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: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $783 in Maracaibo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $1,303 in Maracaibo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $1,823 in Maracaibo.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 114% more expensive than in Maracaibo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Maracaibo is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$10.44 VES 8,665

16.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$916

$40.65 VES 33.8K

32.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$9.04 VES 7,510

22.68%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.6

$2.67 VES 2,219

53.56%

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

$1.68 MX$28.57

$1.14 VES 944

47.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.58

$1.33 VES 1,106

4.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.6

$2.24 VES 1,858

48.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.9

$2.92 VES 2,428

101.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.45

$1.78 VES 1,476

3.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.9

$2.11 VES 1,750

50.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.18

$1.03 VES 856

100.97%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.74

$3.73 VES 3,101

-21.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$6.70 VES 5,560

87.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$6.47 VES 5,370

56.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$7.47 VES 6,199

115.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.6

$4.72 VES 3,916

-28.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.31

$1.37 VES 1,135

51.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.02

$1.55 VES 1,290

36.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$41.01

$1.41 VES 1,174

70.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.17

$1.23 VES 1,021

73.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.07

$1.75 VES 1,449

14.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$0.98 VES 810

58.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.19

$2.03 VES 1,684

-33.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$98.0

$2.97 VES 2,464

94.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$8.97 VES 7,447

97.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.16

$1.09 VES 903

89.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.4

$2.61 VES 2,171

76.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

$0.43 VES 360

-13.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$360

$41.84 VES 34.7K

-49.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.89

$4.11 VES 3,416

-50.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.80

$2.04 VES 1,692

-71.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$17.34 VES 14.4K

-64.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.38

$0.66 VES 546

134.85%

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

$22.9K MX$388.6K

$14.9K VES 12.4M

53.56%

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

$27.2K MX$462.7K

$28.5K VES 23.7M

-4.40%

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

$67.4 MX$1,145

$63.0 VES 52.3K

7.00%

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

$30.62 MX$520

$7.31 VES 6,072

318.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$633

$25.06 VES 20.8K

48.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,044

$33.94 VES 28.2K

81.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$461

$28.21 VES 23.4K

-3.86%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

$5.07 VES 4,211

40.24%

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

$456 MX$7,750

$153 VES 127.0K

198.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.6K

$7,201 VES 6.0M

90.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,260

$27.67 VES 23.0K

168.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$969

$32.17 VES 26.7K

77.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,961

$61.3 VES 50.9K

88.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,064

$57.5 VES 47.8K

111.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$162 VES 134.8K

606.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.1K

$93.1 VES 77.3K

662.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.8K

$298 VES 247.4K

765.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$197 VES 163.4K

558.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$68.0K

$743 VES 616.6K

439.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.2K

$506 VES 420.6K

320.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$200 VES 166.3K

440.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

-43.50%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Maracaibo: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $162 in Maracaibo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 440% 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 $41.00 in Maracaibo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $242 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 114% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 440% 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $162 in Maracaibo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $153 in Maracaibo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $783 in Maracaibo versus $1,677 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 114% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.