Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ames, IA and Asuncion

For one person, living is cheaper in Asuncion: $1,075 a month against $2,142 in Ames, IA, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Ames, IA
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Ames, IA Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Asuncion
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Asuncion Living Index

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Ames, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,142

/mo nomad

Asuncion

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$1,075

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ames, IA and in Asuncion

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ames, IA and in Asuncion actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,142 in Ames, IA versus $1,075 in Asuncion.

Ames, IA $2,142
Asuncion $1,075

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,242 in Ames, IA versus $1,684 in Asuncion.

Ames, IA $3,242
Asuncion $1,684

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,342 in Ames, IA versus $2,292 in Asuncion.

Ames, IA $4,342
Asuncion $2,292

Living in Ames, IA is roughly 99% more expensive than in Asuncion, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ames, IA is 59% above, Asuncion is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.13 $18.13

$7.15 ₲40.6K

153.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 $52.0

$43.57 ₲247.8K

19.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.18 $12.18

$7.10 ₲40.4K

71.55%

Cappuccino

$4.87 $4.87

$3.51 ₲20.0K

38.75%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.05 ₲5,980

147.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$0.58 ₲3,289

287.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.05 $4.05

$1.89 ₲10.8K

114.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 $6.81

$1.74 ₲9,906

291.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.29 ₲7,321

-31.01%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$1.50 ₲8,514

136.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.39 ₲7,922

134.53%

Eggs

$3.34 $3.34

$2.48 ₲14.1K

34.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 $10.08

$9.74 ₲55.4K

3.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.62 $13.62

$5.19 ₲29.5K

162.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$10.07 ₲57.2K

89.18%

Apples (1kg)

$5.88 $5.88

$2.99 ₲17.0K

96.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.32 ₲7,493

37.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$1.19 ₲6,742

462.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$2.47 ₲14.1K

111.34%

Potato (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.40 ₲7,984

224.29%

Onion (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$1.33 ₲7,562

206.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 $2.32

$0.92 ₲5,243

152.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$0.77 ₲4,372

216.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.03 $13.03

$2.43 ₲13.8K

436.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.11 $16.11

$9.08 ₲51.6K

77.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.42 ₲8,064

102.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 $4.98

$1.79 ₲10.2K

178.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.58 ₲3,315

70.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.57 $35.57

$37.92 ₲215.6K

-6.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 $5.09

$1.54 ₲8,735

230.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.62 ₲9,204

4.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.13 $24.13

$10.44 ₲59.4K

131.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.29 ₲7,320

-25.58%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$24.7K $24.7K

$17.5K ₲99.5M

41.28%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.1K $25.1K

$35.0K ₲199.2M

-28.44%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$176 $176

$51.5 ₲293.0K

242.13%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$54.3 $54.3

$17.68 ₲100.5K

207.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$22.35 ₲127.1K

218.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 $69.0

$36.60 ₲208.1K

88.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.74 $19.74

$15.33 ₲87.2K

28.77%

Cinema Ticket

$15.97 $15.97

$8.89 ₲50.6K

79.64%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,370 $1,370

$190 ₲1.1M

622.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.1K $36.1K

$5,930 ₲33.7M

509.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 $58.4

$64.7 ₲368.0K

-9.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.68 $44.68

$57.9 ₲329.4K

-22.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 $90.1

$107 ₲610.0K

-15.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$73.3 ₲416.8K

42.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 $1,005

$645 ₲3.7M

55.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$822 $822

$385 ₲2.2M

113.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 $1,860

$1,061 ₲6.0M

75.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,505 $1,505

$654 ₲3.7M

130.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,432 $2,432

$1,715 ₲9.8M

41.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,185 $2,185

$1,205 ₲6.9M

81.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,597 $3,597

$747 ₲4.2M

381.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.41

10.5

-38.95%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ames, IA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Asuncion: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ames, IA

$822 38.4%

Asuncion

$385 35.9% 53.1% $437

Groceries & Markets

Ames, IA

$436 20.4%

Asuncion

$217 20.2% 50.2% $219

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ames, IA

$302 14.1%

Asuncion

$92 8.5% 69.7% $210

Eating Out

Ames, IA

$293 13.7%

Asuncion

$140 13% 52.2% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Ames, IA

$134 6.3%

Asuncion

$136 12.7% 1.8% $2.4

Sport & Entertainment

Ames, IA

$101 4.7%

Asuncion

$54 5.1% 46.1% $47

Getting Around

Ames, IA

$53 2.5%

Asuncion

$50 4.6% 6% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,005 in Ames, IA and $645 in Asuncion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ames, IA pays 382% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $52.0 in Ames, IA vs $44.00 in Asuncion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $436 vs $217 per month, with Asuncion cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ames, IA

🇵🇾 Asuncion

🕒 Local time

15:21 3:21 PM

17:21 5:21 PM

2 h ahead of Ames, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,427

742,023 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PYG, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇵🇾 Paraguayan Guarani (₲)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5,686 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 6,393 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR).

PYG to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ames, IA Asuncion 8,350 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Ames, IA
Asuncion

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Ames, IA vs Asuncion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Asuncion wins on cost – living expenses run 99% lower than in Ames, IA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Asuncion the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 382% higher in Ames, IA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,005 in Ames, IA versus $645 in Asuncion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Asuncion runs roughly 7% less than in Ames, IA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,370 in Ames, IA versus $190 in Asuncion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,075 in Asuncion versus $2,142 in Ames, IA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Asuncion but tight or insufficient in Ames, IA. The gap between the two cities makes Asuncion the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Asuncion gentler on the wallet – expenses run 99% less than in Ames, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.