Venezuela, Caracas

Country Full Name: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

Location: Venezuela is in Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana.

Country Climate: Tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands.

Country Terrain: Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast.

Major Languages: Spanish, indigenous languages.

Major Religions: Christianity.

Population: 28.1 million (2008 est.) 28.6 million (2009 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of Venezuela is dominated by the petroleum sector accounting for roughly a third of GDP, around 80% of exports and more than half of government revenues. Gold, diamonds and iron ore are mined as well. Venezuela contains some of the largest oil and natural gas reserves in the world. It consistently ranks among the top ten crude oil producers in the world.

Currency: Venezuelan Bolívar (VEB).

Inflation: 26.9% (2011 est.).

City: Caracas is the capital and largest city of Venezuela.

City Economy: Important industries in Caracas include chemicals, textiles, leather, food, iron and wood products. Caracas is a regional center for the distribution of products.

The cost of living in Caracas in Venezuela is very high compared to other places. The overall cost of living is determined using the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across 13 Basket Groups. Caracas in Venezuela is currently ranked 10 overall out of 950 places (rank 1 is most expensive: rank 950 is least expensive). The cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

Alcohol & Tobacco costs are very high compared to other places for items such as alcoholic beverages, alcohol at a bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, and wine (where alcohol is legally sold) as well as for tobacco products such as cigarettes. There are 85 places that are more expensive, and 864 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are very high compared to other places for items such as clothing and footwear products, business suits, casual clothing, childrens clothing and footwear, coats and hats, evening wear, shoe repairs, and underwear. There are 9 places that are more expensive, and 940 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are average compared to other places for various communication costs such as home telephone rental and call charges, internet connection and service provider fees, mobile / cellular phone contract, data, and calls. There are 407 places that are more expensive, and 542 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are very high compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, high school / college fees, primary school fees, and tertiary study fees. There are 2 places that are more expensive, and 947 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are very high compared to other places for items such as furniture, household equipment and appliances, DVD player, fridge freezer, iron, kettle, toaster, microwave, light bulbs, television, vacuum cleaner, and washing machine. There are 5 places that are more expensive, and 944 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are very high compared to other places for items such as food, non-alcoholic beverages and cleaning material items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, meat, oil & vinegars, pet food, pre-prepared meals, sauces, seafood, snacks, soft drinks, spices & herbs . There are 7 places that are more expensive, and 942 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are very high compared to other places for general healthcare, medical and medical insurance, general practitioner consultation rates, hospital private ward daily rate, non-prescription medicine, and private medical insurance / medical aid contributions. There are 12 places that are more expensive, and 937 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are very high compared to other places for items such as housing, water, electricity, household gas, household fuels, local rates and residential taxes, mortgage, house / flat rental, household electricity consumption, household gas / fuel consumption, household water consumption, and local property rates / taxes / levies. There are 27 places that are more expensive, and 922 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are very high compared to other places for items such as stationery, linen, general goods and services, domestic help, dry cleaning, linen, office supplies, newspapers and magazines, and postage stamps. There are 158 places that are more expensive, and 791 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are very high compared to other places for items such as personal care products and services, cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer / sun block, nappies, pain relief tablets, toilet paper, toothpaste, and soap / shampoo / conditioner. There are 61 places that are more expensive, and 888 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are very high compared to other places for items such as books, camera film, cinema tickets, DVDs and CDs, sports goods, and theatre tickets. There are 95 places that are more expensive, and 854 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are very high compared to other places for items such as a business dinner, dinner at a restaurant (non fast food), hotel rates, take away drinks and snacks (fast food). There are 31 places that are more expensive, and 918 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are very high compared to other places for items such as public transport, vehicle costs, vehicle fuel, vehicle insurance and vehicle maintenance, hire purchase / lease of vehicle, petrol / diesel, public transport service maintenance, tires, vehicle Insurance, and vehicle purchase. There are 144 places that are more expensive, and 805 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for Caracas in Venezuela are based on the basket groups and comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, Caracas in Venezuela is ranked as extreme hardship with a hardship index of 40%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for Caracas in Venezuela are based on the comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

Note: Xpatulator.com data is updated quarterly. The latest update is at at 1 January 2012. Create a personalized cost of living comparison report using the calculators:
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