Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maracaibo and Maracay

For one person, living is cheaper in Maracay: $735 a month against $784 in Maracaibo, rent and utilities included – about $590 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Maracay
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Maracay Living Index

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Maracaibo

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$784

/mo nomad

Maracay

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$735

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Maracaibo and in Maracay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $784 in Maracaibo versus $735 in Maracay.

Maracaibo $784
Maracay $735

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,297 in Maracaibo versus $1,245 in Maracay.

Maracaibo $1,297
Maracay $1,245

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,811 in Maracaibo versus $1,755 in Maracay.

Maracaibo $1,811
Maracay $1,755

Living in Maracaibo is roughly 7% more expensive than in Maracay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Maracaibo 42% lower, Maracay 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.33 VES 9,151

$4.93 VES 4,366

109.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.75 VES 35.2K

$32.44 VES 28.7K

22.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.77 VES 7,767

$7.96 VES 7,056

10.18%

Cappuccino

$2.75 VES 2,439

$1.62 VES 1,439

69.75%

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

$1.15 VES 1,019

$1.21 VES 1,069

-4.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 VES 1,158

$1.19 VES 1,058

10.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 VES 1,961

$1.17 VES 1,035

88.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 VES 2,725

$2.96 VES 2,627

4.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 VES 1,742

$2.68 VES 2,371

-26.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 VES 1,872

$2.33 VES 2,066

-9.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.07 VES 952

$1.03 VES 916

3.88%

Eggs

$3.78 VES 3,347

$2.72 VES 2,411

38.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.55 VES 5,803

$6.55 VES 5,807

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.38 VES 5,655

$5.59 VES 4,951

14.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.37 VES 6,527

$8.14 VES 7,210

-9.46%

Apples (1kg)

$4.82 VES 4,274

$4.10 VES 3,636

17.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 VES 1,201

$2.05 VES 1,818

-33.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 VES 1,384

$2.15 VES 1,903

-27.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 VES 1,204

$2.27 VES 2,013

-40.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 VES 1,094

$2.32 VES 2,053

-46.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 VES 1,542

$2.19 VES 1,944

-20.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 VES 902

$1.62 VES 1,433

-37.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 VES 1,755

$2.27 VES 2,015

-12.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.93 VES 2,595

$2.52 VES 2,231

16.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.08 VES 8,047

$9.88 VES 8,750

-8.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 VES 966

$1.13 VES 1,001

-3.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 VES 2,322

$1.72 VES 1,525

52.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 VES 416

$0.48 VES 424

-2.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.53 VES 37.7K

$20.18 VES 17.9K

110.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 VES 3,618

$3.02 VES 2,675

35.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 VES 1,727

$2.71 VES 2,398

-28.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.66 VES 15.6K

$9.94 VES 8,808

77.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.74 VES 656

$0.69 VES 610

7.25%

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

$15.2K VES 13.4M

$25.0K VES 22.2M

-39.43%

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

$27.6K VES 24.4M

$39.3K VES 34.8M

-29.81%

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

$62.5 VES 55.3K

$12.72 VES 11.3K

391.04%

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

$7.45 VES 6,598

$11.71 VES 10.4K

-36.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.27 VES 22.4K

$38.69 VES 34.3K

-34.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.17 VES 29.4K

$29.13 VES 25.8K

13.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.71 VES 25.4K

$15.30 VES 13.6K

87.65%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 VES 4,328

$3.97 VES 3,516

23.17%

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

$148 VES 130.9K

$75.3 VES 66.7K

96.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,133 VES 6.3M

$5,991 VES 5.3M

19.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.31 VES 24.2K

$52.4 VES 46.4K

-47.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.34 VES 28.6K

$36.03 VES 31.9K

-10.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.9 VES 54.9K

$82.4 VES 73.0K

-24.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.7 VES 50.2K

$95.0 VES 84.1K

-40.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$159 VES 141.1K

$221 VES 195.6K

-27.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$95.2 VES 84.3K

$108 VES 96.0K

-12.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$301 VES 266.6K

$571 VES 505.6K

-47.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$196 VES 173.9K

$274 VES 242.8K

-28.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$765 VES 677.7K

$445 VES 393.9K

72.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$508 VES 449.6K

$198 VES 175.7K

155.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$215 VES 190.6K

$209 VES 185.4K

2.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

21.5

-6.98%

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

Last update for Maracaibo: October 26, 2026

Last update for Maracay: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Maracaibo

$243 31%

Maracay

$264 35.9% 8.6% $21

Eating Out

Maracaibo

$169 21.6%

Maracay

$104 14.2% 38.4% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maracaibo

$95 12.1%

Maracay

$63 8.6% 33.7% $32

Accommodation & Living

Maracaibo

$95 12.1%

Maracay

$108 14.8% 13.9% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Maracaibo

$80 10.2%

Maracay

$120 16.3% 49.1% $39

Getting Around

Maracaibo

$58 7.4%

Maracay

$39 5.3% 33.7% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Maracaibo

$43 5.5%

Maracay

$37 5% 13.7% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $159 in Maracaibo and $221 in Maracay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Maracaibo pays 3% 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 in Maracaibo vs $32 in Maracay. Groceries flip the comparison at $243 vs $264, with Maracaibo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇪 Maracaibo

🇻🇪 Maracay

🕒 Local time

17:19 5:19 PM

Same time as Maracaibo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,000,000

425,606

💱 Currency

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 VES = 1.13 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR

1,000 VES = 1.13 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Maracay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maracay is about 6% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,176 in Maracaibo and $1,102 in Maracay to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $159 in Maracaibo versus $221 in Maracay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $148 in Maracaibo versus $75 in Maracay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Maracaibo pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Maracay wins on affordability, Maracaibo on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.