Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Asuncion and Ambato

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambato: $605 a month against $1,075 in Asuncion, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Asuncion
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Asuncion Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Ambato
Learn more

Ambato Living Index

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Asuncion

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$1,075

/mo nomad

Ambato

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$605

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Asuncion and in Ambato

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

A single person spends $1,075 per month in Asuncion vs $605 in Ambato, rent included.

Asuncion $1,075
Ambato $605

A couple spends around $1,684 per month in Asuncion vs $985 in Ambato, rent included.

Asuncion $1,684
Ambato $985

A family of three spends $2,292 per month in Asuncion vs $1,364 in Ambato, rent included.

Asuncion $2,292
Ambato $1,364

Asuncion costs about 78% more than Ambato, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Asuncion and Ambato are more affordable than the global median – Asuncion 20% lower, Ambato 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.15 ₲40.6K

$3.46 $3.46

106.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.57 ₲247.7K

$29.93 $29.93

45.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.10 ₲40.4K

$5.32 $5.32

33.46%

Cappuccino

$3.51 ₲20.0K

$2.76 $2.76

27.17%

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

$1.05 ₲5,977

$0.82 $0.82

28.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₲3,288

$0.75 $0.75

-22.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 ₲10.8K

$1.96 $1.96

-3.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ₲9,902

$3.22 $3.22

-45.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 ₲7,318

$0.98 $0.98

31.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 ₲8,510

$0.98 $0.98

53.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ₲7,919

$1.57 $1.57

-11.46%

Eggs

$2.48 ₲14.1K

$1.73 $1.73

43.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.74 ₲55.4K

$5.42 $5.42

79.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.19 ₲29.5K

$3.05 $3.05

70.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.07 ₲57.2K

$3.93 $3.93

156.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 ₲17.0K

$1.27 $1.27

135.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 ₲7,490

$0.88 $0.88

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.19 ₲6,739

$1.03 $1.03

15.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 ₲14.1K

$1.03 $1.03

139.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ₲7,981

$0.77 $0.77

81.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ₲7,559

$0.99 $0.99

34.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 ₲5,240

$0.73 $0.73

26.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₲4,370

$1.03 $1.03

-25.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.43 ₲13.8K

$5.15 $5.15

-52.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.08 ₲51.6K

$8.78 $8.78

3.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 ₲8,061

$1.45 $1.45

-2.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 ₲10.2K

$2.81 $2.81

-36.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 ₲3,314

$0.29 $0.29

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.92 ₲215.5K

$14.21 $14.21

166.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 ₲8,731

$1.39 $1.39

10.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 ₲9,200

$1.12 $1.12

44.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.44 ₲59.3K

$9.43 $9.43

10.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ₲7,316

$0.86 $0.86

50.00%

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

$17.5K ₲99.5M

$23.3K $23.3K

-24.97%

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

$35.0K ₲199.2M

$28.1K $28.1K

24.49%

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

$51.5 ₲292.9K

$39.20 $39.20

31.45%

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

$17.68 ₲100.5K

$13.58 $13.58

30.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.35 ₲127.0K

$26.39 $26.39

-15.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.60 ₲208.1K

$29.76 $29.76

22.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.33 ₲87.2K

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ₲50.6K

$4.39 $4.39

102.51%

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

$190 ₲1.1M

$224 $224

-15.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,930 ₲33.7M

$2,408 $2,408

146.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.7 ₲367.9K

$48.25 $48.25

34.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 ₲329.2K

$35.22 $35.22

64.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 ₲609.7K

$71.2 $71.2

50.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.3 ₲416.6K

$55.5 $55.5

32.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 ₲3.7M

$178 $178

261.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 ₲2.2M

$124 $124

210.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 ₲6.0M

$380 $380

179.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 ₲3.7M

$273 $273

139.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,715 ₲9.7M

$1,130 $1,130

51.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,205 ₲6.8M

$884 $884

36.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 ₲4.2M

$679 $679

9.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.5

16.67%

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

Last update for Asuncion: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ambato: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Asuncion

$385 35.9%

Ambato

$124 20.5% 67.8% $261

Groceries & Markets

Asuncion

$217 20.2%

Ambato

$147 24.3% 32.4% $70

Eating Out

Asuncion

$140 13%

Ambato

$99 16.4% 29.2% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Asuncion

$136 12.7%

Ambato

$95 15.6% 30.7% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Asuncion

$92 8.5%

Ambato

$79 13.1% 13.5% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Asuncion

$54 5.1%

Ambato

$39 6.4% 29.1% $16

Getting Around

Asuncion

$50 4.6%

Ambato

$22 3.7% 55.2% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $645 in Asuncion versus $178 in Ambato. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 10% higher in Asuncion, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Asuncion versus $30.00 in Ambato. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $217 vs $147 – making Ambato the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇾 Asuncion

🇪🇨 Ambato

🕒 Local time

17:20 5:20 PM

15:20 3:20 PM

2 h behind Asuncion

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

742,023 Capital

165,185

💱 Currency

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.57 EUR

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PYG – Paraguayan Guarani Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇾 Paraguayan Guarani (₲)

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 5,684 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 6,365 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.57 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

USD to PYG in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Asuncion Ambato 3,500 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Asuncion
Ambato

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

Asuncion vs Ambato: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Asuncion costs about 78% more than Ambato, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,613 per month in Asuncion and $908 in Ambato. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ambato, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Asuncion and $30.00 in Ambato. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,075 in Asuncion and $605 in Ambato. That's a gap of about 78%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ambato, where all-in costs run around $605, than in Asuncion at $1,075. In Ambato it covers expenses comfortably, while in Asuncion it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ambato – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ambato. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Asuncion makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.