Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Des Moines, IA and Asuncion

For one person, living is cheaper in Asuncion: $1,069 a month against $2,171 in Des Moines, IA, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

105

Cost of Living Index in Des Moines, IA
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Des Moines, IA Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Asuncion
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Asuncion Living Index

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Des Moines, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,171

/mo nomad

Asuncion

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$1,069

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,171 per month in Des Moines, IA vs $1,069 in Asuncion, rent included.

Des Moines, IA $2,171
Asuncion $1,069

A couple spends around $3,236 per month in Des Moines, IA vs $1,673 in Asuncion, rent included.

Des Moines, IA $3,236
Asuncion $1,673

A family of three spends $4,301 per month in Des Moines, IA vs $2,277 in Asuncion, rent included.

Des Moines, IA $4,301
Asuncion $2,277

Des Moines, IA costs about 103% more than Asuncion, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Des Moines, IA sits 60% above the global median, while Asuncion is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.69 $19.69

$7.09 ₲40.3K

177.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.8 $80.8

$43.29 ₲246.1K

86.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.22 $12.22

$6.81 ₲38.7K

79.44%

Cappuccino

$6.16 $6.16

$3.40 ₲19.3K

81.18%

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

$2.93 $2.93

$1.06 ₲6,005

176.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$0.59 ₲3,381

333.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.99 $4.99

$1.89 ₲10.7K

164.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$1.79 ₲10.2K

229.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.27 ₲7,227

-28.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.46 ₲8,317

107.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.38 $3.38

$1.37 ₲7,771

146.72%

Eggs

$4.00 $4.00

$2.49 ₲14.1K

60.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 $9.69

$9.72 ₲55.2K

-0.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.91 $9.91

$5.43 ₲30.9K

82.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.68 $13.68

$10.00 ₲56.9K

36.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.94 ₲16.7K

47.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.26 ₲7,174

19.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.19 ₲6,792

281.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.68 $3.68

$2.53 ₲14.4K

45.45%

Potato (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.35 ₲7,674

127.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.29 ₲7,360

65.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 $2.38

$0.87 ₲4,965

173.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.73 ₲4,128

200.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.85 $7.85

$2.41 ₲13.7K

225.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.79 $14.79

$9.47 ₲53.8K

56.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.41 ₲7,998

20.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$1.72 ₲9,755

79.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 $1.73

$0.62 ₲3,508

179.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.1 $58.1

$37.61 ₲213.8K

54.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.53 ₲8,710

28.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.53 ₲8,700

-19.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.70 $19.70

$10.61 ₲60.3K

85.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.28 ₲7,274

-27.34%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$17.5K ₲99.5M

55.32%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$29.4K ₲167.2M

-14.48%

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

$185 $185

$49.78 ₲283.0K

270.83%

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

$53.6 $53.6

$17.74 ₲100.9K

202.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$22.69 ₲129.0K

209.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.8 $63.8

$36.22 ₲205.9K

76.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.14 $20.14

$15.06 ₲85.7K

33.73%

Cinema Ticket

$9.99 $9.99

$8.67 ₲49.3K

15.22%

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

$1,187 $1,187

$189 ₲1.1M

528.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K $12.0K

$5,686 ₲32.3M

110.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 $59.5

$64.1 ₲364.5K

-7.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.98 $42.98

$56.7 ₲322.2K

-24.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$106 ₲603.5K

-4.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 $145

$71.6 ₲406.8K

102.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 $1,177

$624 ₲3.6M

88.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$872 $872

$387 ₲2.2M

125.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 $1,738

$1,057 ₲6.0M

64.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,394 $1,394

$656 ₲3.7M

112.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,320 $2,320

$1,733 ₲9.9M

33.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,325 $2,325

$1,228 ₲7.0M

89.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,647 $3,647

$721 ₲4.1M

406.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

10.5

-37.52%

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

Last update for Des Moines, IA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Asuncion: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Des Moines, IA

$872 40.2%

Asuncion

$387 36.2% 55.7% $486

Groceries & Markets

Des Moines, IA

$349 16.1%

Asuncion

$217 20.3% 37.9% $132

Eating Out

Des Moines, IA

$327 15.1%

Asuncion

$138 12.9% 57.9% $189

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Des Moines, IA

$308 14.2%

Asuncion

$90 8.4% 70.7% $218

Clothing & Footwear

Des Moines, IA

$157 7.2%

Asuncion

$134 12.6% 14.4% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Des Moines, IA

$84 3.9%

Asuncion

$54 5% 36.1% $30

Getting Around

Des Moines, IA

$73 3.4%

Asuncion

$49 4.6% 32.7% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,177 in Des Moines, IA versus $624 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 406% higher in Des Moines, IA, 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 $81.0 in Des Moines, IA versus $43.00 in Asuncion. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $217 – making Asuncion the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Des Moines, IA

🇵🇾 Asuncion

🕒 Local time

08:14 8:14 AM

10:14 10:14 AM

2 h ahead of Des Moines, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

214,133

742,023 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

10,000 PYG = 1.76 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 5,686 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 6,393 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR).

PYG to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Des Moines, IA Asuncion 8,320 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Des Moines, IA
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

Des Moines, IA vs Asuncion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Des Moines, IA is pricier by about 103%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,256 per month in Des Moines, IA and $1,603 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 55% less in Asuncion. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,187 per month in Des Moines, IA and $189 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 $1,069, than in Des Moines, IA at $2,171. In Asuncion it covers expenses comfortably, while in Des Moines, IA 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.

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.

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