The Daily Journal – Venezuela’s Family Food Basket cost US$761.35 in September 2026, according to figures published by the Center for Documentation and Social Analysis of the Venezuelan Federation of Teachers (Cendas-FVM).
In bolívares, the amount required to cover the food basket reached Bs. 631,923.35, according to the organization’s October 2026 database.
Cendas-FVM also estimated drinking water expenses at US$13.49. Adding this amount to food costs brings total monthly spending to US$774.84.
In comparison, Venezuela’s current monthly minimum wage, which has remained at Bs. 130 since March 15, 2022, amounts to US$0.16, based on the exchange rate of Bs. 830 per dollar that the report uses.
The organization noted that this wage covers just 0.02% of the family food basket’s cost.
In recent years, the Chavista government has focused its income policy on replacing the minimum wage with bonuses that do not count toward other employment benefits under Venezuelan labor laws.
On October 13, a group of union and professional association leaders submitted a list of demands to the Miraflores Presidential Palace, backed by 40,000 signatures, calling for the restoration of public-sector workers’ incomes and respect for their labor rights.
Among their main demands, the representatives called for authorities to calculate year-end payments based on total monthly compensation rather than limiting them to the bonuses that public employees currently receive.
