Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Asuncion and Des Moines, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Asuncion: $1,069 a month against $2,171 in Des Moines, IA, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 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
105

Cost of Living Index in Des Moines, IA
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Des Moines, IA Living Index

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Asuncion

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$1,069

/mo nomad

Des Moines, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,171

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Asuncion and in Des Moines, 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 Des Moines, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,069 per month in Asuncion vs $2,171 in Des Moines, IA, rent included.

Asuncion $1,069
Des Moines, IA $2,171

A couple spends around $1,673 per month in Asuncion vs $3,236 in Des Moines, IA, rent included.

Asuncion $1,673
Des Moines, IA $3,236

A family of three spends $2,277 per month in Asuncion vs $4,301 in Des Moines, IA, rent included.

Asuncion $2,277
Des Moines, IA $4,301

Asuncion is about 51% cheaper than Des Moines, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Asuncion sits 21% below the global median, while Des Moines, IA is 60% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.09 ₲40.3K

$19.69 $19.69

-63.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.29 ₲246.1K

$80.8 $80.8

-46.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.81 ₲38.7K

$12.22 $12.22

-44.27%

Cappuccino

$3.40 ₲19.3K

$6.16 $6.16

-44.81%

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

$1.06 ₲6,005

$2.93 $2.93

-63.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₲3,381

$2.56 $2.56

-76.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 ₲10.7K

$4.99 $4.99

-62.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 ₲10.2K

$5.89 $5.89

-69.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 ₲7,227

$0.91 $0.91

39.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ₲8,317

$3.03 $3.03

-51.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 ₲7,771

$3.38 $3.38

-59.47%

Eggs

$2.49 ₲14.1K

$4.00 $4.00

-37.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.72 ₲55.2K

$9.69 $9.69

0.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.43 ₲30.9K

$9.91 $9.91

-45.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.00 ₲56.9K

$13.68 $13.68

-26.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ₲16.7K

$4.33 $4.33

-32.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₲7,174

$1.51 $1.51

-16.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.19 ₲6,792

$4.54 $4.54

-73.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.53 ₲14.4K

$3.68 $3.68

-31.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 ₲7,674

$3.07 $3.07

-56.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 ₲7,360

$2.14 $2.14

-39.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 ₲4,965

$2.38 $2.38

-63.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 ₲4,128

$2.19 $2.19

-66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.41 ₲13.7K

$7.85 $7.85

-69.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.47 ₲53.8K

$14.79 $14.79

-35.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 ₲7,998

$1.70 $1.70

-17.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₲9,755

$3.09 $3.09

-44.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 ₲3,508

$1.73 $1.73

-64.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.61 ₲213.8K

$58.1 $58.1

-35.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ₲8,710

$1.97 $1.97

-22.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 ₲8,700

$1.23 $1.23

24.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.61 ₲60.3K

$19.70 $19.70

-46.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₲7,274

$0.93 $0.93

37.63%

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

$17.5K ₲99.5M

$27.2K $27.2K

-35.62%

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

$29.4K ₲167.2M

$25.1K $25.1K

16.93%

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

$49.78 ₲283.0K

$185 $185

-73.03%

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

$17.74 ₲100.9K

$53.6 $53.6

-66.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.69 ₲129.0K

$70.2 $70.2

-67.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.22 ₲205.9K

$63.8 $63.8

-43.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.06 ₲85.7K

$20.14 $20.14

-25.22%

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 ₲49.3K

$9.99 $9.99

-13.21%

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

$189 ₲1.1M

$1,187 $1,187

-84.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,686 ₲32.3M

$12.0K $12.0K

-52.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ₲364.5K

$59.5 $59.5

7.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 ₲322.2K

$42.98 $42.98

31.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 ₲603.5K

$101 $101

5.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.6 ₲406.8K

$145 $145

-50.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₲3.6M

$1,177 $1,177

-46.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$387 ₲2.2M

$872 $872

-55.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,057 ₲6.0M

$1,738 $1,738

-39.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$656 ₲3.7M

$1,394 $1,394

-52.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,733 ₲9.9M

$2,320 $2,320

-25.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,228 ₲7.0M

$2,325 $2,325

-47.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$721 ₲4.1M

$3,647 $3,647

-80.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.5

6.56

60.06%

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

Last update for Asuncion: October 19, 2026

Last update for Des Moines, IA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Asuncion

$387 36.2%

Des Moines, IA

$872 40.2% 126% $486

Groceries & Markets

Asuncion

$217 20.3%

Des Moines, IA

$349 16.1% 61% $132

Eating Out

Asuncion

$138 12.9%

Des Moines, IA

$327 15.1% 138% $189

Clothing & Footwear

Asuncion

$134 12.6%

Des Moines, IA

$157 7.2% 16.8% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Asuncion

$90 8.4%

Des Moines, IA

$308 14.2% 242% $218

Sport & Entertainment

Asuncion

$54 5%

Des Moines, IA

$84 3.9% 56.4% $30

Getting Around

Asuncion

$49 4.6%

Des Moines, IA

$73 3.4% 48.5% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $624 in Asuncion versus $1,177 in Des Moines, IA. 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 406% higher in Des Moines, IA, 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 $81.0 in Des Moines, IA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $217 vs $349 – making Asuncion the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇾 Asuncion

🇺🇸 Des Moines, IA

🕒 Local time

11:44 11:44 AM

09:44 9:44 AM

2 h behind Asuncion

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

742,023 Capital

214,133

💱 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 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to PYG in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Asuncion Des Moines, IA 8,320 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Asuncion
Des Moines, 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 Des Moines, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Des Moines, IA is pricier by about 103%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,603 per month in Asuncion and $3,256 in Des Moines, IA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 55% less in Asuncion. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $189 per month in Asuncion and $1,187 in Des Moines, IA. 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 Asuncion, where all-in costs run around $1,069, than in Des Moines, IA at $2,171. In Asuncion it covers expenses comfortably, while in Des Moines, IA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Asuncion – 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 Asuncion. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Des Moines, IA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.