Caracas - Post Report Question and Answers
What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
Very available, very affordable. Most embassy families have household help and have positive reviews; however, some have had problems with theft. - May 2015
Available. About US$3-4/day. - Apr 2015
Cheap, if you have access to the black market rate for money. - Nov 2014
Low cost; though work ethic varies among locals; many expats hire domestics from Peru, Colombia, or Guyana. - Sep 2013
The cost of domestic help has also risen tremendously during my two years here, and a law was passed recently making firing your domestic help a financial burden. The going rate is about $500-600 / month for a live-in. There are plenty of housekeepers available but few that are worth either what you pay or the trouble. The local work ethic is disappointing. I was lucky to find a good housekeeper, but the stories I've heard from friends! - Aug 2012
There are plenty of great maids available. Costs currently from US$20-25/day. However, those prices rise every 6 months due to the inflation. - Mar 2012
The best thing about Caracas is my live-in maid. All apartments have a separate bedroom/bathroom for the maid. Almost everyone has a maid at least a couple of days a week. Some cook or shop or do child care. Pay a little more and get someone really good whom you trust. - Mar 2011
We have a full-time housekeeper/nanny 5 days a week, and it is about $80 a week. - Jan 2011
Not too hard to find, almost all domestics come from outside Venezuela. About $12-15/day. - Oct 2010
Cheap. About $12.50 a day for someone to come to your house to clean and sometimes cook. I've heard live-ins cost about twice that. - Sep 2010
About $15 a day and generally very good. Most of the domestics are from Colombia. - Mar 2010
Everyone seems to go through a few before they find a gem. I went through 3. The cost is about $20-25 USD a day. - Mar 2010
Relatively cheap. The going rate used to be about 40bs a day. At the current parallel rate that is about US$$8. - Feb 2009
Domestic help is generally poor and expensive, again by Latin American standards. - Nov 2008
