[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"page:what-we-do\u002Fnews-stories\u002Fvenezuela-earthquake-cost-of-living":3},{"id":4,"slug":5,"title":6,"short_title":7,"intro_text":8,"meta_description":9,"seo_title":10,"path":11,"content_type":12,"locale":13,"go_live_at":7,"first_published_at":14,"page_created_at":15,"published_at":14,"edit_url":16,"breadcrumbs":17,"seo":25,"body_blocks":32,"call_to_action":134,"categories":140,"labels":142,"show_table_of_contents":73,"show_page_categories":73,"owner":144,"authors":151,"image":77,"show_related_pages":73,"related_pages":153,"related_sites":164,"in_subsite":55,"contact_page_url":165,"banner_message":166},39526,"venezuela-earthquake-cost-of-living","Venezuela's cost of living was already spiralling. Then came a natural disaster",null,"\u003Cp>A month on from two devastating earthquakes, the World Bank estimates almost $20 billion USD of physical damage done, with 47% of it on residential buildings. But even before the quakes, housing costs for Venezuelan families jumped 57% in a single quarter (Q1 to Q2), according to WageIndicator’s Cost of Living database.\u003C\u002Fp>","Even before the earthquake in Venezuela, the cost of living was already spiralling.  See what WageIndicator's data says.","Venezuela Earthquake: Cost of living Was Already Rising","\u002Fwhat-we-do\u002Fnews-stories\u002Fvenezuela-earthquake-cost-of-living","pages.newspage","en","2026-07-31T07:52:02.883759+00:00","2026-07-31T14:25:39.903107+00:00","\u002Fcms\u002Fpages\u002F39526\u002Fedit\u002F",[18,21,24],{"title":19,"slug":20},"What We Do","what-we-do",{"title":22,"slug":23},"News and Stories","news-stories",{"title":6,"slug":5},{"title":10,"description":9,"image":26,"canonical":27,"robots":28,"og_type":29,"twitter_card":30,"locale":13,"created_at":31,"last_modified_at":31},"https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fwageindicator_186979448.2e16d0ba.fill-1200x630.jpg","https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fwhat-we-do\u002Fnews-stories\u002Fvenezuela-earthquake-cost-of-living\u002F","index, follow","website","summary_large_image","2026-07-31T09:52:02.883759+02:00",[33,65,125],{"type":34,"data":35},"composed_content_block",{"blocks":36},[37,42,58,61],{"type":38,"data":39},"text_block",{"content":40,"variant":41},"\u003Cp>\u003Cb>\u003Ci>31 July 2026\u003C\u002Fi>\u003C\u002Fb>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>On June 24, Venezuela, a country already engulfed in political and economic instability, was hit with a major 7.2 magnitude earthquake which released the energy equivalent to roughly 1,000 kilotons of TNT. Just 39 seconds later, a second earthquake struck the country, releasing nearly three times the energy of the first.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>These earthquakes were the strongest to hit in over a century and it's not hard to imagine that this disaster will worsen already existing economic problems. Last week the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.worldbank.org\u002Fen\u002Fnews\u002Fpress-release\u002F2026\u002F07\u002F23\u002Fworld-bank-group-estimates-venezuela-earthquakes-damage\" rel=\"follow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">World Bank\u003C\u002Fa> estimated that the earthquakes have resulted in almost $20 billion USD worth of direct physical damage – and 47% of the total damage was to residential buildings. This will no doubt affect costs of housing... a necessity that was already increasing well \u003Ci>before\u003C\u002Fi> the disaster.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>A month after the quakes, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.euronews.com\u002F2026\u002F07\u002F25\u002Fthe-toll-of-the-tragedy-one-month-after-venezuelas-double-earthquake\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Euronews also reported\u003C\u002Fa> that the number of families left without housing stood at almost 18,000 and around 23,000 people remained in temporary locations set up in the capital Caracas and La Guaira\u003Cb>.\u003C\u002Fb>\u003C\u002Fp>","light",{"type":43,"data":44},"images_block",{"title":45,"variant":41,"selected_images":46,"num_cols":54,"show_as_slider":55,"image_fit":56,"image_align":57},"",[47],{"id":48,"title":49,"alt":49,"src":50,"srcset":51,"width":52,"height":53,"caption":45},4235,"wageindicator_186979448","https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fwageindicator_186979448.width-300.jpg","https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fwageindicator_186979448.width-300.jpg 300w, https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fwageindicator_186979448.width-600.jpg 600w, https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fwageindicator_186979448.width-1200.jpg 1200w",8512,5664,1,false,"cover","middle",{"type":38,"data":59},{"content":60,"variant":41},"\u003Ch2>What our data says\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>To see how hard Venezuelans already had it before the disaster, WageIndicator’s \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fwhat-we-do\u002Fdata-and-services\u002Fsurveys\u002Fliving-wages-cost-of-living\u002F\">Cost of Living\u003C\u002Fa> data has been tracking quarterly price changes in Venezuela on the ground for years. At the back end of 2025, housing costs rose 41% from Q3 to Q4. Then at the start of 2026, the prices rose 9% into Q1.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>The latest data available from just before the earthquakes shows a huge \u003Cb>57% increase in housing costs from Q1 into Q2 this year\u003C\u002Fb>.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>WageIndicator’s Cost of Living database is able to break down prices into specific categories: housing and utilities, food, drinking water, phone and internet, clothing, transport, education, healthcare, and a provision for unexpected events.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>With data backed by real fieldwork, WageIndicator's data collectors permanently and continuously track rent and housing cost data in close to 200 countries – updated every financial quarter. The result is a ground-level picture of what families actually pay, using WageIndicator's own tried and tested methodology.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>When it comes to food, data collectors physically go to local markets and shops to record the actual prices of over 70 food items. In Venezuela, food prices rose 26% from Q3 to Q4 in 2025. Then at the start of 2026, the prices rose 42% into Q1. And the latest data,\u003Cb> from Q1 to Q2, food costs rose 40% before the earthquakes\u003C\u002Fb>.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>These figures feed directly into \u003Ca href=\"\u002Fwork\u002Fliving-wages\">WageIndicator's Living Wage\u003C\u002Fa> calculations – the minimum a worker needs to earn to cover basic costs for themselves and their family. The data is also collected across a wide range of regions within each country, capturing richer and more diverse information to reflect how prices change depending on where people live and shop.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Venezuelans were already paying a steep price for daily life before the earthquakes struck. What the disaster adds to that price is still unknown – but \u003Ca href=\"\u002Fes-ve\u002Ftrabajo-en-venezuela\u002Fsalarios-vitales\">WageIndicator will be watching closely as the data comes in\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>",{"type":62,"data":63},"author_info_block",{"title":64,"description":45},"Story by",{"type":66,"data":67},"latest_page_items_block",{"title":68,"link":69,"link_description":68,"variant":72,"show_item_images":73,"show_categories":55,"show_as_slider":55,"items":74},"Read More",{"id":70,"short_title":7,"title":22,"url":71},24642,"\u002Fwhat-we-do\u002Fnews-stories","dark",true,[75,89,108],{"title":6,"short_title":7,"intro_text":8,"link":76,"categories":78,"labels":83,"image":88,"go_live_at":7,"first_published_at":14,"page_created_at":15,"published_at":14},{"id":4,"short_title":7,"title":6,"url":11,"image":77},"https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fwageindicator_186979448.width-400.jpg",[79],{"id":80,"slug":81,"name":82},4,"living-wage","Living Wage",[84],{"id":85,"slug":86,"name":87},3,"blogs","Blogs","\u003Cimg src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fwageindicator_186979448.width-400.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fwageindicator_186979448.width-400.jpg 400w, https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fwageindicator_186979448.width-800.jpg 800w, https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fwageindicator_186979448.width-1200.jpg 1200w\" alt=\"wageindicator_186979448\">",{"title":90,"short_title":7,"intro_text":91,"link":92,"categories":96,"labels":101,"image":105,"go_live_at":7,"first_published_at":106,"page_created_at":107,"published_at":106},"Three Key Changes in Colombia's Labour Reform in July","\u003Cp>In addition to the official reduction of the workweek, changes to overtime pay and surcharges for working Sundays and holidays will be implemented this month.\u003C\u002Fp>",{"id":93,"short_title":7,"title":90,"url":94,"image":95},39523,"\u002Fwhat-we-do\u002Fnews-stories\u002Fcolombia-reform","https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fwageindicator_1794429253.width-400.jpg",[97],{"id":98,"slug":99,"name":100},2,"labour-law","Labour Law",[102],{"id":54,"slug":103,"name":104},"news","News","\u003Cimg src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fwageindicator_1794429253.width-400.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fwageindicator_1794429253.width-400.jpg 400w, https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fwageindicator_1794429253.width-800.jpg 800w, https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fwageindicator_1794429253.width-1200.jpg 1200w\" alt=\"wageindicator_1794429253\">","2026-07-30T08:35:33.491481+00:00","2026-07-30T15:32:35.912136+00:00",{"title":109,"short_title":7,"intro_text":110,"link":111,"categories":115,"labels":120,"image":122,"go_live_at":7,"first_published_at":123,"page_created_at":124,"published_at":123},"Who Really Works More? Rethinking Working Time through a Gender Lens","\u003Cp>Many women finish a paid working day only to begin a \"second shift\" of household and caregiving responsibilities. Women's responsibility for care work often leads to less paid working time, part-time employment, career interruptions and lower earnings.\u003C\u002Fp>",{"id":112,"short_title":7,"title":109,"url":113,"image":114},39518,"\u002Fwhat-we-do\u002Fnews-stories\u002Fwomen-unpaid-work","https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fwageindicator_328107233.width-400.jpg",[116],{"id":117,"slug":118,"name":119},12,"gender","Gender",[121],{"id":85,"slug":86,"name":87},"\u003Cimg src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fwageindicator_328107233.width-400.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fwageindicator_328107233.width-400.jpg 400w, https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fwageindicator_328107233.width-800.jpg 800w, https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fwageindicator_328107233.width-1200.jpg 1200w\" alt=\"wageindicator_328107233\">","2026-07-29T07:00:23.379677+00:00","2026-07-29T07:00:23.179824+00:00",{"type":126,"data":127},"newsletter_block",{"title":128,"description":129,"variant":41,"link_to_terms":130},"Subscribe now","Make sure you don't miss out on the latest stories and updates about the cost of living and Living Wages around the world. Sign up to our newsletter now:",{"title":131,"link_description":131,"url":132,"type":133},"Terms and Conditions","\u002Fabout\u002Fpolicies\u002Fprivacy","internal",{"text":135,"link":136},"Contact us",{"title":135,"url":137,"description":135,"rel":138,"type":133,"id":139},"\u002Fabout\u002Fcontact","follow",24590,[141],{"id":80,"slug":81,"name":82},[143],{"id":85,"slug":86,"name":87},{"id":145,"first_name":146,"last_name":147,"email":148,"image":149,"function":150,"external":55},99,"Mitchell","Cordner","mitchcordner@wageindicator.org","https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002FMitchell-Cordner.width-400.jpg","Project Officer",[152],{"id":145,"first_name":146,"last_name":147,"email":148,"image":149,"function":150,"external":55},[154,159],{"id":155,"short_title":7,"title":156,"url":157,"image":158},38150,"As food and housing prices rise across Mexico, could the World Cup push them up even further?","\u002Fwhat-we-do\u002Fnews-stories\u002Fworld-cup-mexico-cost-of-living","https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fwageindicator_134049626.width-400.jpg",{"id":160,"short_title":7,"title":161,"url":162,"image":163},38777,"Beyond the numbers: what high inflation in Argentina means for everyday spending","\u002Fwhat-we-do\u002Fnews-stories\u002Fargentina-cost-of-living-inflation","https:\u002F\u002Fwageindicator.org\u002Fmedia\u002Fimages\u002Fwageindicator_1011459277.width-400.jpg",[],"\u002Fwork\u002Fliving-wages\u002Fcontact-us","\u003Cp>Welcome to WageIndicator. Same organisation, same information, new look!\u003C\u002Fp>"]