Cost of Living Comparison Between Maracaibo and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Maracaibo and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $745 in Maracaibo versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,249 in Maracaibo versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,753 in Maracaibo versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in Maracaibo costs roughly 49% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Maracaibo is 44% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.59 VES 7,784

$13.07 MX$229

-18.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.33 VES 29.6K

$53.8 MX$943

-24.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.79 VES 6,458

$9.68 MX$170

-9.19%

Cappuccino

$2.75 VES 2,025

$3.74 MX$65.6

-26.47%

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

$1.15 VES 844

$1.62 MX$28.34

-29.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 VES 956

$1.16 MX$20.37

12.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 VES 1,614

$3.23 MX$56.6

-31.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 VES 2,228

$4.74 MX$83.1

-36.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 VES 1,266

$1.65 MX$28.89

4.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 VES 1,476

$2.75 MX$48.30

-26.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 VES 817

$1.87 MX$32.87

-40.64%

Eggs

$3.04 VES 2,236

$2.50 MX$43.86

21.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.90 VES 4,335

$10.20 MX$179

-42.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.27 VES 3,874

$8.25 MX$145

-36.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.34 VES 4,657

$11.82 MX$207

-46.36%

Apples (1kg)

$4.31 VES 3,166

$3.01 MX$52.8

43.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 VES 1,007

$1.81 MX$31.77

-24.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 VES 1,238

$2.00 MX$35.07

-16.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 VES 1,084

$2.00 MX$35.00

-26.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 VES 861

$2.08 MX$36.56

-43.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 VES 1,241

$2.27 MX$39.85

-25.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 VES 726

$1.46 MX$25.55

-32.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 VES 1,202

$1.08 MX$18.88

50.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 VES 2,529

$4.35 MX$76.3

-20.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.27 VES 6,814

$16.99 MX$298

-45.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 VES 783

$1.73 MX$30.40

-38.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 VES 1,946

$3.58 MX$62.7

-25.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 VES 358

$0.39 MX$6.79

25.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.21 VES 31.0K

$18.69 MX$328

125.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.90 VES 2,866

$1.33 MX$23.25

193.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 VES 1,443

$0.28 MX$4.91

600.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.73 VES 13.0K

$5.25 MX$92.1

237.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.52 VES 380

$1.34 MX$23.44

-61.19%

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

$22.8K VES 16.8M

$19.4K MX$340.5K

17.57%

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

$31.2K VES 22.9M

$23.8K MX$418.0K

30.97%

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

$16.36 VES 12.0K

$40.69 MX$714

-59.79%

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

$8.61 VES 6,328

$26.87 MX$471

-67.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.41 VES 18.7K

$30.51 MX$535

-16.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.13 VES 25.1K

$52.8 MX$926

-35.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.62 VES 17.4K

$26.65 MX$467

-11.37%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 VES 3,650

$6.51 MX$114

-23.66%

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

$111 VES 81.7K

$428 MX$7,508

-74.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.3K VES 10.5M

$10.5K MX$184.2K

36.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.23 VES 30.3K

$57.3 MX$1,004

-27.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.87 VES 30.8K

$45.50 MX$798

-7.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.7 VES 43.1K

$104 MX$1,825

-43.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.6 VES 43.8K

$108 MX$1,891

-44.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$181 VES 132.7K

$1,003 MX$17.6K

-82.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$102 VES 75.1K

$623 MX$10.9K

-83.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$327 VES 240.4K

$2,109 MX$37.0K

-84.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$213 VES 156.3K

$1,218 MX$21.4K

-82.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$763 VES 561.2K

$3,885 MX$68.1K

-80.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$497 VES 365.6K

$2,033 MX$35.7K

-75.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$198 VES 145.8K

$1,038 MX$18.2K

-80.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

26.6

11.34

134.57%

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

Last update for Maracaibo: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $181 in Maracaibo and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 423% 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 $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $220 vs $292 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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maracaibo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 95% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 423% lower in Mexico City. 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 $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $111 in Maracaibo versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $745 in Maracaibo versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Maracaibo but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Maracaibo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Maracaibo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Maracaibo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 95% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.