Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cotacachi and Asuncion

For one person, living is cheaper in Cotacachi: $720 a month against $1,075 in Asuncion, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cotacachi
🇪🇨 Ecuador
$720
/mo nomad
Asuncion
🇵🇾 Paraguay
$1,075
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $720 per month in Cotacachi vs $1,075 in Asuncion, rent included.

  • Cotacachi $720
  • Asuncion $1,075

A couple spends around $1,175 per month in Cotacachi vs $1,684 in Asuncion, rent included.

  • Cotacachi $1,175
  • Asuncion $1,684

A family of three spends $1,629 per month in Cotacachi vs $2,292 in Asuncion, rent included.

  • Cotacachi $1,629
  • Asuncion $2,292

Cotacachi is about 33% cheaper than Asuncion, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Cotacachi and Asuncion are more affordable than the global median – Cotacachi 47% lower, Asuncion 20% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cotacachi
Asuncion
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.96 $3.96
$7.15 ₲40.6K
-44.62%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$25.62 $25.62
$43.57 ₲247.7K
-41.20%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.41 $4.41
$7.10 ₲40.4K
-37.89%
Cappuccino
$2.18 $2.18
$3.51 ₲20.0K
-37.89%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 $1.31
$1.05 ₲5,977
24.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.80 $0.80
$0.58 ₲3,288
37.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.02 $2.02
$1.89 ₲10.8K
6.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.08 $4.08
$1.74 ₲9,902
134.48%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cotacachi
Asuncion
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.11 $1.11
$1.29 ₲7,318
-13.95%
White Bread (500g)
$1.52 $1.52
$1.50 ₲8,510
1.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.58 $1.58
$1.39 ₲7,919
13.67%
Eggs
$2.16 $2.16
$2.48 ₲14.1K
-12.90%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.29 $6.29
$9.74 ₲55.4K
-35.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.47 $5.47
$5.19 ₲29.5K
5.39%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.45 $7.45
$10.07 ₲57.2K
-26.02%
Apples (1kg)
$2.24 $2.24
$2.99 ₲17.0K
-25.08%
Banana (1kg)
$1.14 $1.14
$1.32 ₲7,490
-13.64%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.32 $1.32
$1.19 ₲6,739
10.92%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.14 $1.14
$2.47 ₲14.1K
-53.85%
Potato (1kg)
$1.21 $1.21
$1.40 ₲7,981
-13.57%
Onion (1kg)
$1.06 $1.06
$1.33 ₲7,559
-20.30%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.83 $0.83
$0.92 ₲5,240
-9.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.05 $1.05
$0.77 ₲4,370
36.36%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.48 $4.48
$2.43 ₲13.8K
84.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.63 $7.63
$9.08 ₲51.6K
-15.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.57 $1.57
$1.42 ₲8,061
10.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.13 $3.13
$1.79 ₲10.2K
74.86%
🚌 Getting Around
Cotacachi
Asuncion
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.44 $0.44
$0.58 ₲3,314
-24.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$15.20 $15.20
$37.92 ₲215.5K
-59.92%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 $1.27
$1.54 ₲8,731
-17.53%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.91 $0.91
$1.62 ₲9,200
-43.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.86 $9.86
$10.44 ₲59.3K
-5.56%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.75 $0.75
$1.29 ₲7,316
-41.86%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K $20.7K
$17.5K ₲99.5M
18.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.5K $28.5K
$35.0K ₲199.2M
-18.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cotacachi
Asuncion
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$29.15 $29.15
$51.5 ₲292.9K
-43.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.84 $12.84
$17.68 ₲100.5K
-27.38%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.50 $26.50
$22.35 ₲127.0K
18.57%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cotacachi
Asuncion
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.46 $29.46
$36.60 ₲208.1K
-19.51%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$9.84 $9.84
$15.33 ₲87.2K
-35.81%
Cinema Ticket
$6.56 $6.56
$8.89 ₲50.6K
-26.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cotacachi
Asuncion
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$73.7 $73.7
$190 ₲1.1M
-61.16%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,981 $2,981
$5,930 ₲33.7M
-49.74%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cotacachi
Asuncion
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$41.85 $41.85
$64.7 ₲367.9K
-35.34%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.72 $42.72
$57.9 ₲329.2K
-26.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.0 $94.0
$107 ₲609.7K
-12.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$60.6 $60.6
$73.3 ₲416.6K
-17.29%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cotacachi
Asuncion
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$268 $268
$645 ₲3.7M
-58.45%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$191 $191
$385 ₲2.2M
-50.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$479 $479
$1,061 ₲6.0M
-54.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$417 $417
$654 ₲3.7M
-36.26%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$609 $609
$1,715 ₲9.7M
-64.46%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$506 $506
$1,205 ₲6.8M
-57.98%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cotacachi
Asuncion
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$429 $429
$747 ₲4.2M
-42.61%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.12
10.5
-3.62%

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

Last update for Cotacachi: October 11, 2026

Last update for Asuncion: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cotacachi
$191
Asuncion
$385 102% $195
Groceries & Markets
Cotacachi
$190
Asuncion
$217 14.4% $27
Clothing & Footwear
Cotacachi
$108
Asuncion
$136 26.8% $29
Eating Out
Cotacachi
$98
Asuncion
$140 43.3% $42
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cotacachi
$68
Asuncion
$92 33.7% $23
Sport & Entertainment
Cotacachi
$43
Asuncion
$54 27.7% $12
Getting Around
Cotacachi
$23
Asuncion
$50 119% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $268 in Cotacachi versus $645 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 74% higher in Asuncion, 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 $26.00 in Cotacachi versus $44.00 in Asuncion. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $217 – making Cotacachi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇪🇨 Cotacachi
🇵🇾 Asuncion
🕒 Local time
13:30 1:30 PM
15:30 3:30 PM
2 h ahead of Cotacachi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,238
742,023 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

PYG, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 5,684 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 6,365 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.57 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cotacachi Asuncion 3,620 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cotacachi
  • 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
Cotacachi vs Asuncion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Asuncion cheaper than Cotacachi?
Yes – Asuncion is pricier by about 49%, 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 $1,080 per month in Cotacachi and $1,613 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 Cotacachi, 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 149% less in Cotacachi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $73.7 per month in Cotacachi and $190 in Asuncion. 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 Cotacachi or in Asuncion?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Cotacachi, where all-in costs run around $720, than in Asuncion at $1,075. In Cotacachi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Asuncion it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Cotacachi or Asuncion more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Cotacachi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Cotacachi or Asuncion?
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 Cotacachi. 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.

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