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Cost of living: the dollar and the food basket

What the dollar is worth, what a month of food costs and what basic goods cost in Venezuela compared with the United States, Argentina and Spain. Every figure with its date and source.

By Cabudare staff · Updated · 29 sources

The dollar and the food basket · Venezuela

Every figure with its date and source

  • Official dollar · BCV

    883.40

    bolívares per dollar

    Up 196% so far in 2026 (year-to-date change published with the day's rate).

    Data date:
    Source:
    BCV; year-to-date change, Finanzas Digital[1][10]

  • Parallel (street) dollar

    1,000.65

    bolívares per dollar (Monitor Dólar, a street-rate tracker, via ExchangeMonitor)

    13.3% above the official rate. Not an official rate: it is the street quote.

    Data date:
    Source:
    ExchangeMonitor; gap: our calculation[11]

  • Food basket · Cendas-FVM

    US$ 755.36

    a month, family of five

    581,625.07 Bs. Food only (60 items). In dollars it rose 3.8% from July.

    Data date:
    Source:
    Cendas-FVM, via Banca y Negocios[12]

  • The basket in minimum incomes

    3.1

    comprehensive minimum incomes of US$ 240

    Measured against the minimum wage of 130 Bs, the basket equals 4,474 wages.

    Data date:
    Source:
    Cabudare.com calculation with data from Cendas-FVM, Reuters and Efecto Cocuyo[12][13][14]

The dollar today

On October 21, 2026, the Banco Central de Venezuela (BCV, the central bank) set the official dollar at 883.3963 bolívares [1]. So far this year the bolívar has lost 66% of its value against the official dollar [10]. On the street, the parallel dollar rules: on October 21, 2026 it traded at 1,000.65 bolívares (Monitor Dólar, a street-rate tracker, via ExchangeMonitor), 13.3% above the official rate [11].

Many shops set prices in dollars, restock with foreign currency bought above the official rate and charge more if customers pay in bolívares [17].

Since the end of January, the official dollar went from 367 to 883 bolívares: 2.4 times as much

BCV reference rate, bolívares per dollar, last business day of each month of 2026 (last point: the current rate, from October 21, 2026)

02505007501,000JanMarMayJul883
View data as a table
Since the end of January, the official dollar went from 367 to 883 bolívares: 2.4 times as much
Value dateBs per US$
January 30, 2026367.3069
February 27, 2026417.3579
March 31, 2026473.8702
April 30, 2026487.1192
May 29, 2026549.3716
June 30, 2026623.0223
July 31, 2026746.6297
August 31, 2026794.9917
October 21, 2026883.3963
Note: Value dates published by the BCV; the last business day of each month is used. The chart connects monthly points: it does not show daily moves.Source: Banco Central de Venezuela, via the daily reports of Finanzas Digital [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9].

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The basic food basket

A family of five needed US$ 755.36 to eat in August 2026, according to the Canasta Alimentaria Familiar (family food basket) of Cendas-FVM [12]. That is food only: 60 items, with no utilities, transportation or rent.

How many minimum wages does it cost? With the comprehensive minimum income of US$ 240 a month [14][15], the basket equals 3.1 incomes: it takes what a worker earns in 94 days to pay for a month of food. With the minimum wage of 130 bolívares, about US$ 0.15 at the official rate [1][13], it takes 4,474 wages. Both ratios are our own calculations from the cited figures.

Prices of basic goods

A kilo of tomatoes cost US$ 4.08 in Caracas markets in September [1][18], almost the same as the average price in U.S. cities (US$ 4.36) [23]. A dozen eggs went for US$ 3.48, compared with US$ 2.27. The difference is in the paycheck that pays for them.

The table compares thirteen products. The Caracas price comes only from recent, dated press surveys; the Lara price, from the prices published by an online supermarket in the region. Where there is no data, the cell says so.

Prices of basic goods, in dollars per common unit

Published price converted to US$ and scaled to the same quantity in each row. Venezuela: in US$, or in bolívares at the BCV rate on the day of the data.

Prices of basic goods, in dollars per common unit
ProductCaracasmarkets and online supermarket (Despensa Llena)Laraonline supermarket (TuZonaMarket)U.S.urban average (BLS)ArgentinaGreater Buenos Aires (INDEC)Spainhouseholds, national total (MAPA)
Milk, whole1 literNo comparable data.The store had no whole liquid milk for sale; only lactose-free, skim and others that do not state their fat content[20]US$ 2.66Sep 25, 2026[19]US$ 1.12Aug 2026[23]US$ 1.33Aug 2026[25][26]US$ 1.20Jun 2026[27][29]
Eggs1 dozenUS$ 3.48Sep 24, 2026[17]US$ 2.63Sep 25, 2026[19]US$ 2.27Aug 2026[23]US$ 2.56Aug 2026[25][26]US$ 3.79Jun 2026[27][29]
Bread, white1 kgUS$ 5.69Oct 19, 2026[20]US$ 4.26Sep 25, 2026[19]US$ 4.02Aug 2026[23]US$ 3.25Aug 2026[25][26]US$ 3.15Jun 2026[27][29]
Rice, white1 kgUS$ 1.67Oct 19, 2026[20]US$ 1.09Sep 25, 2026[19]US$ 2.45Aug 2026[23]US$ 1.23Aug 2026[25][26]US$ 2.77Jun 2026[27][29]
Flour, wheat1 kgUS$ 1.50Oct 19, 2026[20]US$ 1.12Sep 25, 2026[19]US$ 1.21Aug 2026[23]US$ 0.70Aug 2026[25][26]US$ 1.76Jun 2026[27][29]
Chicken, whole1 kgUS$ 4.91Oct 19, 2026[20]Sold by the piece at 2.2 to 2.5 kg: the per-kilo price uses the midpoint of the published range.US$ 3.24Sep 25, 2026[19]Sold by the piece at 2.100 to 2.195 kg: the per-kilo price uses the midpoint of the published range.US$ 4.44Aug 2026[23]US$ 3.17Aug 2026[25][26]US$ 4.72Jun 2026[27][29]
Beef1 kgUS$ 11.99Oct 19, 2026[20]US$ 9.28Sep 25, 2026[19]US$ 15.26Aug 2026[23]US$ 7.03Aug 2026[25][26]US$ 18.47Jun 2026[27][29]
Coffee, ground500 gNo comparable data.The store had no identifiable ground coffee for sale: its 500 g packages do not say whether they are ground or whole bean[20]US$ 7.00Sep 25, 2026[19]US$ 10.25Aug 2026[23]US$ 9.09Aug 2026[25][26]US$ 11.98Jun 2026[27][29]
Oil, sunflower1 literNo comparable data.The store does not sell 100% sunflower oil; only soybean oil and blends[20]No comparable data.The store’s only 100% sunflower oil was out of stock; those available are blends with olive oil[19]No comparable data.The BLS does not publish an average price for cooking oilUS$ 3.02Aug 2026[25][26]US$ 2.10Jun 2026[27][29]
Sugar1 kgUS$ 1.99Oct 19, 2026[20]US$ 1.67Sep 25, 2026[19]US$ 2.26Aug 2026[23]US$ 1.04Aug 2026[25][26]US$ 1.46Jun 2026[27][29]
Tomatoes1 kgUS$ 4.08Sep 25, 2026[1][18]US$ 4.35Sep 25, 2026[19]US$ 4.36Aug 2026[23]US$ 2.00Aug 2026[25][26]US$ 2.62Jun 2026[27][29]
Onions1 kgUS$ 2.94Sep 25, 2026[1][18]US$ 2.87Sep 25, 2026[19]No comparable data.The BLS series (APU0000712404) has had no data since 2016US$ 1.43Aug 2026[25][26]US$ 2.21Jun 2026[27][29]
Gasoline, regular1 literUS$ 0.025Sep 21, 2026[22]Subsidized price, with a per-vehicle quota.No comparable data.Not sold in a supermarket; the subsidized price is the same nationwide (Caracas column)US$ 1.11Aug 2026[23]No comparable data.Not on INDEC’s list of average pricesUS$ 2.22Sep 21, 2026[28][29]

Medicines and hygiene at the pharmacy

A box of 30 metformin tablets, the most widely used diabetes drug, costs from US$ 5.65 at Farmatodo [1][21]: 2.4% of a month's comprehensive minimum income [14]. Prices vary by brand: 10 acetaminophen tablets range from US$ 0.37 to US$ 2.16.

Each row carries the price published on the product page, scaled to the same pack size (for example, 10 tablets) so brands and sizes can be compared. It is a single pharmacy chain and the price in its online store; other pharmacies may charge differently.

Pharmacy basket at Farmatodo [1][21]

Price published in bolívares, scaled to the same pack size per row; in US$ at the official BCV rate on the day it was checked.

Pharmacy basket at Farmatodo
ItemCheapestMost expensiveOf the minimum income
Medicines
Acetaminophen 500 mg10 tablets3 products checkedUS$ 0.37Bs 326Acetaminofén 500 mg Genven Caja x 10 TabletasUS$ 2.16Bs 1,906Acetaminofén 500 mg Atamel Calox Caja x 20 Tabletas0.2%
Ibuprofen 400 mg10 tablets3 products checkedUS$ 1.73Bs 1,527Ibuprofeno 400 mg Calox Caja x 20 TabletasUS$ 2.31Bs 2,031Ibuprofeno 400 mg Genven Caja x 10 Comprimidos0.7%
Losartan 50 mg (blood pressure)14 tablets1 product checkedUS$ 1.71Bs 1,509Losartán 50 mg La Santé Caja x 14 Tabletas0.7%
Metformin 850 mg (diabetes)30 tablets3 products checkedUS$ 5.65Bs 4,978Metformina 850 mg Biumak Pharmaceuticals Caja x 30 TabletasUS$ 7.51Bs 6,621Metformina 850 mg Alpharma Caja x 30 Tabletas2.4%
Amoxicillin 500 mg (antibiotic)10 capsules3 products checkedUS$ 2.94Bs 2,586Amoxicilina 500 mg DAC x 10 CápsulasUS$ 4.39Bs 3,867Amoxicilina 500mg La Sante Caja x 12 Cápsulas1.2%
Omeprazole 20 mg14 capsules3 products checkedUS$ 3.10Bs 2,734Omeprazol 20 mg Calox Caja x 14 CápsulasUS$ 7.52Bs 6,630Omeprazol 20 mg Medigen Oftalmi Caja x 7 Cápsulas1.3%
Loratadine 10 mg (allergy)10 tablets3 products checkedUS$ 1.33Bs 1,171Loratadina 10 mg Genven Caja x 10 ComprimidosUS$ 2.56Bs 2,253Loratadina 10 mg Medigen Oftalmi Caja x 10 Tabletas0.6%
Albuterol inhaler 100 mcg (asthma)1 inhaler, 200 doses1 product checkedUS$ 9.41Bs 8,288Salbutamol Inh 100mcg Biumak Pharmaceuticals Aerosol x 200 Dosis3.9%
Hygiene
Toothpaste1 tube, 150 ml2 products checkedUS$ 6.67Bs 5,875Crema Dental Colgate Triple Accion Extra Blancura 150MlUS$ 10.97Bs 9,662Crema Dental Colgate Total Anti Sarro 150Ml2.8%
Toilet paper4 rolls3 products checkedUS$ 1.67Bs 1,469Papel Higienico Rosal Plus Vinotinto 4 Rollos 300HojasUS$ 1.93Bs 1,698Papel Higienico Sutil 4 Rollos 200 Hojas0.7%
Sanitary pads10 pads2 products checkedUS$ 0.96Bs 844Toallas Sanitarias Wanita Regular 10 UnidadesUS$ 2.11Bs 1,855Toallas Sanitarias Farmatodo Día y Noche Invisible x 10 und0.4%
Bar soap1 bar3 products checkedUS$ 2.29Bs 2,018Jabón En Barra Rexona Avena x 110 grUS$ 2.86Bs 2,522Jabón En Barra Dove Original x 90 gr1.0%

How much work it costs

With the comprehensive minimum income, an hour of work in Venezuela is worth US$ 1.38 (240 dollars spread over 173.3 hours a month). In the United States, the federal minimum wage is US$ 7.25 an hour [24]. A kilo of tomatoes costs 177 minutes of work in Venezuela and 36 in the United States. The exception is subsidized gasoline: with a quota, it costs a fraction in Venezuela of what it costs abroad.

A dozen eggs costs 151 minutes of work in Venezuela and 19 in the U.S.

Minutes of work at the minimum income needed to pay for each product, per common unit. Products with a price in both countries.

  • Venezuela (VEN): comprehensive minimum income, US$ 1.38 an hour
  • U.S.: federal minimum wage, US$ 7.25 an hour
0275550Eggs · VEN151Eggs · U.S.19Bread · VEN246Bread · U.S.33Rice · VEN72Rice · U.S.20Flour · VEN65Flour · U.S.10.0Chicken · VEN213Chicken · U.S.37Beef · VEN520Beef · U.S.126Sugar · VEN86Sugar · U.S.19Tomatoes · VEN177Tomatoes · U.S.36Gasoline · VEN1Gasoline · U.S.9.2
View data as a table
A dozen eggs costs 151 minutes of work in Venezuela and 19 in the U.S.
ProductVenezuela (min)U.S. (min)Venezuela ÷ U.S.
Eggs (1 dozen)15118.88.0
Bread, white (1 kg)24633.37.4
Rice, white (1 kg)7220.33.6
Flour, wheat (1 kg)6510.06.5
Chicken, whole (1 kg)21336.75.8
Beef (1 kg)520126.34.1
Sugar (1 kg)8618.74.6
Tomatoes (1 kg)17736.14.9
Gasoline, regular (1 liter)19.20.1
Note: Cabudare.com calculation: US$ price from the table ÷ hourly income × 60. Venezuela: comprehensive minimum income of US$ 240 a month [14][15] spread over 173.3 hours (legal workweek of 40 hours) [16]. U.S.: federal minimum wage [24]. The Venezuelan gasoline figure is the subsidized price with a quota.Source: Prices: Crónica.Uno, El Estímulo, Despensa Llena and BLS [17][18][20][22][23].

Methodology and limitations

Official dollar
Reference rate published daily by the Banco Central de Venezuela, with a «value date» (the day it applies)[1]. The monthly series uses the last business day of each month, according to the daily reports of Finanzas Digital [2][10].
Parallel (street) dollar
There is no official parallel rate. We publish the day's street quote as a dated source publishes it (today, Monitor Dólar, a street-rate tracker, via ExchangeMonitor [11]). It is a reference between private parties, with no guarantee of volume or price for any given trade. The gap with the official rate is our own calculation.
Food basket
Each month Cendas-FVM prices 60 foods for a family of five; it does not include utilities, transportation or housing. It publishes the figure in bolívares and in dollars; the ratio between the two implies about 770 Bs per dollar [12], somewhat below the official rate at the end of August (795) [9]. It is a calculation by a trade federation (the teachers' federation), not an official statistic.
Minimum wage and income
The minimum wage has stayed at 130 Bs since March 2022 [13]. The «comprehensive minimum income» of US$ 240, announced on April 30, 2026, adds to the wage the bonuses the government pays [14]; as of September 23, 2026, there had been no new announcement [15]. For minutes of work we use the comprehensive income, the most favorable figure; with the 130 Bs wage the results would be thousands of times higher.
Venezuelan prices
There is no official index of average prices by product. In Caracas we use press surveys in markets from September 2026 [17][18], the price of subsidized gasoline [22] and, for products with no survey, the dollar prices published by an online supermarket in the city [20]. A price more than four months old is not compared: the cell stays empty and says why. For Lara we use the regular prices published by an online supermarket in the region [19]: it is a single store, not a survey, and each cell names the exact product. We found no market survey for Barquisimeto or Cabudare for these dates.
Prices in other countries
U.S.: urban average price from the BLS consumer price index, August 2026; each row cites its series [23]. Argentina: INDEC average prices for Greater Buenos Aires, August 2026 [25]. Spain: average price paid by households according to the Agriculture Ministry's consumption panel, June 2026 (latest month published) [27], and gasoline from the EU Weekly Oil Bulletin [28]. The items are not identical: beef is ground in the U.S. and Argentina and «all cuts» in Spain. We left out Colombia and Mexico: from DANE we found only wholesale prices (SIPSA), and INEGI publishes a price by brand and package size, with no average by product. We do not use crowdsourced data (Numbeo): its terms prohibit automated collection.
Units and conversion
Each price is stored as its source publishes it and scaled to the same quantity in each row: pounds to kilos (1 lb = 0.45359237 kg), gallons to liters (1 gal = 3.785411784 L), egg cartons and per-egg prices to dozens. It is then converted to dollars at a cited rate: 883.3963 Bs per US$, October 21, 2026[1]; 1,509.4686 pesos per US$ (wholesale reference rate), August 31, 2026[26]; 1.1518 US$ per euro (June average), June 2026 average[29]; 1.1490 US$ per euro, September 21, 2026[29].
Why prices differ
In Venezuela many prices are set in dollars, but wages are paid in bolívares that lose value every day. Caracas merchants blame the increases on inflation, distribution costs and the exchange-rate gap: they restock with dollars that cost more than the official rate and charge more if customers pay in bolívares [17]. Imported goods also carry freight and tariffs. Gasoline is the exception: it is subsidized. In the other countries, taxes weigh (European gasoline carries high taxes), along with farm productivity and the scale of distribution chains.
Limitations
Few Venezuelan cells have data, and all are from Caracas; the periods do not fully match (June for Spain, August for the U.S. and Argentina, September for Venezuela); average prices hide large differences between stores and brands; and single-day exchange rates can move a lot in Venezuela and Argentina. This page is a snapshot, not an index.

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Sources

Sources accessed through October 21, 2026.

  1. 1.Banco Central de Venezuela, Tipo de cambio de referencia: USD 883,39630000 Bs, fecha valor miércoles 21 de octubre de 2026 (Oct 21, 2026).
  2. 2.Finanzas Digital, Tasa de cambio BCV, fecha valor 30-ene-2026 (Jan 29, 2026).
  3. 3.Finanzas Digital, Tasa de cambio BCV, fecha valor 27-feb-2026 (Feb 26, 2026).
  4. 4.Finanzas Digital, Tasa de cambio BCV, fecha valor 31-mar-2026 (Mar 30, 2026).
  5. 5.Finanzas Digital, Tasa de cambio BCV, fecha valor 30-abr-2026 (Apr 29, 2026).
  6. 6.Finanzas Digital, Tasa de cambio BCV, fecha valor 29-may-2026 (May 28, 2026).
  7. 7.Finanzas Digital, Tasa de cambio BCV, fecha valor 30-jun-2026 (Jun 26, 2026).
  8. 8.Finanzas Digital, Tasa de cambio BCV, fecha valor 31-jul-2026 (Jul 30, 2026).
  9. 9.Finanzas Digital, Tasa de cambio BCV, fecha valor 31-ago-2026 (Aug 28, 2026).
  10. 10.Finanzas Digital, Tasa de cambio BCV, fecha valor 25-sep-2026 (Sep 24, 2026).
  11. 11.ExchangeMonitor, Precio del Monitor Dólar en Venezuela (VES/USD): Bs. 1.000,65 a las 10:09 a. m. UTC del 21 de octubre de 2026 (6:09 a. m. en Caracas) (Oct 21, 2026).
  12. 12.Banca y Negocios, Cendas-FVM: Canasta Alimentaria Familiar en agosto subió más de 3% en divisas y se ubicó en US$ 755,36 (Sep 21, 2026).
  13. 13.Efecto Cocuyo, Reconstruir el salario mínimo es otra tarea pendiente antes del inicio de clases (Aug 16, 2026).
  14. 14.Reuters, Venezuela's Rodriguez says monthly minimum income will rise to $240 (Apr 30, 2026).
  15. 15.El Diario, ¿Delcy Rodríguez anunció un aumento salarial de 1.000 dólares a partir de diciembre? (Sep 23, 2026).
  16. 16.Asamblea Nacional (texto en el Observatorio de Igualdad de Género de la CEPAL), Ley Orgánica del Trabajo, los Trabajadores y las Trabajadoras (2012), artículo 173 (jornada diurna de hasta 40 horas semanales) (May 7, 2012).
  17. 17.Crónica.Uno, El cartón de huevos aumentó más de 86 % en bolívares entre julio y septiembre (mercados de Quinta Crespo y Guaicaipuro, Caracas) (Sep 24, 2026).
  18. 18.Crónica.Uno, Tomate, cebolla y pimentón suben hasta 100 % en mercados de Caracas (Sep 25, 2026).
  19. 19.TuZonaMarket, Supermercado en línea, tienda de Lara: precios regulares publicados (no el precio de socios Prime) (Sep 25, 2026).
  20. 20.Despensa Llena, Supermercado en línea de Caracas: precios publicados en dólares (Oct 19, 2026).
  21. 21.Farmatodo, Fichas de producto de la tienda en línea de Venezuela (precio publicado en bolívares) (Oct 19, 2026).
  22. 22.El Estímulo, Cronograma para surtir gasolina subsidiada en Venezuela del 21 al 27 de septiembre (Sep 21, 2026).
  23. 23.U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI Average Price Data, U.S. city average (series APU…, agosto de 2026), vía la API pública de series (Aug 2026).
  24. 24.U.S. Department of Labor, Minimum Wage: «The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour effective July 24, 2009».
  25. 25.INDEC (Argentina), Índice de precios al consumidor, agosto de 2026, cuadro 19: precios promedio de artículos seleccionados, GBA (Sep 2026).
  26. 26.Banco Central de la República Argentina, Tipo de cambio mayorista de referencia (Comunicación A 3500), serie 5 (Aug 31, 2026).
  27. 27.Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación (España), Panel de consumo alimentario en hogares, datos mensuales por canales, junio de 2026: precio medio por kg o litro, total España (Aug 26, 2026).
  28. 28.Comisión Europea, Weekly Oil Bulletin, precios con impuestos al 21 de septiembre de 2026 (Euro-super 95) (Sep 21, 2026).
  29. 29.Banco Central Europeo, Tipos de cambio de referencia del euro frente al dólar (serie EXR, diaria y media mensual) (Sep 25, 2026).

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