How Much Does It Cost to Live In Venezuela?
Venezuela is a country in South America and home to the world’s greatest wonders: the highest waterfall, Angel Falls, the second longest river in South America, the Orinoco, and the longest coastline on the Caribbean sea.
Venezuela’s cost of living is relative.
It can be the world’s most expensive country or the cheapest: namely, there are three official exchange rates and a black market rate and there’s a huge difference between them.
It would be best to have some guidance from someone who lives there and knows the situation very well.
The quality of life is low in Venezuela, crime is on a rise and there’s a lack of food basics.
Venezuela : Cost of Living by City
RESTAURANTS
If you’re a foodie, most food is really cheap here, as in 2$ in El Baretto with soup, beverage, and dessert included, or 10$ in a fine restaurant, per person, but eating a few entries, main dish, a dessert, and a few drinks.
McDonald’s will get you its biggest burger for some 10$.
Like pretty much everything else, eating out is cheap in Venezuela.
MARKETS
Food is a bit tricky.
It goes up by the week, so one can’t really put a number on it.
But you can eat virtually anything you like for 100$ a month.
The price of food in Venezuela is at the moment, probably, the cheapest in the world, with every major globally-sold product costing much less here than anywhere else.
TRANSPORTATION
There are three options for travel inside the country: car rental, using buses, and using cars-for-hire.
Luckily, the price of gas is very cheap, so the bus system is extensive and extremely affordable.
If you want to travel within cities, people usually take a taxi.
Taxis are more expensive than any other form of transport but still affordable.
Caracas has a modern and cheap metro system (although it is crowded and a bit dirty!) currently being expanded.
UTILITIES (MONTHLY)
Utilities are just worryingly cheap in Venezuela, though it still depends on the size of your apartment.
For an apartment of about 85m2, basic utilities including electricity, heating, cooling, water, gas, and garbage services will amount to 19$.
Internet is relatively expensive compared to that – almost 6$ per month.
SPORTS & LEISURE
You can go to the movies for about 5$ (and often – even less) per ticket and 2$ for popcorn, chocolates, and a huge Pepsi.
And outdoor activities like hiking are free in El Ávila, so you can save some money you would otherwise spend on a gym.
Practicing sports is definitely costly in Venezuela, but not for foreigners: membership in a gym or a fitness center will cost you around 40$.
CLOTHING & SHOES
The clothing is cheap too.
This means you can buy a whole closet for around 100$ to 200$.
Name brands though are around the same price as in the US.
Fine Nike shoes will go up to somewhere around 68$, but you can sometimes find them in their stores, certified original for way less, if the dollar goes up suddenly, which happens a few times a year.
RENT PER MONTH
Rent is also very cheap though it still depends on the area.
A great apartment in El Rosal, with two bedrooms, a kitchen, a washing machine, and parking space, could cost around 300$ a month.
In Altamira, a really nice zone, it would be around 500$.
Anywhere else, a studio apartment can be as low as 100$, or even 80$.
You can even find a place where you can get a two-bedroom with a garden and parking space for about 150$.
Cost of Living Averages Table for Venezuela
*Note: All prices are indicated in USD.| Average Restaurant Prices | |
|---|---|
| Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) | $10.00 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) | $1.33 |
| Water (0.33 Liter) | $0.82 | Average Market Prices |
| Milk (1 Liter) | $1.78 |
| Loaf Bread (500g) | $2.10 |
| Eggs (12) | $2.22 | Average Transport Prices |
| One Way Ticket | $0.50 |
| Monthly Pass | $30.00 |
| Gasoline | $0.50 | Average Utilities Prices |
| Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) | $19.03 |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local | $0.07 |
| Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | $42.11 | Average Leisure Prices |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | $39.65 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) | $12.33 |
| Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release | $5 | Average Clothing Prices |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) | $46.34 |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) | $37.50 |
| 1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) | $68.04 | Average Rent Prices |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center | $233.70 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center | $207.81 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center | $438.96 |
How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Venezuela?
Like in most countries and cities, an average person living in Venezuela spends the biggest part of their salary on food, but it’s extremely noticeable here, in Venezuela where the percentage of income that gets spent on food goes well beyond 40$.
Food takes up a lot more of people’s salaries than rent, which means that rent isn’t the most expensive aspect of living in Venezuela, but it’s definitely expensive.
Apart from rent and food, restaurants take up a huge part of overall expenses, along with transportation costs.
What’s interesting (and unique!) about this country is that it’s among the only ones where the expenses on clothing and shoes go well beyond both utilities expenses and expenses on sports and leisure.
Average Costs Breakdown
Venezuela: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages
A minimum wage in Venezuela is less than 7$ a month and the average wage is less than 175.99$, making the Venezuelans that don’t have foreign assets or income (though there are a few million that do) the poorest people in the world.
All this is due, of course, to socialist economic measures that have destroyed commerce and industry, and thus – the wages.
An average monthly salary in Venezuela is only around 175$, which – to us is staggeringly low, but for them is just natural at this point.
If you’re renting – then paying all your bills and buying necessities is a bit more difficult.
The minimum wage in Venezuela is around 6$.
Venezuela Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Venezuela Safety Review
Safety Index:
- OVERALL RISK: HIGH
- TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: MEDIUM
- PICKPOCKETS RISK: HIGH
- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: MEDIUM
- MUGGING RISK: HIGH
- TERRORISM RISK: LOW
- SCAMS RISK: HIGH
- WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: MEDIUM
Cost of Living by City in Venezuela
| City | Cost of Living Index |
|---|---|
| Caracas | 27.82 |
I would like to see what the apartment’s look like.
If rent of a studio apartment cost $140 a month but the average monthly salary is $25 how in F### can they live, this site makes no sense at all.
Imagine 5 to 8 people crammed into a small apartment trying to make ends meet.
Ignorance.
In many countries, whole families of 5-8, or more live in a home. You lived privileged, so it is understandable that you wouldn’t understand this.
privileged
Coming from a relatively poorer country, we used to have 9 people crammed into 2 rooms, You probably come from a well privileged country where you can go to a hotel and blow your week’s wage on a single night hotel room, They are probably renting a 1 room apartment, or 2 families sharing one to keep costs down.
This site is actually the most accurate on Venezuela living costs. Prices described are true and those places are in rich part of town. As mentioned in article, poverty is extreme and very hard for us in US to comprehend. Only 21% of country population actually can afford close to normal life. Rest of them, literally pick left overs from garbage. I have seen it with my own eyes, and I still have difficulties understanding how they are still alive.
This is where the USA is heading if we don’t get rid of all the liberals and progressives.
Pfft
There’s a gigantic difference between Democratic socialism and a country that is run by an opportunist with no checks and balances.—- yeah sorta like that last guy——— smh.
Not socialism, but socialism.
What Venezuela has isn’t socialism per se. More akin to a Dictatorship, but technically business are state-owned, thus similar to socialism in a lot of ways. (Healthcare, industry, local mom and pop shops, ect all state owned and operated)
Reality for you
Did you suggest we get rid of people in the united states, like some kimd of dictatorship or authoritarian regime like the maga tried to do on J6. Get out of fox news and look at other footage of the insurrection. Remember hang mike pence? Sounds like an authoritarian regime to me.
Really?!
The riot at the capitol in no way compares to overthrowing a government. Not even close. I’m more concerned about the riots in the cities that were allowed to go on. I guess only the privileged people in the capitol deserve to be protected. Smh
Reality for Dean
How’s the release of 40,000 hours of J6 footage hitting you in the rear feel?
J6 was a setup syop event by f b i and Dems.
I knew this when it happened, long b4 the released footage.
Get out of Communist News Network and look at all the unedited footage of the riot.
In Aug 2021 The f b i deemed J6 was NOT an insurrection based on the factors examined, so why are you, Dems and the MSM STILL calling it something it was not?
The very people who egged on and incited the rioting, the F B I, said it was not an insurrection.
“Getting rid of people” in the USA means voting them out of office.
But of course you would default to violence since that’s what you’re really about.
Maga is WAAYYYYY more numbers than a few hundred folk, so no, Maga wasn’t trying on J6.
Dems putting up a private fence paid for by tax payers, and posting Military guards around the Capitol, while not finishing the one at the border, sounds like an authoritarian regime to me.
Parasites
Why in the Venezuela which is independent country, is foreign currency like dollar? Why? Shouldn’t be Venezuela’s currency. Why on this planet other countries meddle in the affairs of another country by creating agents in that country’s government to serve that meddling country. WHY???. Responsible for destroying this country are 3 countries and muppets in Venezuela government who serve these countries. Parasites
I’ve bought people meals when seeing them going through garbage and I live in the US. We have the same issues here, cost of living doesn’t give opportunity to those working class families because every time minimum wage goes up so does everything else.
I guess the page is meant for foreign people who want to live there. Obviously people with a low income can only afford housing in low income neighborhood.
Rent prices
They live just like rats. A little apartment packed full. Just like you will soon be forced to live here in the u.s.
Is it a good place to live for a month
What are the three official exchange rate to dollar including the black marketrate
That’s communism for you – even if prices seem low. It’s still unaffordable.
How long would $50 usd last buying food to cook at home
@Ernest Pollard that is completely true. People cannot live anymore. The dictator Maduro took everything from the people. The economy is completely destroyed and this is an example of the socialistic aberration
So seriously can you explain how they exist? Government subsidies cover the difference?
Many have friends who send money to them…
Would it be safe for older Canadians to vacation in porta la cruz in Febuary?
Do not travel to Venezuela
Not in Puerto La Cruz or any city in the country. Be aware! You will be tagged by the “authorities” and subject to kidnaping. If lucky, you’ll live to tell the story. My brother was an airline pilot, kidnaped twice, survived because he faked his death. His credentials were stolen to gain access to airport facilities. Do yourself a favor: Don’t go , even if you are a progressive/socialist loving left wing. Venezuelan authorities don’t care even if you sympathize with them
I’m wondering what the Venezuelan government does with the billions of US tax payer money that they got between Obama and Biden. Privileged? Americans go to work everyday to pay for our housing, we don’t all own houses and our homeless rate has increased since Biden took over, I’ve been homeless before, there’s no privilege in being homeless. Besides, Venezuela has the lithium mines.
NOT SAFE
No , you wouldn’t be safe EVER hire bodyguards, a local guide to keep you from saying too much or getting involved in a delicate situation SPECIALLY if you don’t speak Spanish DO NOT talk to strangers and DO NOT offer money to anyone, keep to yourself, plan ahead of everything, plan your transportation to and from the airport (there’s actually bulletproof cabs for international travelers) if you don’t wanna bother with any of this either hire a private security detail or don’t go down there at all, I used to live there . You gotta be on edge at all times, it is BY NO MEANS safe.
Sounds scary to me.
Retired on social security.
@Harold E. I wouldn’t recommend it. Venezuela in general is not safe.
@Ernest P. The Venezuelan people do magic with their salary. They can stretch it a long way. It is very sad The situation that the Venezuelan people are living now days. Maybe one day they don’t eat or one month they don’t pay rent. Too sad.
You say that the food is the cheapest in the world, yet it is $100 per month. I live in the UK, which is one of the most expensive places in the world. I can shop for £15 per week, toiletries, 3 meals a day and snacks. That is £60 (about $80) so, no $100 is not cheap.
Nobody I know, and I know people from all around thw world, spends most of their money on food. It is rent that takes up the largest portion of peoples salary.
As one of the comments said above: how are you going to tell me that the usual wage is $25, but the rent is $150 per month, for a cheap place? Even though Venezuelans get given food stamps, that maths is not physically possible, as they would be homeless, starve and be in mass amounts of debt still.
This is an example of someone that doesn’t know until he had seen it and experienced it with his own eyes.
Please take some time and read up on the situation is with Venezuela.
Coming to the USA courtesy election fraud and the democrats.
Agreed. This is the way America is going. Donald Trump said, “They want you to be like Venezuela.” Venezuela a once prospering country brought to their knees and impoverished. America learn from the Venezuelans how to live. This is where we are going.
Canada is a wonderful place to live but in the winter it can be exspensive and cold. We will get about $1900 per month if the the math is right we could live very comfortably and still save for air fare back in summer .Mexico was amazing WE don’t wear the newest clothing or spend on high end stuff to show off. We spend on site seeing and food, schools and people who treat us well. We don’t have any thing to steal. $1.00=1,500,000ves I was there in 1986 and loved it Is there still a Troppy burger there.
@Mikey
I would think both parents and all of their children would be working from a young age. This would allow them to barely have enough to make rent.
My home town Caracas very different from the rest of the country as standard of living is concerned nowadays, with few exceptions, Valencia etc.. First most of the middle class owns its living space. Therefore renters are few and far between, mostly foreigners or persons who left the country and/or for some reason sold their house/apartments in the past at higher prices. In the latter cases they earn and/or have savings in dollars. The economy is a disaster since some years now therefore very polarized btw the have and have nots. For instance to fill up your tank when there is fuel to begin with you either spend hours at a subsidized price or pay pretty much the equivalent of $2 a gallon. In other words a very anachronic economy in some things very inexpensive yet in other things impossible for the persons who have no access to foreign exchange. Nowadays end of January 2021 you would need aprox. $ 1000 a month for rent, food, etc.
does Venezuela have a teacher’s union? does the Venezuelan gov’t. enforce propaganda in their school system?
So what is the realistic salary for the average person who does unskilled labor but still can afford a phone? The article mentioned $25 USD/month. Is that realistic in 2021 with dollars now being allowed as currency in Venezuela (or only in Caracas)?
I read about Venezuela almost all day. I am interested because my health is severely affected because of cold weather. Barely walking because of fibromyalgia symptoms during cold, so I know getting better means moving somewhere else where is hot always but also where I can be on freshwater, not swimming pools. Seams Venezuela has it. My fixed income after retirement is about $25,500/ year which could help me be better there, even stress-free not as in Canada asking for help from a food bank. Is ridiculous after working hard in Canada since 1981 ending up with such a small amount. If anyone can advise please do so.
If you like hot weather and looking for a retirement place, read up about Southeast Asia country or my home country in Malaysia. Despite all the scandal news going about, Malaysia is a nice place to visit or even retire.
Dude, this information is not accurate, with 100$ you can buy some stuff if you live alone and modest but food is expensive, and if you rent a apartament you need to pay the first six months, and a decent apartament could be from 200 to 1500 if you want sometime like altamira. The milk is expensive here, a litre of milk can cost even 3$ and clothes? well a nice shirt can cost 25 and pant 15, shoes? well if you want decent shoes you can but a par with 50$. If you want to live like a king and buy a decent apartament in a middle class place you can pay 50k$ to 1.000.000 or even more depends the place. This is not a cheap place to live.
U live there?
I was living in Cumaná between 1984 to the mid 90. A real paradise. I´m now living in Thailand since 2006. 2 different words. Unfortunately did I left my heart and son there. I’m, at 69, thinking to return. But the turbulence is confusing. Do I suppose to smuggle in a suitcase full of $??? In 2004-7 was it advisable to use a reliable source to change $ to Boliváres. And take a trip to Curacao and refuel with $.
@Mikey you eating baked beans and bread.
In abject poverty mostly. Or with assistance from relatives outside of the country. It’s not really that complicated.
Good luck getting that suitcase into the country and not stolen by customs. Skip it, the country is a complete disaster now. Very dangerous too. Everyone who can is leaving, it would be insane to immigrate there.
Just too bad.....
The land and the women are beautiful! It’s too bad that the quality of life there is subpar. Though it sounds inviting to pack up and find refuge in one of the many fine apartments there, the risk factor just may not be worth it. I would love to see how far my USD would go (Which I know would go far). I would get me an apartment, a couple beautiful live-in ladies and have fun.
If we don’t stop republicans. They’ll turn us into Venezuela and charge women with murder if they miscarry for any reason.
Socialism NEVER works.
All lies from the pit of Leftist Socialist HELL!
You guys are turning this country into Venezuela but like CLOCKWORK you toss out accusations at others, that in fact YOU YOURSELVES are doing, did or are going to do.
A miscarriage, ectopic pregnancies, and other serious pregnancy issues are categorized as MEDICAL EMERGENCIES and are NOT considered ‘abortions’.
An abortion is when you freely choose to terminate a pregnancy, and therefore terminate the healthy living unborn child, and not let nature complete its cycle to full birth.
Peopl… monsters like you keep using incorrect examples and rare situations to justify murder.
The voting machines and software pushed by Dems in USA elections came from S.America which were designed and used there to keep leaders in power no matter if the majority of voters casted for a new or different leader.
#rigged
What would it cost to sponsor an a person to come to the US to live from that country?
Quit blaming it on Socialism.
Venezuela is in urgent need to reconstruct its devastated healthcare system, secure sustainable food and medication access. For over 15 years, the United States has imposed sanctions in response to activities of the Venezuelan government and Venezuelan individuals. The Obama Administration imposed targeted sanctions against individuals for antidemocratic actions and the Trump Administration then imposed sanctions on Venezuela’s state oil company PDVSA), crimpling their economy. Quit blaming it on Socialism.
Yea sanctions did it….common smh
Quit Blaming the US
This is factually wrong.
Sanctions, first of all, arrived after the collapse of the social, economic and political fabric of Venezuela, and mainly due to Venezuelan agression against the united states and actual government involvement on the literal drug and human trade. Venezuela killed its economy, killed its society and killed its people pretty well on its own, stop acting as if the United States is the only actor with free will on the world.
Many commenters ask about 25$ monthly salary, however I couldn’t find this amount even mentioned in the article. The $7 wage is just a misleading “official minimum wage” that nobody works for. $175 is probably closer to reality. Most people wouldn’t work from home full time freelance for $175
Too cheap to be true
A whole closet for $100? Groceries for a month for $100? $2 for popcorn and a huge Pepsi?? I must be living in another Venezuela because that’s too cheap to be true. I’ve just spent $15 in two tickets and two small popcorn and Pepsi combo. I know you might still think that’s cheap compared to the US but you need AT LEAST $1000 to live decently here and the average salary is $150…