Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maracaibo and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in Maracaibo: $781 a month against $1,813 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 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
86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index

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Maracaibo

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$781

/mo nomad

Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,813

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Maracaibo and in Montevideo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $781 in Maracaibo versus $1,813 in Montevideo.

Maracaibo $781
Montevideo $1,813

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,316 in Maracaibo versus $2,782 in Montevideo.

Maracaibo $1,316
Montevideo $2,782

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,851 in Maracaibo versus $3,750 in Montevideo.

Maracaibo $1,851
Montevideo $3,750

Living in Maracaibo costs roughly 57% less than in Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Maracaibo is 42% below, Montevideo is 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.69 VES 9,348

$15.26 UYU 613

-29.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 VES 35.4K

$67.4 UYU 2,711

-40.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.05 VES 7,917

$14.37 UYU 578

-37.02%

Cappuccino

$2.68 VES 2,340

$4.64 UYU 187

-42.24%

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

$1.15 VES 1,009

$2.73 UYU 110

-57.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 VES 1,188

$2.09 UYU 84.0

-34.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 VES 2,012

$4.75 UYU 191

-51.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 VES 2,592

$3.67 UYU 147

-19.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 VES 1,704

$1.38 UYU 55.5

41.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 VES 1,927

$2.77 UYU 112

-20.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 VES 950

$1.69 UYU 67.8

-35.50%

Eggs

$3.60 VES 3,148

$4.52 UYU 182

-20.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.59 VES 5,765

$14.17 UYU 570

-53.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.21 VES 5,434

$12.07 UYU 485

-48.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.30 VES 6,387

$12.16 UYU 489

-39.97%

Apples (1kg)

$4.64 VES 4,060

$2.87 UYU 116

61.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 VES 1,223

$2.75 UYU 110

-49.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 VES 1,413

$1.73 UYU 69.5

-6.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 VES 1,237

$3.24 UYU 130

-56.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 VES 1,036

$2.07 UYU 83.1

-43.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 VES 1,555

$2.07 UYU 83.1

-14.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 VES 891

$1.38 UYU 55.4

-26.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 VES 1,762

$1.85 UYU 74.5

8.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 VES 2,574

$5.57 UYU 224

-47.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.87 VES 7,759

$8.89 UYU 357

-0.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 VES 946

$2.29 UYU 92.2

-52.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 VES 2,379

$2.70 UYU 109

0.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 VES 403

$1.52 UYU 61.3

-69.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.91 VES 36.7K

$73.7 UYU 2,962

-43.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 VES 3,452

$1.82 UYU 73.4

117.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 VES 1,787

$0.40 UYU 16.05

410.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.18 VES 15.0K

$10.66 UYU 429

61.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.74 VES 650

$2.22 UYU 89.2

-66.67%

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

$14.7K VES 12.9M

$26.7K UYU 1.1M

-45.00%

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

$27.9K VES 24.4M

$36.7K UYU 1.5M

-24.13%

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

$63.5 VES 55.5K

$191 UYU 7,674

-66.73%

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

$7.43 VES 6,497

$20.40 UYU 820

-63.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.55 VES 21.5K

$44.14 UYU 1,775

-44.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.32 VES 29.1K

$54.1 UYU 2,177

-38.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.43 VES 24.9K

$19.68 UYU 791

44.46%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 VES 4,461

$12.33 UYU 496

-58.64%

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

$153 VES 133.7K

$613 UYU 24.7K

-75.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,068 VES 6.2M

$11.0K UYU 444.3K

-36.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.67 VES 24.2K

$103 UYU 4,134

-73.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.70 VES 28.6K

$56.1 UYU 2,255

-41.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.6 VES 53.9K

$124 UYU 5,000

-50.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.1 VES 50.8K

$130 UYU 5,214

-55.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$161 VES 140.5K

$705 UYU 28.4K

-77.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$91.8 VES 80.3K

$575 UYU 23.1K

-84.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$305 VES 266.7K

$1,139 UYU 45.8K

-73.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$198 VES 173.3K

$1,016 UYU 40.8K

-80.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$751 VES 656.9K

$3,349 UYU 134.6K

-77.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$508 VES 444.1K

$1,942 UYU 78.1K

-73.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$214 VES 187.2K

$1,229 UYU 49.4K

-82.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

248.43%

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

Last update for Maracaibo: October 6, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Maracaibo

$242 30.9%

Montevideo

$332 18.7% 37.3% $90

Eating Out

Maracaibo

$172 22%

Montevideo

$271 15.2% 57.5% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maracaibo

$95 12.2%

Montevideo

$255 14.3% 168% $160

Accommodation & Living

Maracaibo

$92 11.7%

Montevideo

$575 32.3% 527% $484

Clothing & Footwear

Maracaibo

$81 10.3%

Montevideo

$186 10.4% 129% $105

Getting Around

Maracaibo

$58 7.4%

Montevideo

$84 4.7% 44.3% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Maracaibo

$44 5.6%

Montevideo

$79 4.4% 81.1% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $161 in Maracaibo and $705 in Montevideo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montevideo pays 474% 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 $67.0 in Montevideo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $242 vs $332 per month, with Maracaibo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇪 Maracaibo

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🕒 Local time

23:42 11:42 PM

00:42 12:42 AM

1 h ahead of Maracaibo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,000,000

1,319,108 Capital

💱 Currency

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 VES = 1.14 USD

1,000 VES = 1.02 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, 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 = 875 VES (1,000 VES = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 981 VES (1,000 VES = 1.02 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 40.21 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.1 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

USD to VES in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Maracaibo Montevideo 5,320 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Maracaibo
Montevideo

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 Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maracaibo is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 132% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 474% lower in Montevideo. 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: $161 in Maracaibo versus $705 in Montevideo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $153 in Maracaibo versus $613 in Montevideo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Montevideo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $781 in Maracaibo versus $1,813 in Montevideo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Maracaibo but tight or insufficient in Montevideo. 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 Montevideo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Maracaibo and Montevideo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Maracaibo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 132% less than in Montevideo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.