Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Mateo, CA and Caracas

For one person, living is cheaper in Caracas: $1,338 a month against $4,419 in San Mateo, CA, rent and utilities included – about $37,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

215

Cost of Living Index in San Mateo, CA
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San Mateo, CA Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Caracas
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Caracas Living Index

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San Mateo, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,419

/mo nomad

Caracas

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$1,338

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Mateo, CA and in Caracas

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in San Mateo, CA and in Caracas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,419 per month in San Mateo, CA vs $1,338 in Caracas, rent included.

San Mateo, CA $4,419
Caracas $1,338

A couple spends around $6,644 per month in San Mateo, CA vs $2,238 in Caracas, rent included.

San Mateo, CA $6,644
Caracas $2,238

A family of three spends $8,868 per month in San Mateo, CA vs $3,138 in Caracas, rent included.

San Mateo, CA $8,868
Caracas $3,138

San Mateo, CA costs about 230% more than Caracas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

San Mateo, CA sits 227% above the global median, while Caracas is 1% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.81 $19.81

$10.82 VES 9,501

83.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$67.1 VES 58.9K

46.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.87 $12.87

$10.83 VES 9,507

18.84%

Cappuccino

$5.54 $5.54

$3.71 VES 3,258

49.33%

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

$3.08 $3.08

$1.57 VES 1,380

96.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.31 VES 1,148

114.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.31 $8.31

$1.97 VES 1,730

321.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.86 $9.86

$3.06 VES 2,690

222.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 $1.61

$2.69 VES 2,364

-40.15%

White Bread (500g)

$5.96 $5.96

$2.24 VES 1,967

166.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.98 $5.98

$1.90 VES 1,668

214.74%

Eggs

$7.19 $7.19

$4.76 VES 4,181

51.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.35 $13.35

$10.24 VES 8,987

30.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$9.35 VES 8,207

103.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.87 $19.87

$11.49 VES 10.1K

72.93%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$7.28 VES 6,388

-16.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.06 VES 1,805

3.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$2.16 VES 1,893

80.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.86 $8.86

$2.27 VES 1,996

290.31%

Potato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.27 VES 1,990

91.19%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.16 VES 1,901

40.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.64 VES 1,438

86.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.36 VES 2,072

-16.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.94 $11.94

$4.68 VES 4,110

155.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.53 $14.53

$11.92 VES 10.5K

21.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.43 VES 1,252

18.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.05 VES 1,799

-5.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.99 $3.99

$0.52 VES 459

667.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.1 $97.1

$30.37 VES 26.7K

219.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.05 $4.05

$4.92 VES 4,317

-17.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.81 VES 2,464

-27.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.91 VES 13.1K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 $1.56

$0.88 VES 769

77.27%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$24.8K VES 21.8M

48.42%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$38.1K VES 33.5M

-31.81%

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

$267 $267

$21.49 VES 18.9K

1141.46%

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

$41.54 $41.54

$11.73 VES 10.3K

254.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.4 $62.4

$38.50 VES 33.8K

62.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$109 $109

$65.8 VES 57.8K

65.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.40 $9.40

$17.81 VES 15.6K

-47.22%

Cinema Ticket

$18.35 $18.35

$6.35 VES 5,573

188.98%

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

$2,947 $2,947

$157 VES 138.0K

1774.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.8K $28.8K

$6,098 VES 5.4M

372.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 $63.6

$81.0 VES 71.1K

-21.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.52 $47.52

$50.1 VES 44.0K

-5.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$133 VES 117.0K

-12.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$134 VES 117.7K

0.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,421 $3,421

$608 VES 534.1K

462.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,741 $2,741

$428 VES 375.9K

540.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,944 $5,944

$1,113 VES 977.4K

433.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,128 $5,128

$872 VES 765.6K

487.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.8K $13.8K

$1,462 VES 1.3M

844.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,907 $8,907

$670 VES 587.9K

1230.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,501 $7,501

$303 VES 265.6K

2379.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

-70.32%

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

Last update for San Mateo, CA: October 10, 2026

Last update for Caracas: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Mateo, CA

$2.7K 62%

Caracas

$428 32% 84.4% $2.3K

Groceries & Markets

San Mateo, CA

$523 11.8%

Caracas

$338 25.2% 35.4% $185

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Mateo, CA

$371 8.4%

Caracas

$72 5.4% 80.7% $299

Eating Out

San Mateo, CA

$348 7.9%

Caracas

$191 14.3% 45.1% $157

Clothing & Footwear

San Mateo, CA

$163 3.7%

Caracas

$179 13.4% 9.9% $16

Sport & Entertainment

San Mateo, CA

$146 3.3%

Caracas

$79 5.9% 46.1% $67

Getting Around

San Mateo, CA

$127 2.9%

Caracas

$51 3.8% 59.6% $76

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,421 in San Mateo, CA versus $608 in Caracas. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 2380% higher in San Mateo, CA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in San Mateo, CA versus $67.0 in Caracas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $523 vs $338 – making Caracas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Mateo, CA

🇻🇪 Caracas

🕒 Local time

08:00 8:00 AM

11:00 11:00 AM

3 h ahead of San Mateo, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

103,536

3,274,000 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 VES = 1.14 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VES, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇻🇪 Venezuelan Bolívar (Bs.S)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 878 VES (1,000 VES = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 987 VES (1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR).

VES to USD in detail →

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Between locations

San Mateo, CA Caracas 6,270 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

San Mateo, CA
Caracas

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

San Mateo, CA vs Caracas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Mateo, CA is pricier by about 230%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,628 per month in San Mateo, CA and $2,007 in Caracas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Caracas, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 220% less in Caracas. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,947 per month in San Mateo, CA and $157 in Caracas. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Caracas, where all-in costs run around $1,338, than in San Mateo, CA at $4,419. In Caracas it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Mateo, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Caracas – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Caracas. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Mateo, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.