Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tacoma, WA and Caracas

For one person, living is cheaper in Caracas: $1,312 a month against $2,977 in Tacoma, WA, rent and utilities included – about $20,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Tacoma, WA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,977
/mo nomad
Caracas
🇻🇪 Venezuela
$1,312
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,977 per month in Tacoma, WA vs $1,312 in Caracas, rent included.

  • Tacoma, WA $2,977
  • Caracas $1,312

A couple spends around $4,468 per month in Tacoma, WA vs $2,236 in Caracas, rent included.

  • Tacoma, WA $4,468
  • Caracas $2,236

A family of three spends $5,960 per month in Tacoma, WA vs $3,160 in Caracas, rent included.

  • Tacoma, WA $5,960
  • Caracas $3,160

Tacoma, WA costs about 127% more than Caracas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Tacoma, WA sits 122% above the global median, while Caracas is 2% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tacoma, WA
Caracas
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.07 $25.07
$10.63 VES 9,293
135.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.4 $79.4
$68.2 VES 59.6K
16.38%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.14 $12.14
$10.99 VES 9,611
10.46%
Cappuccino
$5.57 $5.57
$3.73 VES 3,266
49.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.15 $3.15
$1.54 VES 1,349
104.55%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.56 $2.56
$1.28 VES 1,122
100.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.85 $6.85
$2.05 VES 1,796
234.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.88 $6.88
$2.91 VES 2,546
136.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tacoma, WA
Caracas
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.13 $1.13
$2.76 VES 2,413
-59.06%
White Bread (500g)
$4.09 $4.09
$2.32 VES 2,030
76.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.91 $5.91
$1.89 VES 1,655
212.70%
Eggs
$5.53 $5.53
$4.82 VES 4,219
14.73%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.34 $16.34
$10.18 VES 8,900
60.51%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$21.87 $21.87
$9.44 VES 8,260
131.67%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$23.38 $23.38
$11.51 VES 10.1K
103.13%
Apples (1kg)
$5.13 $5.13
$7.23 VES 6,322
-29.05%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 $1.69
$1.96 VES 1,713
-13.78%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.23 $4.23
$2.13 VES 1,864
98.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.66 $4.66
$2.37 VES 2,070
96.62%
Potato (1kg)
$2.77 $2.77
$2.24 VES 1,956
23.66%
Onion (1kg)
$2.90 $2.90
$2.24 VES 1,957
29.46%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.73 $1.73
$1.61 VES 1,411
7.45%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$3.29 $3.29
$2.41 VES 2,104
36.51%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.22 $12.22
$4.57 VES 3,994
167.40%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.82 $18.82
$12.02 VES 10.5K
56.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 $1.76
$1.37 VES 1,196
28.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.00 $5.00
$2.17 VES 1,896
130.41%
🚌 Getting Around
Tacoma, WA
Caracas
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.99 $1.99
$0.51 VES 449
290.20%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$63.1 $63.1
$29.63 VES 25.9K
112.93%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.53 $2.53
$4.88 VES 4,271
-48.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.63 $1.63
$2.68 VES 2,346
-39.18%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.56 $29.56
$15.17 VES 13.3K
94.86%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 $1.35
$0.86 VES 754
56.98%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.2K $37.2K
$25.1K VES 22.0M
47.77%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.3K $27.3K
$38.6K VES 33.8M
-29.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tacoma, WA
Caracas
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$230 $230
$22.07 VES 19.3K
942.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$92.7 $92.7
$11.81 VES 10.3K
684.50%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$88.3 $88.3
$38.64 VES 33.8K
128.55%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tacoma, WA
Caracas
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.21 $42.21
$66.8 VES 58.5K
-36.84%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.21 $18.21
$17.23 VES 15.1K
5.69%
Cinema Ticket
$16.97 $16.97
$6.48 VES 5,666
161.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tacoma, WA
Caracas
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,105 $2,105
$159 VES 139.5K
1219.84%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$31.4K $31.4K
$6,138 VES 5.4M
411.97%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tacoma, WA
Caracas
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$61.2 $61.2
$77.8 VES 68.0K
-21.38%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.72 $43.72
$50.6 VES 44.2K
-13.55%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$85.8 $85.8
$136 VES 119.2K
-37.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$128 $128
$136 VES 119.2K
-6.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tacoma, WA
Caracas
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,725 $1,725
$619 VES 541.0K
178.86%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,444 $1,444
$418 VES 365.3K
245.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,797 $2,797
$1,106 VES 966.9K
153.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,420 $2,420
$887 VES 775.5K
172.90%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,896 $4,896
$1,458 VES 1.3M
235.75%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,482 $3,482
$690 VES 603.7K
404.51%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tacoma, WA
Caracas
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,817 $4,817
$304 VES 265.6K
1485.99%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.64
22
-69.82%

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

Last update for Tacoma, WA: 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
Tacoma, WA
$1.4K
Caracas
$418 71.1% $1K
Groceries & Markets
Tacoma, WA
$519
Caracas
$340 34.6% $179
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tacoma, WA
$411
Caracas
$73 82.4% $339
Eating Out
Tacoma, WA
$375
Caracas
$190 49.3% $185
Clothing & Footwear
Tacoma, WA
$143
Caracas
$180 26% $37
Getting Around
Tacoma, WA
$82
Caracas
$50 38.9% $32
Sport & Entertainment
Tacoma, WA
$76
Caracas
$80 4.8% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,725 in Tacoma, WA 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 1486% higher in Tacoma, WA, 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 Tacoma, WA versus $68.0 in Caracas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $519 vs $340 – making Caracas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Tacoma, WA
🇻🇪 Caracas
🕒 Local time
03:51 3:51 AM
06:51 6:51 AM
3 h ahead of Tacoma, WA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
219,346
3,274,000 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

VES, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 875 VES (1,000 VES = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 980 VES (1,000 VES = 1.02 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tacoma, WA Caracas 6,590 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Tacoma, WA
  • 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
Tacoma, WA vs Caracas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Caracas cheaper than Tacoma, WA?
Yes – Tacoma, WA is pricier by about 127%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,465 per month in Tacoma, WA and $1,968 in Caracas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 113% less in Caracas. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $2,105 per month in Tacoma, WA and $159 in Caracas. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Tacoma, WA or in Caracas?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Caracas, where all-in costs run around $1,312, than in Tacoma, WA at $2,977. In Caracas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tacoma, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Tacoma, WA or Caracas more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Caracas. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tacoma, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Tacoma, WA vs other spots: cost of living compared

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