Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maracay and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Maracay: $729 a month against $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rio de Janeiro outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

36

Cost of Living Index in Maracay
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Maracay Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

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Maracay

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$729

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Maracay and in Rio de Janeiro

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 Rio de Janeiro actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $729 per month in Maracay vs $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Maracay $729
Rio de Janeiro $1,285

A couple spends around $1,242 per month in Maracay vs $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Maracay $1,242
Rio de Janeiro $1,888

A family of three spends $1,755 per month in Maracay vs $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Maracay $1,755
Rio de Janeiro $2,491

Maracay is about 43% cheaper than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Maracay and Rio de Janeiro are more affordable than the global median – Maracay 46% lower, Rio de Janeiro 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.85 VES 4,245

$9.98 R$49.78

-51.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.14 VES 29.0K

$40.34 R$201

-17.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.63 VES 6,669

$8.48 R$42.31

-10.02%

Cappuccino

$1.68 VES 1,472

$2.36 R$11.79

-28.81%

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

$1.17 VES 1,023

$1.63 R$8.12

-28.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.20 VES 1,054

$1.01 R$5.06

18.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 VES 1,075

$2.44 R$12.17

-49.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 VES 2,641

$3.69 R$18.41

-18.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.68 VES 2,346

$1.15 R$5.71

133.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 VES 2,006

$2.07 R$10.33

10.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 VES 900

$1.29 R$6.41

-20.16%

Eggs

$2.62 VES 2,294

$2.27 R$11.31

15.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.53 VES 5,709

$11.00 R$54.8

-40.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.74 VES 5,016

$4.31 R$21.48

33.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.54 VES 7,467

$9.74 R$48.58

-12.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.28 VES 3,739

$2.83 R$14.10

51.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 VES 1,722

$1.84 R$9.16

7.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 VES 1,937

$1.60 R$7.95

38.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 VES 2,069

$1.80 R$8.99

31.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 VES 2,027

$1.26 R$6.27

84.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 VES 1,921

$1.07 R$5.33

105.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 VES 1,386

$0.75 R$3.75

110.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 VES 2,013

$0.66 R$3.29

248.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.48 VES 2,173

$3.05 R$15.19

-18.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.15 VES 8,877

$8.18 R$40.79

24.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 VES 1,018

$1.19 R$5.91

-2.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 VES 1,487

$2.39 R$11.91

-28.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 VES 419

$1.01 R$5.05

-52.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.78 VES 17.3K

$50.2 R$250

-60.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 VES 2,575

$1.27 R$6.33

131.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.71 VES 2,368

$0.90 R$4.50

201.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.01 VES 8,759

$9.44 R$47.08

6.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 VES 603

$1.33 R$6.64

-48.12%

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

$25.2K VES 22.0M

$23.4K R$116.8K

7.44%

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

$38.5K VES 33.7M

$33.6K R$167.4K

14.79%

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

$12.43 VES 10.9K

$134 R$666

-90.69%

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

$11.57 VES 10.1K

$12.23 R$61.0

-5.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.31 VES 33.5K

$22.65 R$113

69.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.71 VES 26.0K

$31.56 R$157

-5.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.89 VES 13.0K

$30.87 R$154

-51.77%

Cinema Ticket

$4.08 VES 3,569

$8.23 R$41.03

-50.43%

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

$74.6 VES 65.2K

$603 R$3,007

-87.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,979 VES 5.2M

$13.2K R$66.0K

-54.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.4 VES 45.8K

$41.62 R$208

25.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.16 VES 32.5K

$49.94 R$249

-25.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 VES 72.6K

$75.0 R$374

10.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.6 VES 81.8K

$68.3 R$341

36.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$228 VES 199.5K

$905 R$4,514

-74.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$108 VES 94.7K

$527 R$2,630

-79.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$569 VES 497.5K

$1,346 R$6,712

-57.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$278 VES 243.0K

$774 R$3,861

-64.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$448 VES 391.8K

$3,981 R$19.8K

-88.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$198 VES 172.8K

$1,562 R$7,789

-87.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$210 VES 183.3K

$643 R$3,206

-67.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

21.5

11.93

80.22%

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

Last update for Maracay: October 4, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Maracay

$267 36.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 19.6% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Maracay

$120 16.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 11.7% $14

Accommodation & Living

Maracay

$108 14.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41% 387% $419

Eating Out

Maracay

$104 14.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7% 58.2% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maracay

$62 8.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1% 170% $106

Getting Around

Maracay

$38 5.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 57.2% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Maracay

$38 5.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7% 26.8% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $228 in Maracay versus $905 in Rio de Janeiro. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 207% higher in Rio de Janeiro, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Maracay versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Groceries tell a different story – $267 in Maracay vs $215 in Rio de Janeiro – so Rio de Janeiro wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇻🇪 Maracay

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

23:36 11:36 PM

00:36 12:36 AM

1 h ahead of Maracay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

425,606

6,211,223

💱 Currency

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 VES = 1.14 USD

1,000 VES = 1.02 EUR

1 BRL = 0.201 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to VES – Venezuelan Bolívar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇪 Venezuelan Bolívar (Bs.S)

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 875 VES (1,000 VES = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 980 VES (1,000 VES = 1.02 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.201 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

USD to VES in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Maracay Rio de Janeiro 4,540 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Maracay
Rio de Janeiro

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 Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro costs about 76% more than Maracay, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,093 per month in Maracay and $1,927 in Rio de Janeiro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Maracay, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 24% cheaper in Rio de Janeiro – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Maracay and $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Maracay, where all-in costs run around $729, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,285. In Maracay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rio de Janeiro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Maracay costs $729 versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Maracay. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rio de Janeiro makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.