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: $734 in Maracaibo versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,244 in Maracaibo versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,754 in Maracaibo versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Maracaibo costs roughly 42% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Maracaibo 45% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.37 VES 5,777

$4.70 ฿153

120.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.97 VES 22.3K

$45.37 ฿1,482

-11.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.82 VES 4,915

$8.43 ฿275

4.63%

Cappuccino

$2.65 VES 1,476

$2.93 ฿95.6

-9.56%

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

$1.20 VES 671

$0.69 ฿22.40

73.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 VES 724

$0.37 ฿11.99

251.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 VES 1,290

$2.41 ฿78.6

-3.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 VES 1,643

$3.72 ฿122

-20.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 VES 996

$2.23 ฿72.9

-19.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 VES 1,080

$1.83 ฿59.8

6.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 VES 607

$2.17 ฿70.8

-49.77%

Eggs

$3.19 VES 1,775

$2.21 ฿72.3

44.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.95 VES 3,318

$19.74 ฿645

-69.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.39 VES 3,003

$3.63 ฿119

48.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.08 VES 3,386

$13.53 ฿442

-55.06%

Apples (1kg)

$4.51 VES 2,513

$3.28 ฿107

37.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 VES 769

$1.61 ฿52.6

-14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 VES 954

$2.41 ฿78.6

-29.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 VES 820

$2.08 ฿68.1

-29.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 VES 649

$1.53 ฿49.93

-24.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 VES 905

$1.48 ฿48.36

9.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 VES 564

$0.99 ฿32.29

2.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 VES 889

$0.51 ฿16.67

213.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.43 VES 1,914

$4.41 ฿144

-22.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.97 VES 4,997

$19.38 ฿633

-53.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 VES 591

$1.78 ฿58.1

-40.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 VES 1,473

$2.71 ฿88.6

-2.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 VES 287

$1.37 ฿44.79

-62.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.83 VES 23.3K

$11.39 ฿372

267.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 VES 2,290

$3.02 ฿98.6

36.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 VES 1,087

$0.99 ฿32.48

96.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.77 VES 9,900

$14.10 ฿461

26.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.48 VES 269

$1.36 ฿44.51

-64.71%

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

$22.2K VES 12.4M

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-21.28%

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

$31.0K VES 17.3M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-5.76%

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

$16.22 VES 9,038

$122 ฿3,975

-86.67%

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

$9.02 VES 5,028

$13.57 ฿443

-33.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.85 VES 14.4K

$18.31 ฿598

41.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.34 VES 19.1K

$60.2 ฿1,967

-42.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.43 VES 13.1K

$17.14 ฿560

36.70%

Cinema Ticket

$5.04 VES 2,807

$8.69 ฿284

-42.00%

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

$112 VES 62.5K

$693 ฿22.6K

-83.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.9K VES 7.8M

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-11.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.75 VES 23.3K

$59.5 ฿1,944

-29.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.17 VES 23.5K

$34.77 ฿1,136

21.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.8 VES 32.2K

$115 ฿3,743

-49.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.3 VES 33.6K

$83.3 ฿2,720

-27.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$180 VES 100.5K

$613 ฿20.0K

-70.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$101 VES 56.0K

$437 ฿14.3K

-77.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$330 VES 183.7K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-84.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$209 VES 116.6K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-86.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$759 VES 423.0K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-79.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$502 VES 279.5K

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-80.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$196 VES 109.5K

$508 ฿16.6K

-61.34%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $180 in Maracaibo and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 159% 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 $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $221 vs $293 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 72% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 159% 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 $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $112 in Maracaibo versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $734 in Maracaibo versus $1,265 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 72% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.