Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Merida, Venezuela and Maracaibo

For one person, living is cheaper in Maracaibo: $787 a month against $814 in Merida, rent and utilities included – about $320 less a year. The total is higher in Merida despite lower rent and utilities.

39

Cost of Living Index in Merida
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Merida Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Maracaibo
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Maracaibo Living Index

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Merida

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$814

/mo nomad

Maracaibo

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$787

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Merida 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 Merida and in Maracaibo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $814 in Merida versus $787 in Maracaibo.

Merida $814
Maracaibo $787

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Merida versus $1,306 in Maracaibo.

Merida $1,415
Maracaibo $1,306

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,015 in Merida versus $1,825 in Maracaibo.

Merida $2,015
Maracaibo $1,825

Living in Merida is roughly 3% more expensive than in Maracaibo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Merida 40% lower, Maracaibo 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.12 VES 10.8K

$10.59 VES 9,455

14.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.9 VES 52.6K

$39.84 VES 35.6K

47.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 VES 9,947

$8.87 VES 7,921

25.59%

Cappuccino

$2.44 VES 2,180

$2.74 VES 2,444

-10.95%

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

$2.14 VES 1,906

$1.18 VES 1,056

81.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 VES 1,167

$1.36 VES 1,212

-3.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 VES 1,819

$2.32 VES 2,067

-12.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 VES 2,647

$2.97 VES 2,647

-0.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 VES 1,826

$2.03 VES 1,814

0.99%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 VES 2,906

$2.16 VES 1,927

50.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 VES 1,716

$1.04 VES 931

84.62%

Eggs

$2.50 VES 2,236

$3.72 VES 3,319

-32.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.78 VES 6,049

$6.61 VES 5,896

2.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.84 VES 7,001

$6.48 VES 5,782

20.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 VES 6,786

$7.42 VES 6,626

2.43%

Apples (1kg)

$5.02 VES 4,484

$4.80 VES 4,281

4.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 VES 1,249

$1.42 VES 1,264

-1.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 VES 2,502

$1.60 VES 1,427

75.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 VES 2,027

$1.40 VES 1,253

62.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 VES 1,840

$1.17 VES 1,047

76.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 VES 1,171

$1.71 VES 1,524

-23.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 VES 1,337

$1.03 VES 916

45.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 VES 2,254

$1.95 VES 1,742

29.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 VES 3,313

$2.91 VES 2,599

27.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.91 VES 9,743

$8.91 VES 7,952

22.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 VES 1,250

$1.09 VES 972

28.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 VES 1,967

$2.72 VES 2,432

-19.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 VES 281

$0.47 VES 419

-34.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.03 VES 37.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 VES 3,670

$3.90 VES 3,485

5.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 VES 1,361

$1.96 VES 1,745

-22.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.93 VES 5,290

$17.22 VES 15.4K

-65.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.73 VES 652

$0.68 VES 609

7.35%

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

$44.6K VES 39.8M

$14.9K VES 13.3M

199.14%

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

$49.2K VES 43.9M

$28.1K VES 25.1M

75.07%

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

$12.43 VES 11.1K

$64.2 VES 57.3K

-80.64%

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

$10.35 VES 9,235

$7.13 VES 6,367

45.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.13 VES 26.9K

$25.11 VES 22.4K

19.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.77 VES 26.6K

$33.45 VES 29.9K

-11.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.15 VES 13.5K

$28.26 VES 25.2K

-46.39%

Cinema Ticket

$4.96 VES 4,429

$4.93 VES 4,397

0.61%

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

$87.0 VES 77.7K

$149 VES 133.2K

-41.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,440 VES 2.2M

$7,312 VES 6.5M

-66.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.6 VES 66.6K

$27.95 VES 24.9K

166.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.01 VES 37.5K

$32.06 VES 28.6K

31.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 VES 88.0K

$60.1 VES 53.7K

63.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.3 VES 86.0K

$58.2 VES 51.9K

65.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$136 VES 121.1K

$160 VES 142.9K

-15.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$91.5 VES 81.7K

$92.9 VES 82.9K

-1.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$222 VES 198.1K

$304 VES 271.8K

-27.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 VES 171.5K

$201 VES 179.5K

-4.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,192 VES 1.1M

$747 VES 667.2K

59.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,216 VES 1.1M

$510 VES 454.9K

138.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$286 VES 255.3K

$218 VES 195.0K

30.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

25.00%

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

Last update for Merida: November 1, 2026

Last update for Maracaibo: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Merida

$287 35.3%

Maracaibo

$244 31.1% 15% $43

Eating Out

Merida

$190 23.3%

Maracaibo

$172 21.8% 9.3% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Merida

$140 17.2%

Maracaibo

$80 10.2% 42.8% $60

Accommodation & Living

Merida

$91 11.2%

Maracaibo

$93 11.8% 1.6% $1.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Merida

$53 6.5%

Maracaibo

$96 12.3% 82.3% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Merida

$40 4.9%

Maracaibo

$43 5.5% 9.1% $3.6

Getting Around

Merida

$13 * 1.6%

Maracaibo

$58 7.3% 343% $45

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $136 in Merida and $160 in Maracaibo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Merida pays 31% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $59 in Merida vs $40 in Maracaibo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $287 vs $244 per month, with Maracaibo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇪 Merida

🇻🇪 Maracaibo

🕒 Local time

18:26 6:26 PM

Same time as Merida

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

250,303

2,000,000

💱 Currency

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 VES = 11.2 USD

10,000 VES = 9.98 EUR

10,000 VES = 11.2 USD

10,000 VES = 9.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

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Merida Maracaibo 240 km

From you

Merida
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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

Merida vs Maracaibo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maracaibo is about 3% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, groceries, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 31% higher in Merida, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $136 in Merida versus $160 in Maracaibo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $87 in Merida versus $149 in Maracaibo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Maracaibo – a meal for two runs $40 versus $59 in Merida. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Maracaibo 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.

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