Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Asuncion

For one person, living is cheaper in Asuncion: $1,049 a month against $3,169 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $25,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

153

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Asuncion
Learn more

Asuncion Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,169

/mo nomad

Asuncion

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$1,049

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,169 per month in Chicago, IL vs $1,049 in Asuncion, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,169
Asuncion $1,049

A couple spends around $4,682 per month in Chicago, IL vs $1,635 in Asuncion, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,682
Asuncion $1,635

A family of three spends $6,196 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,221 in Asuncion, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,196
Asuncion $2,221

Chicago, IL costs about 202% more than Asuncion, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Chicago, IL sits 136% above the global median, while Asuncion is 22% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.62 $21.62

$6.66 ₲38.1K

224.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 $91.2

$43.46 ₲248.7K

109.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.09 $13.09

$6.63 ₲37.9K

97.44%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$3.44 ₲19.7K

68.02%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$1.07 ₲6,096

146.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$0.58 ₲3,325

293.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.94 $6.94

$1.85 ₲10.6K

275.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.93 $8.93

$1.70 ₲9,721

425.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.25 ₲7,144

1.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.94 $3.94

$1.49 ₲8,516

164.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$1.35 ₲7,707

267.41%

Eggs

$4.64 $4.64

$2.32 ₲13.3K

100.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.97 $13.97

$9.85 ₲56.4K

41.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.37 $14.37

$5.20 ₲29.8K

176.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.59 $18.59

$9.91 ₲56.7K

87.59%

Apples (1kg)

$5.37 $5.37

$2.99 ₲17.1K

79.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.23 ₲7,017

56.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$1.21 ₲6,921

231.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.94 $4.94

$2.45 ₲14.0K

101.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.30 ₲7,464

115.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.34 ₲7,644

105.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.84 ₲4,784

157.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 $3.12

$0.69 ₲3,957

352.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.71 $15.71

$2.24 ₲12.8K

601.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.23 $15.23

$9.02 ₲51.6K

68.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.33 ₲7,597

93.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.68 ₲9,593

107.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 $2.48

$0.57 ₲3,238

335.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.4 $74.4

$38.02 ₲217.5K

95.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 $3.23

$1.45 ₲8,289

122.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.57 ₲9,008

-8.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.33 $24.33

$10.04 ₲57.4K

142.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.21 ₲6,897

3.31%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$16.9K ₲96.9M

111.93%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$35.3K ₲202.2M

-26.45%

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

$195 $195

$50.1 ₲286.6K

288.54%

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

$69.0 $69.0

$16.94 ₲96.9K

307.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.1 $62.1

$21.75 ₲124.5K

185.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 $54.5

$36.50 ₲208.9K

49.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.80 $27.80

$14.89 ₲85.2K

86.70%

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$8.59 ₲49.2K

107.68%

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

$1,513 $1,513

$184 ₲1.1M

721.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$5,873 ₲33.6M

429.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.1 $68.1

$62.4 ₲357.2K

9.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.6 $51.6

$55.4 ₲316.8K

-6.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$104 ₲597.0K

-2.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$69.2 ₲395.8K

104.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,437 $2,437

$620 ₲3.6M

292.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 $1,662

$373 ₲2.1M

345.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,644 $4,644

$1,050 ₲6.0M

342.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,751 $2,751

$624 ₲3.6M

340.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,036 $4,036

$1,716 ₲9.8M

135.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,677 $2,677

$1,242 ₲7.1M

115.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,861 $4,861

$723 ₲4.1M

572.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

10.15

-33.30%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 6, 2026

Last update for Asuncion: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53%

Asuncion

$373 35.8% 77.6% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$450 14.3%

Asuncion

$213 20.4% 52.6% $237

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$354 11.3%

Asuncion

$134 12.8% 62.2% $220

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.4%

Asuncion

$89 8.5% 72.7% $237

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$163 5.2%

Asuncion

$131 12.6% 19.6% $32

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Asuncion

$50 4.8% 47.6% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Asuncion

$54 5.2% 40.5% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,437 in Chicago, IL versus $620 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 run about 573% higher in Chicago, IL, 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 $91.0 in Chicago, IL versus $43.00 in Asuncion. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $450 vs $213 – making Asuncion the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇵🇾 Asuncion

🕒 Local time

21:50 9:50 PM

23:50 11:50 PM

2 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

742,023 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

10,000 PYG = 1.75 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PYG, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇵🇾 Paraguayan Guarani (₲)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 5,722 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.75 USD). 1 EUR = 6,418 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR).

PYG to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Asuncion 8,080 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
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

Chicago, IL vs Asuncion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chicago, IL is pricier by about 202%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,753 per month in Chicago, IL and $1,574 in Asuncion. 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 96% less in Asuncion. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,513 per month in Chicago, IL and $184 in Asuncion. 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 $1,049, than in Chicago, IL at $3,169. In Asuncion it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL 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.

If budget matters most, go with Asuncion. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.