Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Asuncion and Portmore

For one person, living is cheaper in Asuncion: $1,075 a month against $1,246 in Portmore, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. The total is higher in Portmore despite lower rent and utilities.

Asuncion
🇵🇾 Paraguay
$1,075
/mo nomad
Portmore
🇯🇲 Jamaica
$1,246
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Asuncion and in Portmore

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

A single person spends $1,075 per month in Asuncion vs $1,246 in Portmore, rent included.

  • Asuncion $1,075
  • Portmore $1,246

A couple spends around $1,684 per month in Asuncion vs $2,073 in Portmore, rent included.

  • Asuncion $1,684
  • Portmore $2,073

A family of three spends $2,292 per month in Asuncion vs $2,900 in Portmore, rent included.

  • Asuncion $2,292
  • Portmore $2,900

Asuncion is about 14% cheaper than Portmore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Asuncion and Portmore are more affordable than the global median – Asuncion 20% lower, Portmore 8% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Asuncion
Portmore
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.15 ₲40.6K
$10.15 JMD 1,603
-29.56%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.57 ₲247.8K
$63.3 JMD 10.0K
-31.21%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.10 ₲40.4K
$8.04 JMD 1,270
-11.69%
Cappuccino
$3.51 ₲20.0K
$5.43 JMD 859
-35.36%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.05 ₲5,980
$0.90 JMD 143
16.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.58 ₲3,289
$0.66 JMD 104
-12.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.89 ₲10.8K
$2.18 JMD 345
-13.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 ₲9,906
$2.16 JMD 342
-19.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Asuncion
Portmore
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.29 ₲7,321
$3.02 JMD 478
-57.28%
White Bread (500g)
$1.50 ₲8,514
$3.49 JMD 551
-57.02%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.39 ₲7,922
$1.02 JMD 161
36.27%
Eggs
$2.48 ₲14.1K
$3.61 JMD 571
-31.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.74 ₲55.4K
$11.52 JMD 1,821
-15.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.19 ₲29.5K
$6.30 JMD 996
-17.62%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.07 ₲57.2K
$9.43 JMD 1,490
6.79%
Apples (1kg)
$2.99 ₲17.0K
$5.99 JMD 946
-50.08%
Banana (1kg)
$1.32 ₲7,493
$3.93 JMD 620
-66.41%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.19 ₲6,742
$2.96 JMD 468
-59.80%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.47 ₲14.1K
$3.01 JMD 476
-17.94%
Potato (1kg)
$1.40 ₲7,984
$3.30 JMD 521
-57.58%
Onion (1kg)
$1.33 ₲7,562
$2.60 JMD 411
-48.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.92 ₲5,243
$1.59 JMD 251
-42.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 ₲4,372
$1.26 JMD 199
-38.89%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.43 ₲13.8K
$9.64 JMD 1,523
-74.79%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.08 ₲51.6K
$11.24 JMD 1,776
-19.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.42 ₲8,064
$2.81 JMD 444
-49.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79 ₲10.2K
$2.26 JMD 356
-20.80%
🚌 Getting Around
Asuncion
Portmore
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.58 ₲3,315
$2.29 JMD 361
-74.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$37.92 ₲215.6K
$50.2 JMD 7,931
-24.46%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.54 ₲8,735
$0.96 JMD 152
60.42%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.62 ₲9,204
$3.09 JMD 488
-47.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.44 ₲59.4K
$6.24 JMD 985
67.31%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.29 ₲7,320
$1.18 JMD 187
9.32%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$17.5K ₲99.5M
$43.1K JMD 6.8M
-59.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.0K ₲199.2M
$32.3K JMD 5.1M
8.42%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Asuncion
Portmore
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$51.5 ₲293.0K
$155 JMD 24.5K
-66.72%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.68 ₲100.5K
$29.01 JMD 4,583
-39.06%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.35 ₲127.1K
$52.7 JMD 8,322
-57.57%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Asuncion
Portmore
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.60 ₲208.1K
$60.2 JMD 9,503
-39.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.33 ₲87.2K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.89 ₲50.6K
$13.38 JMD 2,114
-33.56%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Asuncion
Portmore
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$190 ₲1.1M
$285 JMD 45.1K
-33.52%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,930 ₲33.7M
$3,143 JMD 496.5K
88.69%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Asuncion
Portmore
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.7 ₲368.0K
$23.25 JMD 3,674
178.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.9 ₲329.4K
$30.94 JMD 4,889
87.20%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 ₲610.0K
$78.7 JMD 12.4K
36.30%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$73.3 ₲416.8K
$94.5 JMD 14.9K
-22.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Asuncion
Portmore
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$645 ₲3.7M
$307 JMD 48.6K
109.81%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$385 ₲2.2M
$216 JMD 34.1K
78.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,061 ₲6.0M
$656 JMD 103.7K
61.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$654 ₲3.7M
$590 JMD 93.3K
10.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,715 ₲9.8M
$7,466 JMD 1.2M
-77.03%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,205 ₲6.9M
$5,702 JMD 900.9K
-78.87%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Asuncion
Portmore
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$747 ₲4.2M
$1,301 JMD 205.5K
-42.60%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.5
9.45
11.11%

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

Last update for Asuncion: October 11, 2026

Last update for Portmore: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Asuncion
$385
Portmore
$216 44% $169
Groceries & Markets
Asuncion
$217
Portmore
$336 54.7% $119
Eating Out
Asuncion
$140
Portmore
$192 37% $52
Clothing & Footwear
Asuncion
$136
Portmore
$102 25% $34
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Asuncion
$92
Portmore
$237 158% $145
Sport & Entertainment
Asuncion
$54
Portmore
$87 59.8% $33
Getting Around
Asuncion
$50
Portmore
$76 51.9% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $645 in Asuncion versus $307 in Portmore. 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 Portmore, 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 $63.0 in Portmore. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $217 vs $336 – making Asuncion the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇾 Asuncion
🇯🇲 Portmore
🕒 Local time
21:03 9:03 PM
19:03 7:03 PM
2 h behind Asuncion
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
742,023 Capital
170,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

JMD, USD, EUR to PYG – Paraguayan Guarani Converter

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 5,686 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 6,393 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR).

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Asuncion Portmore 5,240 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Asuncion
  • Portmore

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 Portmore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Portmore cheaper than Asuncion?
Yes – Portmore is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,613 per month in Asuncion and $1,868 in Portmore. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 32% less in Asuncion. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $190 per month in Asuncion and $285 in Portmore. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Asuncion or in Portmore?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Asuncion, where all-in costs run around $1,075, than in Portmore at $1,246. In Asuncion it covers expenses comfortably, while in Portmore it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Asuncion or Portmore more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Asuncion. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Portmore makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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