Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto la Cruz and Maracaibo

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto la Cruz: $745 a month against $784 in Maracaibo, rent and utilities included – about $470 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Maracaibo outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

36

Cost of Living Index in Puerto la Cruz
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Puerto la Cruz Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Maracaibo
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Maracaibo Living Index

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Puerto la Cruz

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$745

/mo nomad

Maracaibo

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$784

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $745 in Puerto la Cruz versus $784 in Maracaibo.

Puerto la Cruz $745
Maracaibo $784

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,322 in Puerto la Cruz versus $1,297 in Maracaibo.

Puerto la Cruz $1,322
Maracaibo $1,297

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,899 in Puerto la Cruz versus $1,811 in Maracaibo.

Puerto la Cruz $1,899
Maracaibo $1,811

Living in Puerto la Cruz costs roughly 5% less than in Maracaibo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Puerto la Cruz 45% lower, Maracaibo 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.09 VES 8,937

$10.33 VES 9,151

-2.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.8 VES 53.9K

$39.75 VES 35.2K

52.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.53 VES 6,667

$8.77 VES 7,767

-14.14%

Cappuccino

$3.59 VES 3,182

$2.75 VES 2,439

30.55%

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

$0.66 VES 587

$1.15 VES 1,019

-42.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 VES 426

$1.31 VES 1,158

-63.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 VES 1,084

$2.21 VES 1,961

-44.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 VES 1,368

$3.08 VES 2,725

-50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 VES 1,749

$1.97 VES 1,742

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 VES 1,079

$2.11 VES 1,872

-42.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 VES 1,095

$1.07 VES 952

15.89%

Eggs

$2.35 VES 2,083

$3.78 VES 3,347

-37.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.94 VES 6,145

$6.55 VES 5,803

5.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.77 VES 7,772

$6.38 VES 5,655

37.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 VES 9,734

$7.37 VES 6,527

49.12%

Apples (1kg)

$7.24 VES 6,410

$4.82 VES 4,274

50.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 VES 1,135

$1.36 VES 1,201

-5.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.48 VES 429

$1.56 VES 1,384

-69.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 VES 2,008

$1.36 VES 1,204

66.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 VES 1,966

$1.23 VES 1,094

80.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 VES 1,898

$1.74 VES 1,542

22.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 VES 1,435

$1.02 VES 902

58.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 VES 1,452

$1.98 VES 1,755

-17.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.07 VES 3,605

$2.93 VES 2,595

38.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.78 VES 6,889

$9.08 VES 8,047

-14.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 VES 865

$1.09 VES 966

-10.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 VES 1,341

$2.62 VES 2,322

-42.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 VES 322

$0.47 VES 416

-23.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.65 VES 27.2K

$42.53 VES 37.7K

-27.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 VES 2,581

$4.08 VES 3,618

-28.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.70 VES 2,396

$1.95 VES 1,727

38.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.87 VES 8,741

$17.66 VES 15.6K

-44.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.52 VES 462

$0.74 VES 656

-29.73%

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

$25.3K VES 22.4M

$15.2K VES 13.4M

66.93%

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

$39.0K VES 34.5M

$27.6K VES 24.4M

41.19%

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

$22.07 VES 19.6K

$62.5 VES 55.3K

-64.67%

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

$9.98 VES 8,845

$7.45 VES 6,598

33.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.71 VES 24.6K

$25.27 VES 22.4K

9.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.56 VES 27.1K

$33.17 VES 29.4K

-7.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.36 VES 22.5K

$28.71 VES 25.4K

-11.67%

Cinema Ticket

$4.88 VES 4,325

$4.89 VES 4,328

-0.20%

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

$60.8 VES 53.9K

$148 VES 130.9K

-58.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,941 VES 2.6M

$7,133 VES 6.3M

-58.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.33 VES 42.8K

$27.31 VES 24.2K

76.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 VES 30.3K

$32.34 VES 28.6K

5.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.42 VES 40.2K

$61.9 VES 54.9K

-26.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.28 VES 41.9K

$56.7 VES 50.2K

-16.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$150 VES 132.7K

$159 VES 141.1K

-5.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$96.1 VES 85.2K

$95.2 VES 84.3K

1.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$311 VES 275.5K

$301 VES 266.6K

3.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$204 VES 180.5K

$196 VES 173.9K

3.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$741 VES 656.7K

$765 VES 677.7K

-3.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$372 VES 329.1K

$508 VES 449.6K

-26.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$229 VES 203.1K

$215 VES 190.6K

6.53%

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 Puerto la Cruz: October 26, 2026

Last update for Maracaibo: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Puerto la Cruz

$262 35.1%

Maracaibo

$243 31% 7.1% $19

Eating Out

Puerto la Cruz

$160 21.5%

Maracaibo

$169 21.6% 5.5% $8.9

Accommodation & Living

Puerto la Cruz

$96 12.9%

Maracaibo

$95 12.1% 1% $1

Clothing & Footwear

Puerto la Cruz

$79 10.6%

Maracaibo

$80 10.2% 1.7% $1.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puerto la Cruz

$60 8%

Maracaibo

$95 12.1% 59.2% $35

Getting Around

Puerto la Cruz

$49 6.5%

Maracaibo

$58 7.4% 20% $9.7

Sport & Entertainment

Puerto la Cruz

$40 5.4%

Maracaibo

$43 5.5% 6.5% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $150 in Puerto la Cruz and $159 in Maracaibo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Puerto la Cruz pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61 in Puerto la Cruz vs $40 in Maracaibo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $262 vs $243 per month, with Maracaibo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇪 Puerto la Cruz

🇻🇪 Maracaibo

🕒 Local time

16:38 4:38 PM

Same time as Puerto la Cruz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

272,231

2,000,000

💱 Currency

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 VES = 1.13 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR

1,000 VES = 1.13 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Puerto la Cruz Maracaibo 770 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Puerto la Cruz
Maracaibo

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

Puerto la Cruz vs Maracaibo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto la Cruz is about 5% cheaper overall, especially in transport, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 7% higher in Puerto la Cruz, 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: $150 in Puerto la Cruz versus $159 in Maracaibo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $61 in Puerto la Cruz versus $148 in Maracaibo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Maracaibo pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Puerto la Cruz 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.