Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Asuncion and Cuenca

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuenca: $990 a month against $1,049 in Asuncion, rent and utilities included – about $710 less a year. The total is higher in Asuncion despite lower rent and utilities.

51

Cost of Living Index in Asuncion
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Asuncion Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Cuenca
Learn more

Cuenca Living Index

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Asuncion

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$1,049

/mo nomad

Cuenca

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$990

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Asuncion and in Cuenca

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

A single person spends $1,049 per month in Asuncion vs $990 in Cuenca, rent included.

Asuncion $1,049
Cuenca $990

A couple spends around $1,635 per month in Asuncion vs $1,480 in Cuenca, rent included.

Asuncion $1,635
Cuenca $1,480

A family of three spends $2,221 per month in Asuncion vs $1,969 in Cuenca, rent included.

Asuncion $2,221
Cuenca $1,969

Asuncion costs about 6% more than Cuenca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Asuncion and Cuenca are more affordable than the global median – Asuncion 22% lower, Cuenca 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.66 ₲37.8K

$3.48 $3.48

91.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.46 ₲246.7K

$29.45 $29.45

47.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.63 ₲37.6K

$7.85 $7.85

-15.54%

Cappuccino

$3.44 ₲19.5K

$2.67 $2.67

28.84%

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

$1.07 ₲6,047

$0.78 $0.78

37.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₲3,299

$0.71 $0.71

-18.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.85 ₲10.5K

$2.03 $2.03

-8.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₲9,643

$3.27 $3.27

-48.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₲7,087

$1.06 $1.06

17.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 ₲8,448

$2.13 $2.13

-30.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 ₲7,645

$1.87 $1.87

-27.81%

Eggs

$2.32 ₲13.2K

$2.19 $2.19

5.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.85 ₲55.9K

$6.87 $6.87

43.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.20 ₲29.5K

$6.13 $6.13

-15.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.91 ₲56.3K

$7.26 $7.26

36.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 ₲17.0K

$2.06 $2.06

45.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 ₲6,961

$1.05 $1.05

17.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 ₲6,866

$1.36 $1.36

-11.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 ₲13.9K

$1.39 $1.39

76.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 ₲7,405

$1.47 $1.47

-11.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ₲7,583

$1.07 $1.07

25.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 ₲4,746

$0.79 $0.79

6.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ₲3,926

$1.08 $1.08

-36.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.24 ₲12.7K

$5.39 $5.39

-58.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.02 ₲51.2K

$10.08 $10.08

-10.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₲7,537

$1.53 $1.53

-13.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ₲9,516

$2.94 $2.94

-42.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ₲3,213

$0.37 $0.37

54.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.02 ₲215.8K

$15.70 $15.70

142.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ₲8,222

$1.36 $1.36

6.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₲8,936

$1.08 $1.08

45.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.04 ₲57.0K

$10.85 $10.85

-7.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ₲6,842

$0.88 $0.88

37.50%

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

$16.9K ₲96.1M

$25.4K $25.4K

-33.23%

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

$35.3K ₲200.5M

$28.8K $28.8K

22.77%

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

$50.1 ₲284.3K

$39.66 $39.66

26.27%

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

$16.94 ₲96.2K

$13.65 $13.65

24.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.75 ₲123.5K

$26.80 $26.80

-18.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.50 ₲207.2K

$29.54 $29.54

23.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.89 ₲84.5K

$5.18 $5.18

187.45%

Cinema Ticket

$8.59 ₲48.8K

$7.24 $7.24

18.65%

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

$184 ₲1.0M

$229 $229

-19.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,873 ₲33.3M

$6,919 $6,919

-15.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ₲354.4K

$66.0 $66.0

-5.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₲314.2K

$46.74 $46.74

18.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 ₲592.2K

$124 $124

-15.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.2 ₲392.6K

$73.0 $73.0

-5.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$620 ₲3.5M

$544 $544

13.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 ₲2.1M

$386 $386

-3.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,050 ₲6.0M

$716 $716

46.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₲3.5M

$610 $610

2.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,716 ₲9.7M

$1,222 $1,222

40.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,242 ₲7.0M

$835 $835

48.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$723 ₲4.1M

$562 $562

28.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.15

11.16

-9.05%

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

Last update for Asuncion: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cuenca: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Asuncion

$373 35.8%

Cuenca

$386 39.2% 3.5% $13

Groceries & Markets

Asuncion

$213 20.4%

Cuenca

$206 20.9% 3% $6.5

Eating Out

Asuncion

$134 12.8%

Cuenca

$106 10.8% 20.6% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Asuncion

$131 12.6%

Cuenca

$139 14.1% 6.2% $8.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Asuncion

$89 8.5%

Cuenca

$80 8.1% 9.8% $8.7

Sport & Entertainment

Asuncion

$54 5.2%

Cuenca

$44 4.5% 18% $9.7

Getting Around

Asuncion

$50 4.8%

Cuenca

$24 2.4% 51.8% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $620 in Asuncion versus $544 in Cuenca. 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 29% 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 $29.00 in Cuenca. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $213 vs $206 – making Cuenca the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇾 Asuncion

🇪🇨 Cuenca

🕒 Local time

08:14 8:14 AM

06:14 6:14 AM

2 h behind Asuncion

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

742,023 Capital

495,776

💱 Currency

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.57 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 5,676 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 6,361 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.57 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to PYG in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Asuncion Cuenca 3,380 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Asuncion
Cuenca

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 Cuenca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Asuncion is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,574 per month in Asuncion and $1,486 in Cuenca. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 142% less in Cuenca. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $184 per month in Asuncion and $229 in Cuenca. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cuenca, where all-in costs run around $990, than in Asuncion at $1,049. In Cuenca it covers expenses comfortably, while in Asuncion it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cuenca – 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 Cuenca. 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.