Cost of living in Venezuela

Hi, here an attempt to give an answer from the sunny Isla Margarita.
How expensive it is, depends on various parameters: 1. where you get your money from and 2. how you get it into Venezuela. Officially the local currency Bolivar (Bs.F.)has a fixed exchange rate at 2,15 Bs.F. for 1 US$. But there is a parallel market, which is illegal and 'on the street' even dangerous - like in many other countries. So it's up to you.

Just some numbers:

the most stunning is the gasoline, it is for free! You just pay for the refinery and transportation - about 1 US$ for a full tank of 40 liters!!! Yes, 1 liter costs about 1 Bs.F.!
1 beer is +- 0,5 to 1 Bs.F., renting an apartment is almost impossible here due to tourism, but 50.000 US$ easily buy you a house. A bus across the whole city is 1 Bs.F., taxi 15 Bs.F., on food I spend for 3 persons - who love to cook- about 1.500 Bs.F a month (incl. more expensive imported goods). If you have a health problem a doctor with all treatment in public health service is for free and medicine may cost you up to 500 Bs.F. depending on the case. If you have little money, they give it for free as well. Private doctors, which normally work in public service as well, i.e. no difference in quality, may ask whatever they want, but this is soon to be limited by law. There are all kinds of insurances but I don't know how much they ask, I don't have any. Public education is free on all levels. Private, which is not necessarily better, may cost up to 300+ Bs.F. a month.  Energy costs close to nothing. I pay electricity about 120 Bs.F. a month - for light, fridge, air con, radio, 3 TVs and 2 computers! Internet 93, cable TV 120, phone basic 16, cellphone +- 250 (2500 min. free) a month. A fried fish on the top beach 35 , french goodies up to 80, a hamburger in the street about 10 to 15 ( these prices may not be so accurate, I am vegetarian and do not eat out). The beer I mentioned above, a coffee is about 2 to 3, a big one. Cinema is about 12 Bs.F., but you get new movies  as illegal copies in the street for 10 - even before the movie comes to the cinema! Well, this is a first idea. If anybody wants to know more, just send me a mail! The bottom line is: when you get your money from abroad, even a 'poor' pensioner is rich. If you have to earn it here it depends on your abilities. Everybody is welcome here, spanish is not difficult and it is easy to earn money. With 1.500 US$ you are a king here.

One more thing: when you ask Google for 'life in the Caribbean' mainly Dominican Republic shows up. Why? The Caribbean is much, much more, but unfortunately mainly expensive, even our dutchies next door. And Isla Margarita is neglected. Why? Maybe because it is part of Venezuela? With this government the whole world considers bad? Nonsense. The information the world gets about Venezuela comes mainly from sources which belong to rich Venezuelans - those 15 to 20% conservatives who form the political opposition and love to do damage! They don't care. They have enough, and they they have it abroad, mainly in 'Mayami'.
The reality is very different. I am looking forward to living here many years more to observe the first real attempt to a social society in the world! Have a look how others - even conservatives - in Latin America learn from it! It is becoming a continental movement. Ok, enough for now.

Hi,

I am Venezuelan and live in the capital Caracas.  Let me start off by saying the 2008 ranking of most expensive countries to live as number 15.  So out of 200 countries, Venezuela made the top 15.

If you wish to live in a big Venezuelan city you will need to make at least $40,000USD to live at the bottom end of the middle class scale in the US.  A 3-bedroom 2-bathroom Condo in a medium class neighbourhood with a moderate level of safety (no area is that safe) will run you about BS.F380,000 or about $150,000.  This is alot of money considering the average salary is Bs.F1000.00 monthly.

A car - if bought new - with power steering / windows / doors / ac / automatic will cost at the low end Bs.F75,000 or about $30,000 US.  The car mentioned is a GM Cobalt - and I just bought one.

Televison / Internet / Telephone.  The TV will run you Bs.F110 or $55.00, good internet will run you Bs.F150 or $70.00 and the telphone can run Bs.F200 or about $100.00.  The television package gives you a good variety of channels, most spanish however a great selection of English.  The internet will the you 2mb download speed and is unlimited.  The Telephone is a landline and not a cellphone and will give you unlimited incomming calls.  Every call outbound you make locally costs about BsF 0.05 per minute, long distance within Venezuela is BsF0.80 per minute and calling to the us is about BsF1 per minute.

Eating out is expensive if you want to eat at a CLEAN location.  An Arepa with reina pepillada (a chicken avocado filling) will run you Bs.F18 or $9.00us and this does not include a drink!  The government has announced they are going to start regulating costs... they will do this and this means the quality will drop.

Recently went to Subway and ordered 2 footlong subs 4 drinks and 4 cookies to share amongs 4 people and the bill came to Bs.F125.00 or $60.00 US.  So I would say this is more expensive than in Canada or USA.

Here are some prices in Caracas:

So I am trying to paint the picture... Caracas is expensive and so are most places in Venezuela.  Even smaller villages are raising in prices.  On account of the currency control many products if not expired are hard to come by.

I am not a supporter of Chavez nor am I against him.  I don't like any of the politicians opposition or mainline.  The truth is it is hard to live here, crime is rampant, and life can be hard.  Make sure you live in a good area or you will get more than you bargained for.  I love Venezuela but the truth exists that this is a highly charged polarized political climate and there is no telling what can happen.

Inflation last year was 32% and exonomists are predicting between 30 and 40% this year.

Just so you are informed!