Cost of Living Comparison Between Maracaibo and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Maracaibo and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $745 in Maracaibo versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,249 in Maracaibo versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,753 in Maracaibo versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Maracaibo costs roughly 40% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Maracaibo 44% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.59 VES 7,784

$4.55 ฿153

132.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.33 VES 29.6K

$46.18 ฿1,554

-12.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.79 VES 6,458

$8.84 ฿298

-0.57%

Cappuccino

$2.75 VES 2,025

$3.06 ฿103

-10.13%

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

$1.15 VES 844

$0.73 ฿24.42

57.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 VES 956

$0.40 ฿13.40

225.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 VES 1,614

$2.43 ฿81.8

-9.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 VES 2,228

$3.78 ฿127

-19.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 VES 1,266

$2.26 ฿76.0

-23.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 VES 1,476

$1.81 ฿60.9

11.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 VES 817

$2.25 ฿75.8

-50.67%

Eggs

$3.04 VES 2,236

$2.25 ฿75.6

35.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.90 VES 4,335

$19.51 ฿656

-69.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.27 VES 3,874

$3.65 ฿123

44.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.34 VES 4,657

$13.05 ฿439

-51.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.31 VES 3,166

$3.23 ฿109

33.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 VES 1,007

$1.62 ฿54.4

-15.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 VES 1,238

$2.38 ฿80.2

-29.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 VES 1,084

$2.03 ฿68.2

-27.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 VES 861

$1.53 ฿51.6

-23.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 VES 1,241

$1.50 ฿50.5

12.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 VES 726

$0.98 ฿32.93

1.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 VES 1,202

$0.52 ฿17.40

213.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 VES 2,529

$4.44 ฿149

-22.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.27 VES 6,814

$18.32 ฿616

-49.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 VES 783

$1.86 ฿62.7

-42.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 VES 1,946

$2.68 ฿90.2

-1.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 VES 358

$1.41 ฿47.49

-65.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.21 VES 31.0K

$11.70 ฿394

260.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.90 VES 2,866

$3.11 ฿105

25.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 VES 1,443

$1.04 ฿35.08

88.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.73 VES 13.0K

$14.11 ฿475

25.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.52 VES 380

$1.31 ฿44.13

-60.31%

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

$22.8K VES 16.8M

$27.8K ฿936.0K

-17.96%

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

$31.2K VES 22.9M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-6.03%

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

$16.36 VES 12.0K

$122 ฿4,120

-86.64%

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

$8.61 VES 6,328

$13.59 ฿457

-36.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.41 VES 18.7K

$18.70 ฿629

35.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.13 VES 25.1K

$60.5 ฿2,035

-43.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.62 VES 17.4K

$16.98 ฿572

39.10%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 VES 3,650

$9.07 ฿305

-45.20%

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

$111 VES 81.7K

$706 ฿23.8K

-84.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.3K VES 10.5M

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-9.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.23 VES 30.3K

$58.6 ฿1,970

-29.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.87 VES 30.8K

$35.36 ฿1,190

18.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.7 VES 43.1K

$115 ฿3,885

-49.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.6 VES 43.8K

$83.7 ฿2,818

-28.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$181 VES 132.7K

$626 ฿21.1K

-71.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$102 VES 75.1K

$445 ฿15.0K

-77.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$327 VES 240.4K

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-83.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$213 VES 156.3K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-85.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$763 VES 561.2K

$3,483 ฿117.2K

-78.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$497 VES 365.6K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-80.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$198 VES 145.8K

$500 ฿16.8K

-60.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

26.6

5.33

399.06%

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

Last update for Maracaibo: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $181 in Maracaibo and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 152% 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 $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $220 vs $289 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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maracaibo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 68% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 152% lower in Phuket. 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 $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $111 in Maracaibo versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $745 in Maracaibo versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Maracaibo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. 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 Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Maracaibo and Phuket 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 68% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.