Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Ana, CA and Caracas

For one person, living is cheaper in Caracas: $1,312 a month against $3,497 in Santa Ana, CA, rent and utilities included – about $26,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

170

Cost of Living Index in Santa Ana, CA
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Santa Ana, CA Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Caracas
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Caracas Living Index

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Santa Ana, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,497

/mo nomad

Caracas

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$1,312

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,497 per month in Santa Ana, CA vs $1,312 in Caracas, rent included.

Santa Ana, CA $3,497
Caracas $1,312

A couple spends around $5,006 per month in Santa Ana, CA vs $2,236 in Caracas, rent included.

Santa Ana, CA $5,006
Caracas $2,236

A family of three spends $6,515 per month in Santa Ana, CA vs $3,160 in Caracas, rent included.

Santa Ana, CA $6,515
Caracas $3,160

Santa Ana, CA costs about 167% more than Caracas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Santa Ana, CA sits 161% above the global median, while Caracas is 2% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.22 $23.22

$10.63 VES 9,281

118.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.3 $79.3

$68.2 VES 59.6K

16.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.25 $16.25

$10.99 VES 9,599

47.86%

Cappuccino

$5.83 $5.83

$3.73 VES 3,262

56.30%

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

$3.04 $3.04

$1.54 VES 1,347

97.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.28 VES 1,121

85.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.33 $7.33

$2.05 VES 1,794

257.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.28 $9.28

$2.91 VES 2,543

218.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$2.76 VES 2,410

-61.59%

White Bread (500g)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.32 VES 2,027

73.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$1.89 VES 1,653

145.50%

Eggs

$5.67 $5.67

$4.82 VES 4,214

17.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.87 $12.87

$10.18 VES 8,888

26.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.61 $16.61

$9.44 VES 8,250

75.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.30 $21.30

$11.51 VES 10.1K

85.06%

Apples (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$7.23 VES 6,313

-33.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.96 VES 1,710

-12.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.92 $3.92

$2.13 VES 1,862

84.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.62 $5.62

$2.37 VES 2,067

137.13%

Potato (1kg)

$3.63 $3.63

$2.24 VES 1,953

62.05%

Onion (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.24 VES 1,954

40.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.61 VES 1,409

35.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.41 VES 2,101

-20.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.93 $11.93

$4.57 VES 3,989

161.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.29 $15.29

$12.02 VES 10.5K

27.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.37 VES 1,194

79.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 $4.05

$2.17 VES 1,893

86.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.51 VES 449

286.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.2 $68.2

$29.63 VES 25.9K

130.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.08 $6.08

$4.88 VES 4,265

24.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.99 $4.99

$2.68 VES 2,342

86.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.09 $49.09

$15.17 VES 13.2K

223.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.86 VES 753

73.26%

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

$37.7K $37.7K

$25.1K VES 22.0M

49.99%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$38.6K VES 33.7M

-30.56%

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

$176 $176

$22.07 VES 19.3K

695.29%

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

$68.0 $68.0

$11.81 VES 10.3K

475.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.7 $73.7

$38.64 VES 33.8K

90.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 $57.3

$66.8 VES 58.4K

-14.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.52 $44.52

$17.23 VES 15.0K

158.39%

Cinema Ticket

$15.38 $15.38

$6.48 VES 5,658

137.35%

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

$1,187 $1,187

$159 VES 139.3K

644.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,138 VES 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.1 $63.1

$77.8 VES 67.9K

-18.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.41 $42.41

$50.6 VES 44.2K

-16.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$136 VES 119.0K

-23.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$136 VES 119.0K

4.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 $2,696

$619 VES 540.3K

335.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,026 $2,026

$418 VES 364.8K

385.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,207 $3,207

$1,106 VES 965.7K

190.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,173 $3,173

$887 VES 774.4K

257.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,585 $4,585

$1,458 VES 1.3M

214.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,374 $4,374

$690 VES 602.9K

533.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,154 $3,154

$304 VES 265.3K

938.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

-70.95%

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

Last update for Santa Ana, CA: October 4, 2026

Last update for Caracas: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Ana, CA

$2K 57.3%

Caracas

$418 31.4% 79.4% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Santa Ana, CA

$456 12.9%

Caracas

$340 25.6% 25.4% $116

Eating Out

Santa Ana, CA

$381 10.8%

Caracas

$190 14.3% 50.1% $191

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Ana, CA

$317 9%

Caracas

$73 5.5% 77.1% $245

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Ana, CA

$159 4.5%

Caracas

$180 13.6% 13.7% $22

Getting Around

Santa Ana, CA

$107 3%

Caracas

$50 3.8% 53.3% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Ana, CA

$88 2.5%

Caracas

$80 6% 9.4% $8.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,696 in Santa Ana, 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 938% higher in Santa Ana, 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 $79.0 in Santa Ana, CA versus $68.0 in Caracas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $456 vs $340 – making Caracas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Ana, CA

🇻🇪 Caracas

🕒 Local time

22:46 10:46 PM

01:46 1:46 AM

3 h ahead of Santa Ana, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

335,400

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 →

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Santa Ana, CA Caracas 5,780 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

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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

Santa Ana, CA vs Caracas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Santa Ana, CA is pricier by about 167%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,246 per month in Santa Ana, 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 130% less in Caracas. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,187 per month in Santa Ana, 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 Santa Ana, CA at $3,497. In Caracas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Ana, 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.

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