Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Asuncion and Arequipa

For one person, living is cheaper in Arequipa: $719 a month against $1,049 in Asuncion, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Asuncion
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Asuncion Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Arequipa
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Arequipa Living Index

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Asuncion

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$1,049

/mo nomad

Arequipa

🇵🇪 Peru

$719

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Asuncion and in Arequipa

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

A single person spends $1,049 per month in Asuncion vs $719 in Arequipa, rent included.

Asuncion $1,049
Arequipa $719

A couple spends around $1,635 per month in Asuncion vs $1,114 in Arequipa, rent included.

Asuncion $1,635
Arequipa $1,114

A family of three spends $2,221 per month in Asuncion vs $1,510 in Arequipa, rent included.

Asuncion $2,221
Arequipa $1,510

Asuncion costs about 46% more than Arequipa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Asuncion and Arequipa are more affordable than the global median – Asuncion 22% lower, Arequipa 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.66 ₲38.1K

$3.41 PEN 11.73

95.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.46 ₲248.7K

$27.27 PEN 93.8

59.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.63 ₲37.9K

$5.68 PEN 19.53

16.73%

Cappuccino

$3.44 ₲19.7K

$2.47 PEN 8.48

39.27%

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

$1.07 ₲6,096

$0.82 PEN 2.82

30.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₲3,325

$0.38 PEN 1.32

52.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.85 ₲10.6K

$2.07 PEN 7.12

-10.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₲9,721

$4.40 PEN 15.13

-61.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₲7,144

$1.33 PEN 4.59

-6.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 ₲8,516

$1.36 PEN 4.69

9.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 ₲7,707

$1.52 PEN 5.22

-11.18%

Eggs

$2.32 ₲13.3K

$2.25 PEN 7.75

3.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.85 ₲56.4K

$6.39 PEN 21.97

54.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.20 ₲29.8K

$4.37 PEN 15.04

18.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.91 ₲56.7K

$7.48 PEN 25.74

32.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 ₲17.1K

$1.77 PEN 6.09

68.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 ₲7,017

$1.22 PEN 4.20

0.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 ₲6,921

$1.13 PEN 3.90

7.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 ₲14.0K

$1.03 PEN 3.53

137.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 ₲7,464

$0.64 PEN 2.20

103.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ₲7,644

$0.67 PEN 2.31

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 ₲4,784

$0.54 PEN 1.87

55.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ₲3,957

$0.76 PEN 2.61

-9.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.24 ₲12.8K

$5.18 PEN 17.82

-56.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.02 ₲51.6K

$5.04 PEN 17.32

78.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₲7,597

$2.72 PEN 9.37

-51.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ₲9,593

$2.20 PEN 7.58

-23.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ₲3,238

$0.28 PEN 0.95

103.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.02 ₲217.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ₲8,289

$2.01 PEN 6.90

-27.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₲9,008

$1.97 PEN 6.78

-20.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.04 ₲57.4K

$13.00 PEN 44.70

-22.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ₲6,897

$1.53 PEN 5.28

-20.92%

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

$16.9K ₲96.9M

$19.2K PEN 65.9K

-11.70%

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

$35.3K ₲202.2M

$25.0K PEN 86.1K

41.09%

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

$50.1 ₲286.6K

$24.05 PEN 82.7

108.23%

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

$16.94 ₲96.9K

$10.15 PEN 34.91

66.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.75 ₲124.5K

$23.01 PEN 79.2

-5.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.50 ₲208.9K

$25.05 PEN 86.2

45.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.89 ₲85.2K

$8.13 PEN 27.97

83.15%

Cinema Ticket

$8.59 ₲49.2K

$7.41 PEN 25.48

15.92%

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

$184 ₲1.1M

$74.8 PEN 257

146.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,873 ₲33.6M

$6,596 PEN 22.7K

-10.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ₲357.2K

$48.85 PEN 168

27.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₲316.8K

$26.46 PEN 91.0

109.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 ₲597.0K

$68.0 PEN 234

53.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.2 ₲395.8K

$57.3 PEN 197

20.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$620 ₲3.6M

$354 PEN 1,217

75.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 ₲2.1M

$236 PEN 812

58.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,050 ₲6.0M

$714 PEN 2,458

46.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₲3.6M

$418 PEN 1,436

49.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,716 ₲9.8M

$1,991 PEN 6,847

-13.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,242 ₲7.1M

$974 PEN 3,351

27.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$723 ₲4.1M

$617 PEN 2,122

17.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.15

-32.33%

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

Last update for Asuncion: October 4, 2026

Last update for Arequipa: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Asuncion

$373 35.8%

Arequipa

$236 33.3% 36.8% $137

Groceries & Markets

Asuncion

$213 20.4%

Arequipa

$174 24.6% 18.3% $39

Eating Out

Asuncion

$134 12.8%

Arequipa

$98 13.8% 26.7% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Asuncion

$131 12.6%

Arequipa

$90 12.7% 31.1% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Asuncion

$89 8.5%

Arequipa

$57 8.1% 35.6% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Asuncion

$54 5.2%

Arequipa

$40 5.6% 25.7% $14

Getting Around

Asuncion

$50 4.8%

Arequipa

$13 * 1.8% 73.9% $37

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $620 in Asuncion versus $354 in Arequipa. 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 17% 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 $43.00 in Asuncion versus $27.00 in Arequipa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $213 vs $174 – making Arequipa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇾 Asuncion

🇵🇪 Arequipa

🕒 Local time

04:03 4:03 AM

02:03 2:03 AM

2 h behind Asuncion

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

742,023 Capital

17,062

💱 Currency

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 PYG = 1.75 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to PYG – Paraguayan Guarani Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇾 Paraguayan Guarani (₲)

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 5,722 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.75 USD). 1 EUR = 6,418 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

USD to PYG in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Asuncion Arequipa 1,750 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Asuncion
Arequipa

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 Arequipa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Asuncion costs about 46% more than Arequipa, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,574 per month in Asuncion and $1,078 in Arequipa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Arequipa, 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 $43.00 in Asuncion and $27.00 in Arequipa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Asuncion, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Arequipa, where all-in costs run around $719, than in Asuncion at $1,049. In Arequipa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Asuncion it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Arequipa costs $719 versus $1,049 in Asuncion. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Arequipa. 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.