Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Rafael, CA and Caracas

For one person, living is cheaper in Caracas: $1,312 a month against $4,955 in San Rafael, CA, rent and utilities included – about $43,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

237

Cost of Living Index in San Rafael, CA
Learn more

San Rafael, CA Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Caracas
Learn more

Caracas Living Index

Jump to prices

San Rafael, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,955

/mo nomad

Caracas

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$1,312

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Rafael, 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 Rafael, CA and in Caracas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,955 per month in San Rafael, CA vs $1,312 in Caracas, rent included.

San Rafael, CA $4,955
Caracas $1,312

A couple spends around $6,421 per month in San Rafael, CA vs $2,236 in Caracas, rent included.

San Rafael, CA $6,421
Caracas $2,236

A family of three spends $7,886 per month in San Rafael, CA vs $3,160 in Caracas, rent included.

San Rafael, CA $7,886
Caracas $3,160

San Rafael, CA costs about 278% more than Caracas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

San Rafael, CA sits 270% above the global median, while Caracas is 2% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.06 $25.06

$10.63 VES 9,281

135.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$68.2 VES 59.6K

76.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$10.99 VES 9,599

9.83%

Cappuccino

$4.67 $4.67

$3.73 VES 3,262

25.20%

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

$2.97 $2.97

$1.54 VES 1,347

92.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.28 VES 1,121

132.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.40 $5.40

$2.05 VES 1,794

163.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 $6.96

$2.91 VES 2,543

139.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 $1.50

$2.76 VES 2,410

-45.65%

White Bread (500g)

$4.43 $4.43

$2.32 VES 2,027

90.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$9.69 $9.69

$1.89 VES 1,653

412.70%

Eggs

$5.52 $5.52

$4.82 VES 4,214

14.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.55 $22.55

$10.18 VES 8,888

121.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.37 $15.37

$9.44 VES 8,250

62.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.20 $18.20

$11.51 VES 10.1K

58.12%

Apples (1kg)

$7.34 $7.34

$7.23 VES 6,313

1.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.96 VES 1,710

49.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.65 $6.65

$2.13 VES 1,862

212.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.27 $8.27

$2.37 VES 2,067

248.95%

Potato (1kg)

$5.78 $5.78

$2.24 VES 1,953

158.04%

Onion (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$2.24 VES 1,954

142.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.20 $3.20

$1.61 VES 1,409

98.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.87 $3.87

$2.41 VES 2,101

60.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.79 $10.79

$4.57 VES 3,989

136.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.81 $12.81

$12.02 VES 10.5K

6.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.37 VES 1,194

62.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.17 VES 1,893

41.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.51 VES 449

290.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 $64.5

$29.63 VES 25.9K

117.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.10 $4.10

$4.88 VES 4,265

-15.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.29 $4.29

$2.68 VES 2,342

60.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.62 $28.62

$15.17 VES 13.2K

88.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$0.86 VES 753

67.44%

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

$32.2K $32.2K

$25.1K VES 22.0M

28.01%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$38.6K VES 33.7M

-29.34%

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

$259 $259

$22.07 VES 19.3K

1074.49%

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

$84.3 $84.3

$11.81 VES 10.3K

613.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.8 $61.8

$38.64 VES 33.8K

59.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$124 $124

$66.8 VES 58.4K

85.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.76 $29.76

$17.23 VES 15.0K

72.72%

Cinema Ticket

$12.97 $12.97

$6.48 VES 5,658

100.15%

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

$2,128 $2,128

$159 VES 139.3K

1234.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.6K $24.6K

$6,138 VES 5.4M

301.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 $59.2

$77.8 VES 67.9K

-23.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.66 $42.66

$50.6 VES 44.2K

-15.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 $94.0

$136 VES 119.0K

-31.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 $128

$136 VES 119.0K

-6.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,079 $3,079

$619 VES 540.3K

397.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,143 $3,143

$418 VES 364.8K

652.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,230 $4,230

$1,106 VES 965.7K

282.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,789 $3,789

$887 VES 774.4K

327.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,545 $7,545

$1,458 VES 1.3M

417.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,372 $5,372

$690 VES 602.9K

678.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,047 $7,047

$304 VES 265.3K

2220.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

-69.91%

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

Last update for San Rafael, CA: October 3, 2026

Last update for Caracas: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Rafael, CA

$3.1K 64.5%

Caracas

$418 31.4% 86.7% $2.7K

Groceries & Markets

San Rafael, CA

$572 11.7%

Caracas

$340 25.6% 40.6% $232

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Rafael, CA

$405 8.3%

Caracas

$73 5.5% 82.1% $333

Eating Out

San Rafael, CA

$357 7.3%

Caracas

$190 14.3% 46.8% $167

Sport & Entertainment

San Rafael, CA

$150 3.1%

Caracas

$80 6% 46.8% $70

Clothing & Footwear

San Rafael, CA

$146 3%

Caracas

$180 13.6% 23.9% $35

Getting Around

San Rafael, CA

$98 2%

Caracas

$50 3.8% 49% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,079 in San Rafael, CA versus $619 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 2220% higher in San Rafael, 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 $120 in San Rafael, CA versus $68.0 in Caracas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $572 vs $340 – making Caracas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Rafael, CA

🇻🇪 Caracas

🕒 Local time

21:47 9:47 PM

00:47 12:47 AM

3 h ahead of San Rafael, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,704

3,274,000 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 VES = 1.14 USD

1,000 VES = 1.02 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 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 873 VES (1,000 VES = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 979 VES (1,000 VES = 1.02 EUR).

VES to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Rafael, CA Caracas 6,300 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – San Rafael, CA is pricier by about 278%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,432 per month in San Rafael, CA and $1,968 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 118% less in Caracas. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,128 per month in San Rafael, CA and $159 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 $1,312, than in San Rafael, CA at $4,955. In Caracas it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Rafael, 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 Rafael, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.