Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Asuncion and Salento

For one person, living is cheaper in Salento: $797 a month against $1,075 in Asuncion, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Asuncion
🇵🇾 Paraguay
$1,075
/mo nomad
Salento
🇨🇴 Colombia
$797
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Asuncion and in Salento

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

A single person spends $1,075 per month in Asuncion vs $797 in Salento, rent included.

  • Asuncion $1,075
  • Salento $797

A couple spends around $1,684 per month in Asuncion vs $1,210 in Salento, rent included.

  • Asuncion $1,684
  • Salento $1,210

A family of three spends $2,292 per month in Asuncion vs $1,624 in Salento, rent included.

  • Asuncion $2,292
  • Salento $1,624

Asuncion costs about 35% more than Salento, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Asuncion and Salento are more affordable than the global median – Asuncion 20% lower, Salento 41% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Asuncion
Salento
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.15 ₲40.6K
$3.84 COP 12.2K
86.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.57 ₲247.8K
$23.68 COP 75.1K
83.99%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.10 ₲40.4K
$7.19 COP 22.8K
-1.25%
Cappuccino
$3.51 ₲20.0K
$1.52 COP 4,806
130.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.05 ₲5,980
$0.93 COP 2,935
12.90%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.58 ₲3,289
$0.57 COP 1,804
1.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.89 ₲10.8K
$1.19 COP 3,782
58.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 ₲9,906
$2.16 COP 6,837
-19.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Asuncion
Salento
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.29 ₲7,321
$1.09 COP 3,457
18.35%
White Bread (500g)
$1.50 ₲8,514
$1.24 COP 3,939
20.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.39 ₲7,922
$1.18 COP 3,739
17.80%
Eggs
$2.48 ₲14.1K
$2.15 COP 6,818
15.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.74 ₲55.4K
$4.39 COP 13.9K
121.87%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.19 ₲29.5K
$5.13 COP 16.3K
1.17%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.07 ₲57.2K
$7.31 COP 23.2K
37.76%
Apples (1kg)
$2.99 ₲17.0K
$2.51 COP 7,970
19.12%
Banana (1kg)
$1.32 ₲7,493
$1.05 COP 3,326
25.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.19 ₲6,742
$1.37 COP 4,343
-13.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.47 ₲14.1K
$1.05 COP 3,336
135.24%
Potato (1kg)
$1.40 ₲7,984
$1.11 COP 3,527
26.13%
Onion (1kg)
$1.33 ₲7,562
$1.13 COP 3,583
17.70%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.92 ₲5,243
$0.82 COP 2,608
12.20%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 ₲4,372
$0.68 COP 2,160
13.24%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.43 ₲13.8K
$2.37 COP 7,525
2.53%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.08 ₲51.6K
$9.63 COP 30.5K
-5.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.42 ₲8,064
$1.10 COP 3,482
29.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79 ₲10.2K
$1.76 COP 5,586
1.70%
🚌 Getting Around
Asuncion
Salento
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.58 ₲3,315
$0.73 COP 2,310
-20.55%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$37.92 ₲215.6K
$30.33 COP 96.2K
25.02%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.54 ₲8,735
$1.41 COP 4,478
9.22%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.62 ₲9,204
$1.71 COP 5,433
-5.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.44 ₲59.4K
$6.11 COP 19.4K
70.87%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.29 ₲7,320
$0.99 COP 3,135
30.30%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$17.5K ₲99.5M
$18.1K COP 57.3M
-3.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.0K ₲199.2M
$25.1K COP 79.5M
39.81%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Asuncion
Salento
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$51.5 ₲293.0K
$81.4 COP 258.1K
-36.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.68 ₲100.5K
$8.90 COP 28.2K
98.65%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.35 ₲127.1K
$22.59 COP 71.6K
-1.06%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Asuncion
Salento
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.60 ₲208.1K
$23.61 COP 74.9K
55.02%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.33 ₲87.2K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.89 ₲50.6K
$3.96 COP 12.6K
124.49%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Asuncion
Salento
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$190 ₲1.1M
$238 COP 753.3K
-20.18%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,930 ₲33.7M
$5,861 COP 18.6M
1.18%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Asuncion
Salento
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.7 ₲368.0K
$59.3 COP 188.0K
9.12%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.9 ₲329.4K
$32.37 COP 102.6K
78.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 ₲610.0K
$82.0 COP 260.1K
30.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$73.3 ₲416.8K
$72.6 COP 230.1K
0.99%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Asuncion
Salento
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$645 ₲3.7M
$269 COP 853.9K
139.55%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$385 ₲2.2M
$239 COP 758.9K
61.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,061 ₲6.0M
$524 COP 1.7M
102.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$654 ₲3.7M
$424 COP 1.3M
54.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,715 ₲9.8M
$1,420 COP 4.5M
20.72%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,205 ₲6.9M
$1,087 COP 3.4M
10.85%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Asuncion
Salento
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$747 ₲4.2M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.5
13.06
-19.60%

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

Last update for Asuncion: October 11, 2026

Last update for Salento: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Asuncion
$385
Salento
$239 37.9% $146
Groceries & Markets
Asuncion
$217
Salento
$172 20.7% $45
Eating Out
Asuncion
$140
Salento
$87 38.1% $53
Clothing & Footwear
Asuncion
$136
Salento
$111 18.8% $26
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Asuncion
$92
Salento
$113 23.3% $21
Sport & Entertainment
Asuncion
$54
Salento
$32 42% $23
Getting Around
Asuncion
$50
Salento
$43 13.4% $6.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $645 in Asuncion versus $269 in Salento. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Asuncion versus $24.00 in Salento. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $217 vs $172 – making Salento the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇾 Asuncion
🇨🇴 Salento
🕒 Local time
02:19 2:19 AM
00:19 12:19 AM
2 h behind Asuncion
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
742,023 Capital
9,748
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, 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).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Asuncion Salento 3,850 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Asuncion
  • Salento

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 Salento: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Salento cheaper than Asuncion?
Yes – Asuncion is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,613 per month in Asuncion and $1,195 in Salento. 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 Salento, 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 25% less in Salento. 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 $238 in Salento. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Asuncion or in Salento?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Salento, where all-in costs run around $797, than in Asuncion at $1,075. In Salento it covers expenses comfortably, while in Asuncion it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Asuncion or Salento more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Salento – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Asuncion or Salento?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Salento. 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.

Asuncion vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?