Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bethesda, MD and Asuncion

For one person, living is cheaper in Asuncion: $1,032 a month against $3,146 in Bethesda, MD, rent and utilities included – about $25,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bethesda, MD, United States
Asuncion, Paraguay
Bethesda, MD
🇺🇸 United States
$3,146
/mo nomad
Asuncion
🇵🇾 Paraguay
$1,032
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bethesda, MD and in Asuncion

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bethesda, MD and in Asuncion actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,146 per month in Bethesda, MD vs $1,032 in Asuncion, rent included.

  • Bethesda, MD $3,146
  • Asuncion $1,032

A couple spends around $4,946 per month in Bethesda, MD vs $1,625 in Asuncion, rent included.

  • Bethesda, MD $4,946
  • Asuncion $1,625

A family of three spends $6,745 per month in Bethesda, MD vs $2,217 in Asuncion, rent included.

  • Bethesda, MD $6,745
  • Asuncion $2,217

Bethesda, MD costs about 205% more than Asuncion, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Bethesda, MD sits 133% above the global median, while Asuncion is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bethesda, MD
Asuncion
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.72 $22.72
$7.19 ₲45.7K
215.99%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$99.6 $99.6
$42.94 ₲273.0K
131.86%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.81 $10.81
$6.58 ₲41.9K
64.29%
Cappuccino
$5.61 $5.61
$3.28 ₲20.9K
71.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.07 $3.07
$1.01 ₲6,391
203.96%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.43 $2.43
$0.55 ₲3,521
341.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.97 $6.97
$2.06 ₲13.1K
238.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.20 $9.20
$1.68 ₲10.7K
447.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bethesda, MD
Asuncion
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 $1.15
$1.24 ₲7,913
-7.26%
White Bread (500g)
$4.20 $4.20
$1.42 ₲8,997
195.77%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.81 $3.81
$1.30 ₲8,297
193.08%
Eggs
$4.71 $4.71
$2.39 ₲15.2K
97.07%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.97 $16.97
$9.44 ₲60.0K
79.77%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$15.87 $15.87
$5.10 ₲32.4K
211.18%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.91 $22.91
$9.66 ₲61.4K
137.16%
Apples (1kg)
$5.46 $5.46
$3.00 ₲19.1K
82.00%
Banana (1kg)
$1.36 $1.36
$1.25 ₲7,930
8.80%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.22 $4.22
$1.16 ₲7,361
263.79%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.29 $4.29
$2.42 ₲15.4K
77.27%
Potato (1kg)
$2.14 $2.14
$1.32 ₲8,365
62.12%
Onion (1kg)
$2.73 $2.73
$1.33 ₲8,443
105.26%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.34 $2.34
$0.85 ₲5,388
175.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.57 $2.57
$0.69 ₲4,364
272.46%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.60 $9.60
$2.34 ₲14.9K
310.26%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.16 $18.16
$8.87 ₲56.4K
104.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 $1.70
$1.30 ₲8,283
30.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 $2.91
$1.65 ₲10.5K
76.36%
🚌 Getting Around
Bethesda, MD
Asuncion
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.96 $2.96
$0.59 ₲3,783
401.69%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$100 $100
$35.97 ₲228.7K
179.01%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.38 $4.38
$1.44 ₲9,129
204.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.65 $1.65
$1.53 ₲9,743
7.84%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.93 $32.93
$10.03 ₲63.8K
228.32%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.00 $1.00
$1.21 ₲7,681
-17.36%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.9K $22.9K
$16.8K ₲106.9M
35.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.9K $23.9K
$29.2K ₲185.8M
-18.08%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bethesda, MD
Asuncion
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$165 $165
$49.05 ₲311.9K
236.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$38.89 $38.89
$16.79 ₲106.7K
131.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$61.7 $61.7
$21.60 ₲137.4K
185.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bethesda, MD
Asuncion
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$105 $105
$35.35 ₲224.8K
198.22%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$30.33 $30.33
$14.61 ₲92.9K
107.60%
Cinema Ticket
$16.08 $16.08
$8.51 ₲54.1K
88.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bethesda, MD
Asuncion
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,867 $1,867
$183 ₲1.2M
919.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.6K $23.6K
$5,730 ₲36.4M
311.97%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bethesda, MD
Asuncion
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$56.4 $56.4
$63.2 ₲401.8K
-10.70%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.0 $56.0
$56.7 ₲360.2K
-1.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 $103
$104 ₲662.3K
-0.68%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$149 $149
$70.2 ₲446.2K
113.01%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bethesda, MD
Asuncion
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,302 $2,302
$611 ₲3.9M
276.55%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,634 $1,634
$367 ₲2.3M
345.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,088 $4,088
$1,033 ₲6.6M
295.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,226 $3,226
$630 ₲4.0M
411.83%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,869 $5,869
$1,747 ₲11.1M
236.00%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,382 $5,382
$1,234 ₲7.8M
336.01%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bethesda, MD
Asuncion
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$8,578 $8,578
$676 ₲4.3M
1169.42%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.86
10.15
-32.41%

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

Last update for Bethesda, MD: November 2, 2026

Last update for Asuncion: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bethesda, MD
$1.6K
Asuncion
$367 77.6% $1.3K
Groceries & Markets
Bethesda, MD
$463
Asuncion
$209 54.8% $254
Eating Out
Bethesda, MD
$357
Asuncion
$137 61.7% $220
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bethesda, MD
$266
Asuncion
$87 67.1% $178
Clothing & Footwear
Bethesda, MD
$164
Asuncion
$132 19.5% $32
Sport & Entertainment
Bethesda, MD
$138
Asuncion
$52 61.9% $85
Getting Around
Bethesda, MD
$125
Asuncion
$47 62% $77

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,302 in Bethesda, MD versus $611 in Asuncion. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Bethesda, MD are about 13 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $100 in Bethesda, MD versus $43 in Asuncion. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $463 vs $209 – making Asuncion the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Bethesda, MD
🇵🇾 Asuncion
🕒 Local time
16:09 4:09 PM
18:09 6:09 PM
2 h ahead of Bethesda, MD
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
60,858
742,023 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

PYG, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 6,358 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 7,106 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bethesda, MD Asuncion 7,430 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bethesda, MD
  • Asuncion

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
Bethesda, MD vs Asuncion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Asuncion cheaper than Bethesda, MD?
Yes – Bethesda, MD is pricier by about 205%, 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 $4,720 per month in Bethesda, MD and $1,548 in Asuncion. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $611 there versus $2,302 in Bethesda, MD.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 64% less in Asuncion. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,867 per month in Bethesda, MD and $183 in Asuncion. 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 Bethesda, MD or in Asuncion?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Asuncion, where all-in costs run around $1,032, than in Bethesda, MD at $3,146. In Asuncion it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bethesda, MD it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Bethesda, MD or Asuncion 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 or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bethesda, MD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Bethesda, MD vs other spots: cost of living compared

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