 VES 26.7K

39.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.94 VES 3,461

$5.08 VES 4,459

-22.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 VES 1,793

$2.83 VES 2,483

-27.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.27 VES 15.2K

$14.80 VES 13.0K

16.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.68 VES 598

$0.88 VES 772

-22.73%

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

$15.0K VES 13.2M

$24.7K VES 21.7M

-39.14%

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

$27.6K VES 24.2M

$39.7K VES 34.8M

-30.53%

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

$63.0 VES 55.3K

$21.94 VES 19.3K

187.15%

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

$7.46 VES 6,547

$11.99 VES 10.5K

-37.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.57 VES 21.6K

$37.39 VES 32.8K

-34.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.30 VES 30.1K

$65.9 VES 57.8K

-47.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.54 VES 25.1K

$17.83 VES 15.7K

60.07%

Cinema Ticket

$4.87 VES 4,275

$6.53 VES 5,735

-25.42%

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

$152 VES 133.4K

$158 VES 138.4K

-3.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,177 VES 6.3M

$6,066 VES 5.3M

18.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.48 VES 24.1K

$81.6 VES 71.6K

-66.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 VES 28.1K

$51.2 VES 45.0K

-37.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.9 VES 54.4K

$136 VES 119.2K

-54.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.3 VES 51.1K

$131 VES 115.2K

-55.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$162 VES 142.5K

$604 VES 529.9K

-73.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$91.7 VES 80.5K

$425 VES 373.1K

-78.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$300 VES 263.3K

$1,103 VES 968.0K

-72.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$200 VES 175.6K

$861 VES 755.7K

-76.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$760 VES 667.0K

$1,464 VES 1.3M

-48.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$498 VES 437.0K

$683 VES 599.8K

-27.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$220 VES 193.1K

$303 VES 266.1K

-27.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

-9.09%

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

Last update for Maracaibo: October 18, 2026

Last update for Caracas: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Maracaibo

$245 31.2%

Caracas

$339 25.4% 38.4% $94

Eating Out

Maracaibo

$171 21.7%

Caracas

$192 14.3% 12.2% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maracaibo

$95 12.1%

Caracas

$71 5.3% 25% $24

Accommodation & Living

Maracaibo

$92 11.7%

Caracas

$425 31.8% 363% $333

Clothing & Footwear

Maracaibo

$81 10.3%

Caracas

$180 13.5% 123% $99

Getting Around

Maracaibo

$59 7.5%

Caracas

$52 3.9% 11.7% $6.9

Sport & Entertainment

Maracaibo

$44 5.6%

Caracas

$79 5.9% 79.3% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $162 in Maracaibo versus $604 in Caracas. 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 38% higher in Caracas, 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 $41.00 in Maracaibo versus $67.0 in Caracas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $245 vs $339 – making Maracaibo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇪 Maracaibo

🇻🇪 Caracas

🕒 Local time

07:43 7:43 AM

Same time as Maracaibo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,000,000

3,274,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 VES = 1.14 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR

1,000 VES = 1.14 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Maracaibo Caracas 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Maracaibo
Caracas

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 Caracas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Caracas is pricier by about 70%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,179 per month in Maracaibo and $2,006 in Caracas. 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 40% less in Maracaibo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $152 per month in Maracaibo and $158 in Caracas. 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 $786, than in Caracas at $1,338. In Maracaibo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Caracas 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.

If budget matters most, go with Maracaibo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Caracas makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.