Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Merced, CA and Caracas

For one person, living is cheaper in Caracas: $1,338 a month against $2,528 in Merced, CA, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Merced, CA
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Merced, CA Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Caracas
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Caracas Living Index

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Merced, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,528

/mo nomad

Caracas

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$1,338

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Merced, CA and in Caracas

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

A single person spends $2,528 per month in Merced, CA vs $1,338 in Caracas, rent included.

Merced, CA $2,528
Caracas $1,338

A couple spends around $3,698 per month in Merced, CA vs $2,238 in Caracas, rent included.

Merced, CA $3,698
Caracas $2,238

A family of three spends $4,868 per month in Merced, CA vs $3,138 in Caracas, rent included.

Merced, CA $4,868
Caracas $3,138

Merced, CA costs about 89% more than Caracas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Merced, CA sits 87% above the global median, while Caracas is 1% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 $17.30

$10.82 VES 9,501

59.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.53 $39.53

$67.1 VES 58.9K

-41.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.13 $12.13

$10.83 VES 9,507

12.00%

Cappuccino

$5.67 $5.67

$3.71 VES 3,258

52.83%

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

$2.47 $2.47

$1.57 VES 1,380

57.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.31 VES 1,148

12.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.15 $9.15

$1.97 VES 1,730

364.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.14 $10.14

$3.06 VES 2,690

231.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$2.69 VES 2,364

-53.90%

White Bread (500g)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.24 VES 1,967

93.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.18 $4.18

$1.90 VES 1,668

120.00%

Eggs

$5.69 $5.69

$4.76 VES 4,181

19.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.30 $19.30

$10.24 VES 8,987

88.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.22 $14.22

$9.35 VES 8,207

52.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.62 $21.62

$11.49 VES 10.1K

88.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$7.28 VES 6,388

-38.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.06 VES 1,805

-1.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.41 $5.41

$2.16 VES 1,893

150.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$2.27 VES 1,996

136.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.27 VES 1,990

53.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.16 VES 1,901

37.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.64 VES 1,438

48.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.36 VES 2,072

8.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.89 $11.89

$4.68 VES 4,110

154.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.78 $15.78

$11.92 VES 10.5K

32.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.43 VES 1,252

69.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$2.05 VES 1,799

66.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.52 VES 459

186.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.9 $59.9

$30.37 VES 26.7K

97.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 $3.05

$4.92 VES 4,317

-38.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.81 VES 2,464

-40.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.51 $26.51

$14.91 VES 13.1K

77.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$0.88 VES 769

50.00%

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

$37.3K $37.3K

$24.8K VES 21.8M

50.12%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$38.1K VES 33.5M

-32.43%

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

$237 $237

$21.49 VES 18.9K

1004.93%

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

$29.93 $29.93

$11.73 VES 10.3K

155.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.7 $82.7

$38.50 VES 33.8K

114.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.75 $32.75

$65.8 VES 57.8K

-50.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.11 $14.11

$17.81 VES 15.6K

-20.77%

Cinema Ticket

$16.87 $16.87

$6.35 VES 5,573

165.67%

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

$1,851 $1,851

$157 VES 138.0K

1077.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.5K $40.5K

$6,098 VES 5.4M

564.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 $59.9

$81.0 VES 71.1K

-26.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 $50.7

$50.1 VES 44.0K

1.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 $100.0

$133 VES 117.0K

-25.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$134 VES 117.7K

-10.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,638 $1,638

$608 VES 534.1K

169.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,082 $1,082

$428 VES 375.9K

152.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 $2,012

$1,113 VES 977.4K

80.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,905 $1,905

$872 VES 765.6K

118.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,890 $2,890

$1,462 VES 1.3M

97.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,896 $2,896

$670 VES 587.9K

332.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,329 $3,329

$303 VES 265.6K

1000.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.36

-71.09%

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

Last update for Merced, CA: October 10, 2026

Last update for Caracas: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Merced, CA

$1.1K 42.8%

Caracas

$428 32% 60.4% $654

Groceries & Markets

Merced, CA

$479 19%

Caracas

$338 25.2% 29.6% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Merced, CA

$350 13.9%

Caracas

$72 5.4% 79.5% $278

Eating Out

Merced, CA

$325 12.8%

Caracas

$191 14.3% 41.1% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Merced, CA

$149 5.9%

Caracas

$179 13.4% 20.7% $31

Getting Around

Merced, CA

$77 3.1%

Caracas

$51 3.8% 33.4% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Merced, CA

$66 2.6%

Caracas

$79 5.9% 18.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,638 in Merced, CA versus $608 in Caracas. 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 1000% higher in Merced, CA, 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 $40.00 in Merced, CA versus $67.0 in Caracas. Groceries tell a different story – $479 in Merced, CA vs $338 in Caracas – so Caracas wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Merced, CA

🇻🇪 Caracas

🕒 Local time

08:39 8:39 AM

11:39 11:39 AM

3 h ahead of Merced, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

83,316

3,274,000 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

1,000 VES = 1.14 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VES, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇻🇪 Venezuelan Bolívar (Bs.S)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 878 VES (1,000 VES = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 987 VES (1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR).

VES to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Merced, CA Caracas 6,110 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Merced, CA
Caracas

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

Merced, CA vs Caracas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Merced, CA is pricier by about 89%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,793 per month in Merced, CA and $2,007 in Caracas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 97% less in Caracas. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,851 per month in Merced, CA and $157 in Caracas. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Caracas, where all-in costs run around $1,338, than in Merced, CA at $2,528. In Caracas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Merced, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Caracas – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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