Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maracaibo and Puerto la Cruz

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto la Cruz: $745 a month against $784 in Maracaibo, rent and utilities included – about $470 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Maracaibo outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

38

Cost of Living Index in Maracaibo
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Maracaibo Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Puerto la Cruz
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Puerto la Cruz Living Index

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Maracaibo

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$784

/mo nomad

Puerto la Cruz

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$745

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Maracaibo and in Puerto la Cruz

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 Puerto la Cruz actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $784 in Maracaibo versus $745 in Puerto la Cruz.

Maracaibo $784
Puerto la Cruz $745

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,297 in Maracaibo versus $1,322 in Puerto la Cruz.

Maracaibo $1,297
Puerto la Cruz $1,322

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,811 in Maracaibo versus $1,899 in Puerto la Cruz.

Maracaibo $1,811
Puerto la Cruz $1,899

Living in Maracaibo is roughly 5% more expensive than in Puerto la Cruz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Maracaibo 42% lower, Puerto la Cruz 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.33 VES 9,151

$10.09 VES 8,937

2.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.75 VES 35.2K

$60.8 VES 53.9K

-34.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.77 VES 7,767

$7.53 VES 6,667

16.47%

Cappuccino

$2.75 VES 2,439

$3.59 VES 3,182

-23.40%

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

$1.15 VES 1,019

$0.66 VES 587

74.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 VES 1,158

$0.48 VES 426

172.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 VES 1,961

$1.22 VES 1,084

81.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 VES 2,725

$1.54 VES 1,368

100.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 VES 1,742

$1.97 VES 1,749

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 VES 1,872

$1.22 VES 1,079

72.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.07 VES 952

$1.24 VES 1,095

-13.71%

Eggs

$3.78 VES 3,347

$2.35 VES 2,083

60.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.55 VES 5,803

$6.94 VES 6,145

-5.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.38 VES 5,655

$8.77 VES 7,772

-27.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.37 VES 6,527

$10.99 VES 9,734

-32.94%

Apples (1kg)

$4.82 VES 4,274

$7.24 VES 6,410

-33.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 VES 1,201

$1.28 VES 1,135

6.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 VES 1,384

$0.48 VES 429

225.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 VES 1,204

$2.27 VES 2,008

-40.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 VES 1,094

$2.22 VES 1,966

-44.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 VES 1,542

$2.14 VES 1,898

-18.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 VES 902

$1.62 VES 1,435

-37.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 VES 1,755

$1.64 VES 1,452

20.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.93 VES 2,595

$4.07 VES 3,605

-28.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.08 VES 8,047

$7.78 VES 6,889

16.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 VES 966

$0.98 VES 865

11.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 VES 2,322

$1.51 VES 1,341

73.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 VES 416

$0.36 VES 322

30.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.53 VES 37.7K

$30.65 VES 27.2K

38.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 VES 3,618

$2.91 VES 2,581

40.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 VES 1,727

$2.70 VES 2,396

-27.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.66 VES 15.6K

$9.87 VES 8,741

78.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.74 VES 656

$0.52 VES 462

42.31%

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

$15.2K VES 13.4M

$25.3K VES 22.4M

-40.09%

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

$27.6K VES 24.4M

$39.0K VES 34.5M

-29.17%

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

$62.5 VES 55.3K

$22.07 VES 19.6K

183.01%

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

$7.45 VES 6,598

$9.98 VES 8,845

-25.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.27 VES 22.4K

$27.71 VES 24.6K

-8.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.17 VES 29.4K

$30.56 VES 27.1K

8.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.71 VES 25.4K

$25.36 VES 22.5K

13.21%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 VES 4,328

$4.88 VES 4,325

0.20%

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

$148 VES 130.9K

$60.8 VES 53.9K

143.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,133 VES 6.3M

$2,941 VES 2.6M

142.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.31 VES 24.2K

$48.33 VES 42.8K

-43.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.34 VES 28.6K

$34.15 VES 30.3K

-5.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.9 VES 54.9K

$45.42 VES 40.2K

36.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.7 VES 50.2K

$47.28 VES 41.9K

19.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$159 VES 141.1K

$150 VES 132.7K

6.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$95.2 VES 84.3K

$96.1 VES 85.2K

-0.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$301 VES 266.6K

$311 VES 275.5K

-3.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$196 VES 173.9K

$204 VES 180.5K

-3.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$765 VES 677.7K

$741 VES 656.7K

3.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$508 VES 449.6K

$372 VES 329.1K

36.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$215 VES 190.6K

$229 VES 203.1K

-6.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

33.33%

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

Last update for Maracaibo: October 26, 2026

Last update for Puerto la Cruz: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Maracaibo

$243 31%

Puerto la Cruz

$262 35.1% 7.6% $19

Eating Out

Maracaibo

$169 21.6%

Puerto la Cruz

$160 21.5% 5.2% $8.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maracaibo

$95 12.1%

Puerto la Cruz

$60 8% 37.2% $35

Accommodation & Living

Maracaibo

$95 12.1%

Puerto la Cruz

$96 12.9% 1% $1

Clothing & Footwear

Maracaibo

$80 10.2%

Puerto la Cruz

$79 10.6% 1.7% $1.4

Getting Around

Maracaibo

$58 7.4%

Puerto la Cruz

$49 6.5% 16.7% $9.7

Sport & Entertainment

Maracaibo

$43 5.5%

Puerto la Cruz

$40 5.4% 6.1% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $159 in Maracaibo and $150 in Puerto la Cruz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Puerto la Cruz pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40 in Maracaibo vs $61 in Puerto la Cruz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $262 per month, with Maracaibo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇪 Maracaibo

🇻🇪 Puerto la Cruz

🕒 Local time

19:14 7:14 PM

Same time as Maracaibo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,000,000

272,231

💱 Currency

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 VES = 1.13 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR

1,000 VES = 1.13 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Maracaibo Puerto la Cruz 770 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Maracaibo
Puerto la Cruz

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 Puerto la Cruz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto la Cruz is about 5% cheaper overall, especially in transport, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Maracaibo. 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: $159 in Maracaibo versus $150 in Puerto la Cruz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $148 in Maracaibo versus $61 in Puerto la Cruz. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Maracaibo pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Puerto la Cruz gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.