Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Maracaibo Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Maracaibo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $745 in Maracaibo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,249 in Maracaibo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,753 in Maracaibo.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 95% more expensive than in Maracaibo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Maracaibo is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$10.59 VES 7,784

23.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$40.33 VES 29.6K

33.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$8.79 VES 6,458

10.13%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.75 VES 2,025

36.00%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.15 VES 844

40.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$1.30 VES 956

-10.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.20 VES 1,614

46.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$3.03 VES 2,228

56.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.72 VES 1,266

-4.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$2.01 VES 1,476

36.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.11 VES 817

68.47%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$3.04 VES 2,236

-17.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$5.90 VES 4,335

72.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$5.27 VES 3,874

56.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$6.34 VES 4,657

86.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$4.31 VES 3,166

-30.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.37 VES 1,007

32.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$1.68 VES 1,238

19.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$1.48 VES 1,084

35.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.17 VES 861

77.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.69 VES 1,241

34.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.99 VES 726

47.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$1.63 VES 1,202

-33.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$3.44 VES 2,529

26.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$9.27 VES 6,814

83.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.07 VES 783

61.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$2.65 VES 1,946

35.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.49 VES 358

-20.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$42.21 VES 31.0K

-55.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$3.90 VES 2,866

-65.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$1.96 VES 1,443

-85.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$17.73 VES 13.0K

-70.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$0.52 VES 380

157.69%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$22.8K VES 16.8M

-14.94%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$31.2K VES 22.9M

-23.65%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$16.36 VES 12.0K

148.72%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$8.61 VES 6,328

212.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$25.41 VES 18.7K

20.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$34.13 VES 25.1K

54.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$23.62 VES 17.4K

12.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$4.97 VES 3,650

30.99%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$111 VES 81.7K

285.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$14.3K VES 10.5M

-26.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$41.23 VES 30.3K

38.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$41.87 VES 30.8K

8.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$58.7 VES 43.1K

77.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$59.6 VES 43.8K

81.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$181 VES 132.7K

455.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$102 VES 75.1K

509.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$327 VES 240.4K

544.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$213 VES 156.3K

473.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$763 VES 561.2K

408.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$497 VES 365.6K

308.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$198 VES 145.8K

423.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

26.6

-57.37%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Maracaibo: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $181 in Maracaibo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 423% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $40.00 in Maracaibo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $220 per month, with Maracaibo cheaper across the board.

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

Mexico City vs Maracaibo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maracaibo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 95% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 423% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $181 in Maracaibo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $111 in Maracaibo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $745 in Maracaibo versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Maracaibo but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Maracaibo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Maracaibo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Maracaibo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 95% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.