Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Columbia, SC and Asuncion

For one person, living is cheaper in Asuncion: $1,032 a month against $2,180 in Columbia, SC, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Columbia, SC
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Columbia, SC Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Asuncion
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Asuncion Living Index

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Columbia, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,180

/mo nomad

Asuncion

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$1,032

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,180 per month in Columbia, SC vs $1,032 in Asuncion, rent included.

Columbia, SC $2,180
Asuncion $1,032

A couple spends around $3,362 per month in Columbia, SC vs $1,625 in Asuncion, rent included.

Columbia, SC $3,362
Asuncion $1,625

A family of three spends $4,544 per month in Columbia, SC vs $2,217 in Asuncion, rent included.

Columbia, SC $4,544
Asuncion $2,217

Columbia, SC costs about 111% more than Asuncion, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Columbia, SC sits 61% above the global median, while Asuncion is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.14 $20.14

$7.19 ₲45.7K

180.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.0 $61.0

$42.94 ₲273.0K

41.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.23 $12.23

$6.58 ₲41.9K

85.87%

Cappuccino

$5.31 $5.31

$3.28 ₲20.9K

61.89%

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

$2.73 $2.73

$1.01 ₲6,391

170.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$0.55 ₲3,521

283.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.36 $5.36

$2.06 ₲13.1K

160.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.54 $6.54

$1.68 ₲10.7K

289.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.24 ₲7,913

-32.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.42 ₲8,997

80.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$1.30 ₲8,297

253.08%

Eggs

$4.05 $4.05

$2.39 ₲15.2K

69.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.38 $10.38

$9.44 ₲60.0K

9.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.26 $11.26

$5.10 ₲32.4K

120.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.10 $16.10

$9.66 ₲61.4K

66.67%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 $5.03

$3.00 ₲19.1K

67.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.25 ₲7,930

28.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.61 $6.61

$1.16 ₲7,361

469.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.89 $5.89

$2.42 ₲15.4K

143.39%

Potato (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$1.32 ₲8,365

135.61%

Onion (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.33 ₲8,443

225.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.85 ₲5,388

134.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$0.69 ₲4,364

163.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.51 $8.51

$2.34 ₲14.9K

263.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.97 $15.97

$8.87 ₲56.4K

80.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.30 ₲8,283

44.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.65 ₲10.5K

60.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.59 ₲3,783

232.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 $40.57

$35.97 ₲228.7K

12.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.44 ₲9,129

41.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.53 ₲9,743

-0.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.11 $18.11

$10.03 ₲63.8K

80.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.21 ₲7,681

-18.18%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$16.8K ₲106.9M

57.70%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$29.2K ₲185.8M

-12.27%

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

$276 $276

$49.05 ₲311.9K

462.26%

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

$58.3 $58.3

$16.79 ₲106.7K

246.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.4 $65.4

$21.60 ₲137.4K

202.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.98 $28.98

$35.35 ₲224.8K

-18.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.87 $17.87

$14.61 ₲92.9K

22.31%

Cinema Ticket

$14.73 $14.73

$8.51 ₲54.1K

73.09%

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

$1,133 $1,133

$183 ₲1.2M

518.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K $18.7K

$5,730 ₲36.4M

226.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$63.2 ₲401.8K

-18.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.18 $40.18

$56.7 ₲360.2K

-29.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.1 $82.1

$104 ₲662.3K

-21.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$70.2 ₲446.2K

60.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,380 $1,380

$611 ₲3.9M

125.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$825 $825

$367 ₲2.3M

125.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,242 $3,242

$1,033 ₲6.6M

213.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,692 $1,692

$630 ₲4.0M

168.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,300 $2,300

$1,747 ₲11.1M

31.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,660 $1,660

$1,234 ₲7.8M

34.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,194 $3,194

$676 ₲4.3M

372.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.61

10.15

-34.88%

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

Last update for Columbia, SC: 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

Columbia, SC

$825 37.9%

Asuncion

$367 35.5% 55.6% $458

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Columbia, SC

$399 18.3%

Asuncion

$87 8.5% 78.1% $312

Groceries & Markets

Columbia, SC

$389 17.9%

Asuncion

$209 20.3% 46.3% $180

Eating Out

Columbia, SC

$321 14.7%

Asuncion

$137 13.2% 57.4% $184

Clothing & Footwear

Columbia, SC

$129 5.9%

Asuncion

$132 12.8% 2.8% $3.6

Sport & Entertainment

Columbia, SC

$58 2.7%

Asuncion

$52 5.1% 10.4% $6.1

Getting Around

Columbia, SC

$58 2.7%

Asuncion

$47 4.6% 18.3% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,380 in Columbia, SC 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 Columbia, SC are about 4.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Columbia, SC versus $43 in Asuncion. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $389 vs $209 – making Asuncion the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Columbia, SC

🇵🇾 Asuncion

🕒 Local time

11:01 11:01 AM

13:01 1:01 PM

2 h ahead of Columbia, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

139,698

742,023 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

10,000 PYG = 1.57 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.4 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 November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 6,358 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 7,141 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.4 EUR).

PYG to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Columbia, SC Asuncion 7,040 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Columbia, SC
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

Columbia, SC vs Asuncion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Columbia, SC is pricier by about 111%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,270 per month in Columbia, SC and $1,548 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $611 there versus $1,380 in Columbia, SC.

Public transport costs about 11% less in Asuncion. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,133 per month in Columbia, SC and $183 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 $1,032, than in Columbia, SC at $2,180. In Asuncion it covers expenses comfortably, while in Columbia, SC 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 or specific career opportunities are the priority, Columbia, SC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.