Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Durham, NC and Asuncion

For one person, living is cheaper in Asuncion: $1,032 a month against $2,581 in Durham, NC, rent and utilities included – about $18,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Durham, NC
Learn more

Durham, NC Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Asuncion
Learn more

Asuncion Living Index

Jump to prices

Durham, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,581

/mo nomad

Asuncion

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$1,032

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,581 per month in Durham, NC vs $1,032 in Asuncion, rent included.

Durham, NC $2,581
Asuncion $1,032

A couple spends around $3,926 per month in Durham, NC vs $1,625 in Asuncion, rent included.

Durham, NC $3,926
Asuncion $1,625

A family of three spends $5,272 per month in Durham, NC vs $2,217 in Asuncion, rent included.

Durham, NC $5,272
Asuncion $2,217

Durham, NC costs about 150% more than Asuncion, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Durham, NC sits 91% above the global median, while Asuncion is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.26 $15.26

$7.19 ₲45.7K

112.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 $106

$42.94 ₲273.0K

146.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.87 $9.87

$6.58 ₲41.9K

50.00%

Cappuccino

$4.89 $4.89

$3.28 ₲20.9K

49.09%

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

$3.19 $3.19

$1.01 ₲6,391

215.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.55 ₲3,521

272.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.07 $6.07

$2.06 ₲13.1K

194.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 $7.09

$1.68 ₲10.7K

322.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.24 ₲7,913

-9.68%

White Bread (500g)

$4.92 $4.92

$1.42 ₲8,997

246.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$11.26 $11.26

$1.30 ₲8,297

766.15%

Eggs

$5.95 $5.95

$2.39 ₲15.2K

148.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 $19.07

$9.44 ₲60.0K

102.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.06 $17.06

$5.10 ₲32.4K

234.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.97 $26.97

$9.66 ₲61.4K

179.19%

Apples (1kg)

$5.63 $5.63

$3.00 ₲19.1K

87.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.25 ₲7,930

48.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.41 $8.41

$1.16 ₲7,361

625.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$2.42 ₲15.4K

145.45%

Potato (1kg)

$6.94 $6.94

$1.32 ₲8,365

425.76%

Onion (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$1.33 ₲8,443

195.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 $2.64

$0.85 ₲5,388

210.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.69 ₲4,364

197.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.80 $8.80

$2.34 ₲14.9K

276.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.89 $14.89

$8.87 ₲56.4K

67.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.30 ₲8,283

17.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 $3.97

$1.65 ₲10.5K

140.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ₲3,783

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.97 ₲228.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 $3.64

$1.44 ₲9,129

152.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.53 ₲9,743

-20.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.03 ₲63.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.21 ₲7,681

-12.40%

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

$31.4K $31.4K

$16.8K ₲106.9M

86.83%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$29.2K ₲185.8M

-12.18%

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

$228 $228

$49.05 ₲311.9K

365.38%

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

$75.6 $75.6

$16.79 ₲106.7K

350.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$21.60 ₲137.4K

226.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 $51.5

$35.35 ₲224.8K

45.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.61 ₲92.9K

Cinema Ticket

$14.10 $14.10

$8.51 ₲54.1K

65.69%

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

$1,619 $1,619

$183 ₲1.2M

783.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.3K $30.3K

$5,730 ₲36.4M

429.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 $59.8

$63.2 ₲401.8K

-5.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.46 $39.46

$56.7 ₲360.2K

-30.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$104 ₲662.3K

-2.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 $138

$70.2 ₲446.2K

96.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 $1,526

$611 ₲3.9M

149.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 $1,125

$367 ₲2.3M

206.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,254 $2,254

$1,033 ₲6.6M

118.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,918 $1,918

$630 ₲4.0M

204.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,533 $3,533

$1,747 ₲11.1M

102.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,485 $2,485

$1,234 ₲7.8M

101.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,538 $4,538

$676 ₲4.3M

571.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

10.15

-33.50%

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

Last update for Durham, NC: November 1, 2026

Last update for Asuncion: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Durham, NC

$1.1K 43.6%

Asuncion

$367 35.5% 67.4% $758

Groceries & Markets

Durham, NC

$564 21.9%

Asuncion

$209 20.3% 62.9% $355

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Durham, NC

$374 14.5%

Asuncion

$87 8.5% 76.6% $287

Eating Out

Durham, NC

$276 10.7%

Asuncion

$137 13.2% 50.5% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Durham, NC

$152 5.9%

Asuncion

$132 12.8% 13% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Durham, NC

$80 3.1%

Asuncion

$52 5.1% 34.3% $27

Getting Around

Durham, NC

$9.8 * 0.4%

Asuncion

$47 4.6% 387% $38

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,526 in Durham, NC 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 Durham, NC are about 6.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $106 in Durham, NC versus $43 in Asuncion. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $564 vs $209 – making Asuncion the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Durham, NC

🇵🇾 Asuncion

🕒 Local time

13:27 1:27 PM

15:27 3:27 PM

2 h ahead of Durham, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

283,506

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

Durham, NC Asuncion 7,170 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Durham, NC
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

Durham, NC vs Asuncion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Durham, NC is pricier by about 150%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,872 per month in Durham, NC 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 $1,526 in Durham, NC.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,581 in Durham, NC and $1,032 in Asuncion. That makes Asuncion about 60% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,619 per month in Durham, NC 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 Durham, NC at $2,581. In Asuncion it covers expenses comfortably, while in Durham, NC 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, Durham, NC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.