Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Maracaibo Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Maracaibo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $745 in Maracaibo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,249 in Maracaibo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,753 in Maracaibo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 68% more expensive than in Maracaibo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Maracaibo 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$10.59 VES 7,784

-57.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$40.33 VES 29.6K

14.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$8.79 VES 6,458

0.57%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.75 VES 2,025

11.27%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.15 VES 844

-36.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$1.30 VES 956

-69.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.20 VES 1,614

10.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.03 VES 2,228

24.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.72 VES 1,266

31.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$2.01 VES 1,476

-9.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.11 VES 817

102.70%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$3.04 VES 2,236

-25.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$5.90 VES 4,335

230.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$5.27 VES 3,874

-30.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$6.34 VES 4,657

105.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$4.31 VES 3,166

-25.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.37 VES 1,007

18.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.68 VES 1,238

41.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.48 VES 1,084

37.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.17 VES 861

30.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.69 VES 1,241

-11.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.99 VES 726

-1.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$1.63 VES 1,202

-68.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.44 VES 2,529

29.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$9.27 VES 6,814

97.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.07 VES 783

73.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.65 VES 1,946

1.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.49 VES 358

187.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$42.21 VES 31.0K

-72.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$3.90 VES 2,866

-20.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$1.96 VES 1,443

-46.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$17.73 VES 13.0K

-20.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.52 VES 380

151.92%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$22.8K VES 16.8M

21.89%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$31.2K VES 22.9M

6.42%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$16.36 VES 12.0K

648.41%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$8.61 VES 6,328

57.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$25.41 VES 18.7K

-26.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$34.13 VES 25.1K

77.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$23.62 VES 17.4K

-28.11%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$4.97 VES 3,650

82.49%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$111 VES 81.7K

535.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$14.3K VES 10.5M

10.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$41.23 VES 30.3K

42.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$41.87 VES 30.8K

-15.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$58.7 VES 43.1K

96.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$59.6 VES 43.8K

40.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$181 VES 132.7K

246.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$102 VES 75.1K

335.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$327 VES 240.4K

523.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$213 VES 156.3K

602.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$763 VES 561.2K

356.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$497 VES 365.6K

418.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$198 VES 145.8K

152.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

26.6

-79.96%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Maracaibo: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $181 in Maracaibo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 152% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $40.00 in Maracaibo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 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

Phuket vs Maracaibo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maracaibo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 68% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 152% higher in Phuket, 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: $626 in Phuket versus $181 in Maracaibo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket 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 31% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $745 in Maracaibo versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Maracaibo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. 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 Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Maracaibo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Maracaibo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.