Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maracay and Maracaibo

For one person, living is cheaper in Maracay: $735 a month against $784 in Maracaibo, rent and utilities included – about $590 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Maracay
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Maracay Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Maracaibo
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Maracaibo Living Index

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Maracay

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$735

/mo nomad

Maracaibo

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$784

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Maracay and in Maracaibo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Maracay and in Maracaibo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $735 in Maracay versus $784 in Maracaibo.

Maracay $735
Maracaibo $784

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,245 in Maracay versus $1,297 in Maracaibo.

Maracay $1,245
Maracaibo $1,297

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,755 in Maracay versus $1,811 in Maracaibo.

Maracay $1,755
Maracaibo $1,811

Living in Maracay costs roughly 6% less than in Maracaibo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Maracay 46% lower, Maracaibo 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.93 VES 4,366

$10.33 VES 9,151

-52.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.44 VES 28.7K

$39.75 VES 35.2K

-18.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 VES 7,056

$8.77 VES 7,767

-9.24%

Cappuccino

$1.62 VES 1,439

$2.75 VES 2,439

-41.09%

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

$1.21 VES 1,069

$1.15 VES 1,019

5.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 VES 1,058

$1.31 VES 1,158

-9.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 VES 1,035

$2.21 VES 1,961

-47.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 VES 2,627

$3.08 VES 2,725

-3.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.68 VES 2,371

$1.97 VES 1,742

36.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 VES 2,066

$2.11 VES 1,872

10.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 VES 916

$1.07 VES 952

-3.74%

Eggs

$2.72 VES 2,411

$3.78 VES 3,347

-28.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.55 VES 5,807

$6.55 VES 5,803

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.59 VES 4,951

$6.38 VES 5,655

-12.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.14 VES 7,210

$7.37 VES 6,527

10.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 VES 3,636

$4.82 VES 4,274

-14.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 VES 1,818

$1.36 VES 1,201

50.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 VES 1,903

$1.56 VES 1,384

37.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 VES 2,013

$1.36 VES 1,204

66.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 VES 2,053

$1.23 VES 1,094

88.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 VES 1,944

$1.74 VES 1,542

25.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 VES 1,433

$1.02 VES 902

58.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 VES 2,015

$1.98 VES 1,755

14.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.52 VES 2,231

$2.93 VES 2,595

-13.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.88 VES 8,750

$9.08 VES 8,047

8.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 VES 1,001

$1.09 VES 966

3.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 VES 1,525

$2.62 VES 2,322

-34.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 VES 424

$0.47 VES 416

2.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.18 VES 17.9K

$42.53 VES 37.7K

-52.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 VES 2,675

$4.08 VES 3,618

-25.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.71 VES 2,398

$1.95 VES 1,727

38.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.94 VES 8,808

$17.66 VES 15.6K

-43.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 VES 610

$0.74 VES 656

-6.76%

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

$25.0K VES 22.2M

$15.2K VES 13.4M

65.11%

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

$39.3K VES 34.8M

$27.6K VES 24.4M

42.47%

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

$12.72 VES 11.3K

$62.5 VES 55.3K

-79.63%

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

$11.71 VES 10.4K

$7.45 VES 6,598

57.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.69 VES 34.3K

$25.27 VES 22.4K

53.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.13 VES 25.8K

$33.17 VES 29.4K

-12.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.30 VES 13.6K

$28.71 VES 25.4K

-46.71%

Cinema Ticket

$3.97 VES 3,516

$4.89 VES 4,328

-18.81%

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

$75.3 VES 66.7K

$148 VES 130.9K

-49.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,991 VES 5.3M

$7,133 VES 6.3M

-16.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.4 VES 46.4K

$27.31 VES 24.2K

91.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.03 VES 31.9K

$32.34 VES 28.6K

11.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.4 VES 73.0K

$61.9 VES 54.9K

33.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 VES 84.1K

$56.7 VES 50.2K

67.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$221 VES 195.6K

$159 VES 141.1K

38.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$108 VES 96.0K

$95.2 VES 84.3K

13.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$571 VES 505.6K

$301 VES 266.6K

89.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 VES 242.8K

$196 VES 173.9K

39.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$445 VES 393.9K

$765 VES 677.7K

-41.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$198 VES 175.7K

$508 VES 449.6K

-60.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$209 VES 185.4K

$215 VES 190.6K

-2.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

21.5

7.50%

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

Last update for Maracay: October 25, 2026

Last update for Maracaibo: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Maracay

$264 35.9%

Maracaibo

$243 31% 7.9% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Maracay

$120 16.3%

Maracaibo

$80 10.2% 32.9% $39

Accommodation & Living

Maracay

$108 14.8%

Maracaibo

$95 12.1% 12.2% $13

Eating Out

Maracay

$104 14.2%

Maracaibo

$169 21.6% 62.2% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maracay

$63 8.6%

Maracaibo

$95 12.1% 50.8% $32

Getting Around

Maracay

$39 5.3%

Maracaibo

$58 7.4% 50.7% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Maracay

$37 5%

Maracaibo

$43 5.5% 15.8% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $221 in Maracay and $159 in Maracaibo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Maracaibo pays 3% 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: $32 in Maracay vs $40 in Maracaibo. Groceries flip the comparison at $264 vs $243, with Maracaibo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇪 Maracay

🇻🇪 Maracaibo

🕒 Local time

16:28 4:28 PM

Same time as Maracay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

425,606

2,000,000

💱 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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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

Maracay vs Maracaibo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maracay is about 6% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Maracay. 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: $221 in Maracay versus $159 in Maracaibo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $75 in Maracay versus $148 in Maracaibo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Maracaibo pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Maracay wins on affordability, Maracaibo on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.