Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Asuncion and Cotacachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Cotacachi: $720 a month against $1,075 in Asuncion, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Cotacachi
Learn more

Cotacachi Living Index

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Asuncion

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$1,075

/mo nomad

Cotacachi

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$720

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Asuncion and in Cotacachi

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

A single person spends $1,075 per month in Asuncion vs $720 in Cotacachi, rent included.

Asuncion $1,075
Cotacachi $720

A couple spends around $1,684 per month in Asuncion vs $1,175 in Cotacachi, rent included.

Asuncion $1,684
Cotacachi $1,175

A family of three spends $2,292 per month in Asuncion vs $1,629 in Cotacachi, rent included.

Asuncion $2,292
Cotacachi $1,629

Asuncion costs about 49% more than Cotacachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Asuncion and Cotacachi are more affordable than the global median – Asuncion 20% lower, Cotacachi 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.15 ₲40.6K

$3.96 $3.96

80.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.57 ₲247.7K

$25.62 $25.62

70.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.10 ₲40.4K

$4.41 $4.41

61.00%

Cappuccino

$3.51 ₲20.0K

$2.18 $2.18

61.01%

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

$1.05 ₲5,977

$1.31 $1.31

-19.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₲3,288

$0.80 $0.80

-27.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 ₲10.8K

$2.02 $2.02

-6.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ₲9,902

$4.08 $4.08

-57.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 ₲7,318

$1.11 $1.11

16.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 ₲8,510

$1.52 $1.52

-1.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ₲7,919

$1.58 $1.58

-12.03%

Eggs

$2.48 ₲14.1K

$2.16 $2.16

14.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.74 ₲55.4K

$6.29 $6.29

54.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.19 ₲29.5K

$5.47 $5.47

-5.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.07 ₲57.2K

$7.45 $7.45

35.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 ₲17.0K

$2.24 $2.24

33.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 ₲7,490

$1.14 $1.14

15.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.19 ₲6,739

$1.32 $1.32

-9.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 ₲14.1K

$1.14 $1.14

116.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ₲7,981

$1.21 $1.21

15.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ₲7,559

$1.06 $1.06

25.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 ₲5,240

$0.83 $0.83

10.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₲4,370

$1.05 $1.05

-26.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.43 ₲13.8K

$4.48 $4.48

-45.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.08 ₲51.6K

$7.63 $7.63

19.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 ₲8,061

$1.57 $1.57

-9.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 ₲10.2K

$3.13 $3.13

-42.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 ₲3,314

$0.44 $0.44

31.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.92 ₲215.5K

$15.20 $15.20

149.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 ₲8,731

$1.27 $1.27

21.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 ₲9,200

$0.91 $0.91

78.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.44 ₲59.3K

$9.86 $9.86

5.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ₲7,316

$0.75 $0.75

72.00%

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

$17.5K ₲99.5M

$20.7K $20.7K

-15.58%

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

$35.0K ₲199.2M

$28.5K $28.5K

23.15%

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

$51.5 ₲292.9K

$29.15 $29.15

76.78%

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

$17.68 ₲100.5K

$12.84 $12.84

37.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.35 ₲127.0K

$26.50 $26.50

-15.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.60 ₲208.1K

$29.46 $29.46

24.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.33 ₲87.2K

$9.84 $9.84

55.79%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ₲50.6K

$6.56 $6.56

35.52%

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

$190 ₲1.1M

$73.7 $73.7

157.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,930 ₲33.7M

$2,981 $2,981

98.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.7 ₲367.9K

$41.85 $41.85

54.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 ₲329.2K

$42.72 $42.72

35.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 ₲609.7K

$94.0 $94.0

14.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.3 ₲416.6K

$60.6 $60.6

20.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 ₲3.7M

$268 $268

140.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 ₲2.2M

$191 $191

101.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 ₲6.0M

$479 $479

121.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 ₲3.7M

$417 $417

56.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,715 ₲9.7M

$609 $609

181.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,205 ₲6.8M

$506 $506

138.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 ₲4.2M

$429 $429

74.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.5

10.12

3.75%

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

Last update for Asuncion: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cotacachi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Asuncion

$385 35.9%

Cotacachi

$191 26.5% 50.5% $195

Groceries & Markets

Asuncion

$217 20.2%

Cotacachi

$190 26.4% 12.6% $27

Eating Out

Asuncion

$140 13%

Cotacachi

$98 13.6% 30.2% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Asuncion

$136 12.7%

Cotacachi

$108 15% 21.1% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Asuncion

$92 8.5%

Cotacachi

$68 9.5% 25.2% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Asuncion

$54 5.1%

Cotacachi

$43 5.9% 21.7% $12

Getting Around

Asuncion

$50 4.6%

Cotacachi

$23 3.2% 54.3% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $645 in Asuncion versus $268 in Cotacachi. 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 74% 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 $26.00 in Cotacachi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $217 vs $190 – making Cotacachi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇾 Asuncion

🇪🇨 Cotacachi

🕒 Local time

16:18 4:18 PM

14:18 2:18 PM

2 h behind Asuncion

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

742,023 Capital

8,238

💱 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 Cotacachi 3,620 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Asuncion
Cotacachi

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 Cotacachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Asuncion is pricier by about 49%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,613 per month in Asuncion and $1,080 in Cotacachi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 149% less in Cotacachi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $190 per month in Asuncion and $73.7 in Cotacachi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Cotacachi, where all-in costs run around $720, than in Asuncion at $1,075. In Cotacachi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Asuncion it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cotacachi – 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 Cotacachi. 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.