Punto Fijo vs Cabudare: Which City Wins for Expats in 2026?

Cabudare costs roughly 14% less than Punto Fijo. Beyond cost, the two cities are closely matched — lifestyle fit and visa options are likely the deciding factors. Use our tool below to personalize the estimate based on your income and lifestyle.

Household
Lifestyle
Schooling

Cabudare is approximately 60% less expensive than Punto Fijo based on cost of living including rent. This makes Cabudare a more budget-friendly option for expats considering a move.

Cabudare has a FIRE Score of 82/100, indicating its suitability for financial independence and early retirement. The city's safety index is 50, suggesting moderate safety levels.

Recommended profile: Cabudare is ideal for GeoArbitragers and remote workers looking to maximize savings.

Reconsider TravelThe US State Dept advises against travel to Venezuela. This is reflected in the FIRE, Nomad & Retiree scores below. View official advisory →Scores are penalized 10 points across FIRE, Nomad & Retiree ratings.

About Punto Fijo

Punto Fijo is a cheap place to live on paper, with a cost of living index of 32/100 and a budget tier of $571/mo, but a local average net salary of $200/mo means almost nobody there can actually afford it. The expat scene is nonexistent, English is limited, healthcare is poor, and 10 Mbps internet makes remote work a slog, so the 65/100 expat score feels generous. Judibana is the one neighborhood worth a look, and the Rentista Visa's $1,200/mo income floor is the real gatekeeper. Come for the low rent, stay only if you bring your own money, community, and patience.

About Venezuela

Ultra-low rent ($296.24/mo center) meets an ultra-low safety score of 19.3, making this a fit only for the risk-tolerant retiree with a fixed $1,200 USD/mo income under the Rentista Visa and no need for English-speaking care. The Rentista Visa is accessible on paper, but a Level 3 travel advisory and limited expat infrastructure outweigh the savings for anyone prioritizing security, healthcare quality, or a soft landing over pure cost arbitrage.

MONTHLY SAVINGS

$2,109/mo

Nomad Viability
Moderate Suitability

Cost of Living (Without Rent)

Single Person$498/mo
Family of Four$1,798/mo

Rent Per Month

1 Bedroom (City Centre)
$400
1 Bedroom (Outside Centre)
$300
3 Bedroom (City Centre)
$800
3 Bedroom (Outside Centre)
$600

Attractiveness

FIRE Score
76/100
Retiree Score
33/100
Nomad Score
12/100



City Details
Overall Winner
Reconsider TravelThe US State Dept advises against travel to Venezuela. This is reflected in the FIRE, Nomad & Retiree scores below. View official advisory →Scores are penalized 10 points across FIRE, Nomad & Retiree ratings.

About Cabudare

Cabudare is Venezuela's cheap inland alternative to Caracas, with 1BR city-center rent at $250/mo and a budget lifestyle totaling $530/mo. FIRE savers chasing an 82 geo-arbitrage score should pick it; remote workers and retirees needing community should not, since internet runs 6 Mbps, English is limited, and expats are very few. Healthcare access is fair and walkability is 65.

About Venezuela

Ultra-low rent ($296.24/mo center) meets an ultra-low safety score of 19.3, making this a fit only for the risk-tolerant retiree with a fixed $1,200 USD/mo income under the Rentista Visa and no need for English-speaking care. The Rentista Visa is accessible on paper, but a Level 3 travel advisory and limited expat infrastructure outweigh the savings for anyone prioritizing security, healthcare quality, or a soft landing over pure cost arbitrage.

MONTHLY SAVINGS

$2,150/mo

Nomad Viability
Moderate Suitability

Cost of Living (Without Rent)

Single Person$437/mo
Family of Four$1,579/mo

Rent Per Month

1 Bedroom (City Centre)
$250
1 Bedroom (Outside Centre)
$180
3 Bedroom (City Centre)
$450
3 Bedroom (Outside Centre)
$293

Attractiveness

FIRE Score
80/100
Retiree Score
45/100
Nomad Score
12/100



City Details

Battle of Lifestyles

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MetricPunto FijoCabudare
1BR Apartment (Center)$400$250
1BR Apartment (Outside)$300$180
3BR Apartment (Center)$800$450
3BR Apartment (Outside)$600$292.5
Safety Index5250
Internet Speed10Mbps6Mbps
Walkability ScoreN/AN/A

Monthly cost by categoryOne person, computed from each city's own average prices

CategoryPunto FijoCabudare
Total (rent included)$908/mo$564/mo
Excluding rent$608/mo$384/mo
Rent$300/mo$180/mo
Groceries$183/mo$155/mo
Dining out$150/mo$60.00/mo
Entertainment & lifestyle$87.00/mo$64.00/mo
Utilities & connectivity$98.00/mo$65.00/mo
Transport$90.00/mo$40.00/mo

Usage-based estimates from this city's own average prices. A row marked N/A means that city is missing data, so no figure is shown instead of a stale one.

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Punto Fijo vs Cabudare -- Frequently Asked Questions

Click any question to expand the answer.

The Rewire Abroad city comparison tool lets you compare any two cities side by side across metrics that matter most for expats: cost of living, rent, safety, internet speed, and unique attractiveness scores like FIRE and Nomad scores.

The FIRE Score is a financial runway index based on your specific income relative to the local cost of living and rent in that city.

The Retiree Score is a holistic measure of healthcare quality, safety, and general pace of life.

The Nomad Score measures suitability for remote workers, prioritizing average internet speeds, coworking density, and the size of the local expat community.

The monthly cost includes rent and living expenses adjusted using country-level cost of living averages and lifestyle multipliers.

The Savings Rate is the percentage of your income left over after covering all estimated monthly costs in that city.

The tool compares exactly two cities at a time for a clean head-to-head breakdown.

Rewire Abroad has data on hundreds of cities worldwide. If a city appears in the search dropdown, full data is available.

We aggregate data from private and official international sources, adjusted by country-level data for accuracy.