Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Asuncion and Ames, IA

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.

52

Cost of Living Index in Asuncion
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Asuncion Living Index
104

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

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Asuncion

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$1,075

/mo nomad

Ames, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,142

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Ames, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Asuncion costs roughly 50% less than in Ames, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.15 ₲40.6K

$18.13 $18.13

-60.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.57 ₲247.8K

$52.0 $52.0

-16.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.10 ₲40.4K

$12.18 $12.18

-41.71%

Cappuccino

$3.51 ₲20.0K

$4.87 $4.87

-27.93%

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

$1.05 ₲5,980

$2.60 $2.60

-59.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₲3,289

$2.25 $2.25

-74.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 ₲10.8K

$4.05 $4.05

-53.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ₲9,906

$6.81 $6.81

-74.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 ₲7,321

$0.89 $0.89

44.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 ₲8,514

$3.55 $3.55

-57.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ₲7,922

$3.26 $3.26

-57.36%

Eggs

$2.48 ₲14.1K

$3.34 $3.34

-25.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.74 ₲55.4K

$10.08 $10.08

-3.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.19 ₲29.5K

$13.62 $13.62

-61.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.07 ₲57.2K

$19.05 $19.05

-47.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 ₲17.0K

$5.88 $5.88

-49.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 ₲7,493

$1.82 $1.82

-27.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.19 ₲6,742

$6.69 $6.69

-82.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 ₲14.1K

$5.22 $5.22

-52.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ₲7,984

$4.54 $4.54

-69.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ₲7,562

$4.07 $4.07

-67.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 ₲5,243

$2.32 $2.32

-60.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₲4,372

$2.44 $2.44

-68.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.43 ₲13.8K

$13.03 $13.03

-81.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.08 ₲51.6K

$16.11 $16.11

-43.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 ₲8,064

$2.87 $2.87

-50.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 ₲10.2K

$4.98 $4.98

-64.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 ₲3,315

$0.99 $0.99

-41.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.92 ₲215.6K

$35.57 $35.57

6.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 ₲8,735

$5.09 $5.09

-69.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 ₲9,204

$1.69 $1.69

-4.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.44 ₲59.4K

$24.13 $24.13

-56.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ₲7,320

$0.96 $0.96

34.38%

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

$17.5K ₲99.5M

$24.7K $24.7K

-29.22%

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

$35.0K ₲199.2M

$25.1K $25.1K

39.75%

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

$51.5 ₲293.0K

$176 $176

-70.77%

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

$17.68 ₲100.5K

$54.3 $54.3

-67.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.35 ₲127.1K

$71.2 $71.2

-68.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.60 ₲208.1K

$69.0 $69.0

-46.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.33 ₲87.2K

$19.74 $19.74

-22.34%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ₲50.6K

$15.97 $15.97

-44.33%

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

$190 ₲1.1M

$1,370 $1,370

-86.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,930 ₲33.7M

$36.1K $36.1K

-83.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.7 ₲368.0K

$58.4 $58.4

10.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 ₲329.4K

$44.68 $44.68

29.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 ₲610.0K

$90.1 $90.1

19.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.3 ₲416.8K

$105 $105

-29.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 ₲3.7M

$1,005 $1,005

-35.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 ₲2.2M

$822 $822

-53.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 ₲6.0M

$1,860 $1,860

-42.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 ₲3.7M

$1,505 $1,505

-56.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,715 ₲9.8M

$2,432 $2,432

-29.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,205 ₲6.9M

$2,185 $2,185

-44.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 ₲4.2M

$3,597 $3,597

-79.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.5

6.41

63.81%

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

Last update for Asuncion: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ames, IA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Asuncion

$385 35.9%

Ames, IA

$822 38.4% 113% $437

Groceries & Markets

Asuncion

$217 20.2%

Ames, IA

$436 20.4% 101% $219

Eating Out

Asuncion

$140 13%

Ames, IA

$293 13.7% 109% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Asuncion

$136 12.7%

Ames, IA

$134 6.3% 1.8% $2.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Asuncion

$92 8.5%

Ames, IA

$302 14.1% 230% $210

Sport & Entertainment

Asuncion

$54 5.1%

Ames, IA

$101 4.7% 85.6% $47

Getting Around

Asuncion

$50 4.6%

Ames, IA

$53 2.5% 6.4% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $645 in Asuncion and $1,005 in Ames, IA. 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: $44.00 in Asuncion vs $52.0 in Ames, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $217 vs $436 per month, with Asuncion cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇾 Asuncion

🇺🇸 Ames, IA

🕒 Local time

19:44 7:44 PM

17:44 5:44 PM

2 h behind Asuncion

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

742,023 Capital

66,427

💱 Currency

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5,686 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 6,393 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR).

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

USD to PYG in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Asuncion
Ames, IA

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 Ames, IA: 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.

On paper, salaries run 382% lower in Ames, IA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $645 in Asuncion versus $1,005 in Ames, IA. 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 $190 in Asuncion versus $1,370 in Ames, IA. 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.