Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Asuncion and May Pen

For one person, living is cheaper in May Pen: $729 a month against $1,049 in Asuncion, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Asuncion
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Asuncion Living Index

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Asuncion

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$1,049

/mo nomad

May Pen

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$729

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Asuncion and in May Pen

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

A single person spends $1,049 per month in Asuncion vs $729 in May Pen, rent included.

Asuncion $1,049
May Pen $729

A couple spends around $1,635 per month in Asuncion vs $824 in May Pen, rent included.

Asuncion $1,635
May Pen $824

A family of three spends $2,221 per month in Asuncion vs $918 in May Pen, rent included.

Asuncion $2,221
May Pen $918

Asuncion costs about 44% more than May Pen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.66 ₲37.8K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.46 ₲246.7K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.63 ₲37.6K

Cappuccino

$3.44 ₲19.5K

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

$1.07 ₲6,047

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₲3,299

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.85 ₲10.5K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₲9,643

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₲7,087

$2.20 JMD 347

-43.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 ₲8,448

$3.85 JMD 609

-61.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 ₲7,645

$3.07 JMD 485

-56.03%

Eggs

$2.32 ₲13.2K

$3.45 JMD 545

-32.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.85 ₲55.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.20 ₲29.5K

$7.52 JMD 1,187

-30.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.91 ₲56.3K

$5.18 JMD 818

91.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 ₲17.0K

$1.59 JMD 251

88.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 ₲6,961

$4.98 JMD 786

-75.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 ₲6,866

$6.24 JMD 986

-80.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 ₲13.9K

$1.84 JMD 291

33.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 ₲7,405

$1.95 JMD 307

-33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ₲7,583

$1.95 JMD 307

-31.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 ₲4,746

$3.11 JMD 491

-72.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ₲3,926

$2.79 JMD 441

-75.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.24 ₲12.7K

Wine (Bottle)

$9.02 ₲51.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₲7,537

$2.18 JMD 344

-38.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ₲9,516

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ₲3,213

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.02 ₲215.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ₲8,222

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₲8,936

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.04 ₲57.0K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ₲6,842

$1.35 JMD 214

-10.37%

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

$16.9K ₲96.1M

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

$35.3K ₲200.5M

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

$50.1 ₲284.3K

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

$16.94 ₲96.2K

$43.08 JMD 6,803

-60.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.75 ₲123.5K

$53.5 JMD 8,453

-59.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.50 ₲207.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.89 ₲84.5K

Cinema Ticket

$8.59 ₲48.8K

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

$184 ₲1.0M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,873 ₲33.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ₲354.4K

$15.86 JMD 2,504

293.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₲314.2K

$21.76 JMD 3,436

154.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 ₲592.2K

$41.43 JMD 6,542

151.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.2 ₲392.6K

$54.6 JMD 8,615

26.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$620 ₲3.5M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 ₲2.1M

$287 JMD 45.4K

29.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,050 ₲6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₲3.5M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,716 ₲9.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,242 ₲7.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$723 ₲4.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.15

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

Last update for Asuncion: October 4, 2026

Last update for May Pen: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Asuncion

$373 35.8%

May Pen

–

Groceries & Markets

Asuncion

$213 20.4%

May Pen

–

Eating Out

Asuncion

$134 12.8%

May Pen

–

Clothing & Footwear

Asuncion

$131 12.6%

May Pen

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Asuncion

$89 8.5%

May Pen

–

Sport & Entertainment

Asuncion

$54 5.2%

May Pen

–

Getting Around

Asuncion

$50 4.8%

May Pen

–

Good to know

🇵🇾 Asuncion

🇯🇲 May Pen

🕒 Local time

08:49 8:49 AM

06:49 6:49 AM

2 h behind Asuncion

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

742,023 Capital

44,755

💱 Currency

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.57 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JMD, 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).

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 177 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.65 EUR).

USD to PYG in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Asuncion May Pen 5,260 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Asuncion
May Pen

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 May Pen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Asuncion is pricier by about 44%, 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 $1,094 in May Pen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,049 in Asuncion and $729 in May Pen. That's a gap of about 44%.

Interestingly, groceries are about 31% cheaper in Asuncion – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in May Pen, where all-in costs run around $729, than in Asuncion at $1,049. In May Pen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Asuncion it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward May Pen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with May Pen. 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.