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: $734 in Maracaibo versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,244 in Maracaibo versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,754 in Maracaibo versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Maracaibo costs roughly 50% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Maracaibo is 45% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.37 VES 5,777

$13.18 MX$228

-21.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.97 VES 22.3K

$53.9 MX$932

-25.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.82 VES 4,915

$9.42 MX$163

-6.37%

Cappuccino

$2.65 VES 1,476

$3.55 MX$61.4

-25.35%

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

$1.20 VES 671

$1.62 MX$27.98

-25.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 VES 724

$1.11 MX$19.27

17.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 VES 1,290

$3.12 MX$54.0

-25.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 VES 1,643

$4.63 MX$80.1

-36.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 VES 996

$1.70 MX$29.43

5.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 VES 1,080

$2.72 MX$47.02

-28.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 VES 607

$1.91 MX$33.07

-42.93%

Eggs

$3.19 VES 1,775

$2.54 MX$43.86

25.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.95 VES 3,318

$10.03 MX$174

-40.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.39 VES 3,003

$8.09 MX$140

-33.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.08 VES 3,386

$11.62 MX$201

-47.68%

Apples (1kg)

$4.51 VES 2,513

$2.97 MX$51.3

51.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 VES 769

$1.81 MX$31.24

-23.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 VES 954

$2.01 MX$34.82

-14.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 VES 820

$2.03 MX$35.20

-27.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 VES 649

$2.12 MX$36.75

-45.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 VES 905

$2.27 MX$39.25

-28.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 VES 564

$1.40 MX$24.22

-27.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 VES 889

$1.13 MX$19.55

41.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.43 VES 1,914

$4.27 MX$73.9

-19.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.97 VES 4,997

$15.56 MX$269

-42.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 VES 591

$1.76 MX$30.39

-39.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 VES 1,473

$3.60 MX$62.2

-26.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 VES 287

$0.38 MX$6.62

34.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.83 VES 23.3K

$19.18 MX$332

118.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 VES 2,290

$1.38 MX$23.79

197.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 VES 1,087

$0.28 MX$4.78

596.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.77 VES 9,900

$5.45 MX$94.2

226.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.48 VES 269

$1.30 MX$22.55

-63.08%

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

$22.2K VES 12.4M

$18.7K MX$323.2K

18.80%

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

$31.0K VES 17.3M

$23.1K MX$400.1K

34.05%

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

$16.22 VES 9,038

$40.86 MX$707

-60.30%

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

$9.02 VES 5,028

$26.81 MX$464

-66.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.85 VES 14.4K

$29.96 MX$518

-13.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.34 VES 19.1K

$52.0 MX$900

-33.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.43 VES 13.1K

$26.84 MX$464

-12.70%

Cinema Ticket

$5.04 VES 2,807

$6.30 MX$109

-20.00%

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

$112 VES 62.5K

$436 MX$7,544

-74.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.9K VES 7.8M

$10.4K MX$180.2K

33.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.75 VES 23.3K

$56.7 MX$980

-26.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.17 VES 23.5K

$44.38 MX$768

-4.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.8 VES 32.2K

$103 MX$1,780

-43.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.3 VES 33.6K

$106 MX$1,825

-42.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$180 VES 100.5K

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-82.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$101 VES 56.0K

$631 MX$10.9K

-84.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$330 VES 183.7K

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-84.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$209 VES 116.6K

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-83.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$759 VES 423.0K

$3,903 MX$67.5K

-80.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$502 VES 279.5K

$2,064 MX$35.7K

-75.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$196 VES 109.5K

$1,115 MX$19.3K

-82.38%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $180 in Maracaibo and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 468% 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 $221 vs $288 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 100% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Mexico City earns 468% 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 $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $112 in Maracaibo versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $734 in Maracaibo versus $1,467 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 100% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.