Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Madison, IA and Asuncion

For one person, living is cheaper in Asuncion: $1,069 a month against $2,559 in Fort Madison, IA, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Fort Madison, IA
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Fort Madison, IA Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Asuncion
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Asuncion Living Index

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Fort Madison, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,559

/mo nomad

Asuncion

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$1,069

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,559 per month in Fort Madison, IA vs $1,069 in Asuncion, rent included.

Fort Madison, IA $2,559
Asuncion $1,069

A couple spends around $3,754 per month in Fort Madison, IA vs $1,673 in Asuncion, rent included.

Fort Madison, IA $3,754
Asuncion $1,673

A family of three spends $4,950 per month in Fort Madison, IA vs $2,277 in Asuncion, rent included.

Fort Madison, IA $4,950
Asuncion $2,277

Fort Madison, IA costs about 139% more than Asuncion, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Fort Madison, IA sits 89% above the global median, while Asuncion is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.82 $19.82

$7.09 ₲40.3K

179.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.2 $76.2

$43.29 ₲246.1K

75.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.40 $11.40

$6.81 ₲38.7K

67.40%

Cappuccino

$5.49 $5.49

$3.40 ₲19.3K

61.47%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$1.06 ₲6,005

148.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$0.59 ₲3,381

235.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.13 $6.13

$1.89 ₲10.7K

224.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.37 $7.37

$1.79 ₲10.2K

311.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.27 ₲7,227

-17.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.46 ₲8,317

136.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$1.37 ₲7,771

213.87%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$2.49 ₲14.1K

66.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$9.72 ₲55.2K

29.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.33 $11.33

$5.43 ₲30.9K

108.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.07 $17.07

$10.00 ₲56.9K

70.70%

Apples (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$2.94 ₲16.7K

66.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.26 ₲7,174

25.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$1.19 ₲6,792

255.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 $4.82

$2.53 ₲14.4K

90.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 $2.84

$1.35 ₲7,674

110.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.29 ₲7,360

127.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.87 ₲4,965

145.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$0.73 ₲4,128

202.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$2.41 ₲13.7K

319.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.04 $15.04

$9.47 ₲53.8K

58.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.41 ₲7,998

19.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.72 ₲9,755

74.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 $2.27

$0.62 ₲3,508

266.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.61 ₲213.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 $3.33

$1.53 ₲8,710

117.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.53 ₲8,700

15.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.70 $31.70

$10.61 ₲60.3K

198.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.28 ₲7,274

-28.13%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$17.5K ₲99.5M

51.76%

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

$23.8K $23.8K

$29.4K ₲167.2M

-19.01%

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

$201 $201

$49.78 ₲283.0K

304.66%

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

$59.0 $59.0

$17.74 ₲100.9K

232.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.0 $71.0

$22.69 ₲129.0K

212.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.05 $41.05

$36.22 ₲205.9K

13.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.06 ₲85.7K

Cinema Ticket

$14.14 $14.14

$8.67 ₲49.3K

63.09%

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

$1,439 $1,439

$189 ₲1.1M

662.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K $23.7K

$5,686 ₲32.3M

317.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 $53.8

$64.1 ₲364.5K

-16.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.89 $40.89

$56.7 ₲322.2K

-27.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.0 $88.0

$106 ₲603.5K

-17.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$71.6 ₲406.8K

60.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,582 $1,582

$624 ₲3.6M

153.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 $1,287

$387 ₲2.2M

232.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,533 $2,533

$1,057 ₲6.0M

139.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 $2,141

$656 ₲3.7M

226.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,414 $2,414

$1,733 ₲9.9M

39.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,589 $2,589

$1,228 ₲7.0M

110.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$721 ₲4.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

10.5

-37.43%

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

Last update for Fort Madison, IA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Asuncion: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fort Madison, IA

$1.3K 50.3%

Asuncion

$387 36.2% 69.9% $900

Groceries & Markets

Fort Madison, IA

$393 15.4%

Asuncion

$217 20.3% 44.8% $176

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort Madison, IA

$331 13%

Asuncion

$90 8.4% 72.8% $241

Eating Out

Fort Madison, IA

$322 12.6%

Asuncion

$138 12.9% 57.3% $185

Clothing & Footwear

Fort Madison, IA

$134 5.2%

Asuncion

$134 12.6% 0.4% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Fort Madison, IA

$69 2.7%

Asuncion

$54 5% 22.8% $16

Getting Around

Fort Madison, IA

$21 * 0.8%

Asuncion

$49 4.6% 132% $28

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,582 in Fort Madison, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Fort Madison, IA versus $43.00 in Asuncion. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $393 vs $217 – making Asuncion the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fort Madison, IA

🇵🇾 Asuncion

🕒 Local time

13:52 1:52 PM

15:52 3:52 PM

2 h ahead of Fort Madison, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,270

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 20, 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

Fort Madison, IA Asuncion 8,110 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Fort Madison, 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

Fort Madison, IA vs Asuncion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Fort Madison, IA is pricier by about 139%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,838 per month in Fort Madison, 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,559 in Fort Madison, IA and $1,069 in Asuncion. That's a gap of about 139%.

Kindergarten costs $1,439 per month in Fort Madison, 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 Fort Madison, IA at $2,559. In Asuncion it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fort Madison, 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, Fort Madison, IA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.