Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iowa City, IA and Asuncion

For one person, living is cheaper in Asuncion: $1,075 a month against $2,368 in Iowa City, IA, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Iowa City, IA
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Iowa City, IA Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Asuncion
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Asuncion Living Index

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Iowa City, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,368

/mo nomad

Asuncion

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$1,075

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,368 per month in Iowa City, IA vs $1,075 in Asuncion, rent included.

Iowa City, IA $2,368
Asuncion $1,075

A couple spends around $3,367 per month in Iowa City, IA vs $1,684 in Asuncion, rent included.

Iowa City, IA $3,367
Asuncion $1,684

A family of three spends $4,366 per month in Iowa City, IA vs $2,292 in Asuncion, rent included.

Iowa City, IA $4,366
Asuncion $2,292

Iowa City, IA costs about 120% more than Asuncion, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Iowa City, IA sits 75% above the global median, while Asuncion is 20% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.24 $14.24

$7.15 ₲40.6K

99.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 $68.1

$43.57 ₲247.8K

56.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.74 $8.74

$7.10 ₲40.4K

23.10%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$3.51 ₲20.0K

64.67%

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

$2.76 $2.76

$1.05 ₲5,980

162.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.58 ₲3,289

274.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 $4.90

$1.89 ₲10.8K

159.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.80 $6.80

$1.74 ₲9,906

290.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.29 ₲7,321

-35.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.50 ₲8,514

84.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.39 ₲7,922

45.32%

Eggs

$3.60 $3.60

$2.48 ₲14.1K

45.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.51 $9.51

$9.74 ₲55.4K

-2.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 $10.32

$5.19 ₲29.5K

98.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.56 $20.56

$10.07 ₲57.2K

104.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.99 ₲17.0K

11.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.32 ₲7,493

-6.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$1.19 ₲6,742

131.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$2.47 ₲14.1K

96.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.40 ₲7,984

45.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.33 ₲7,562

78.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 $1.70

$0.92 ₲5,243

84.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$0.77 ₲4,372

215.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.79 $8.79

$2.43 ₲13.8K

261.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.27 $13.27

$9.08 ₲51.6K

46.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.42 ₲8,064

24.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 $4.32

$1.79 ₲10.2K

141.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 ₲3,315

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.96 $15.96

$37.92 ₲215.6K

-57.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 $3.97

$1.54 ₲8,735

157.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.62 ₲9,204

22.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.23 $43.23

$10.44 ₲59.4K

314.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.29 ₲7,320

-22.48%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$17.5K ₲99.5M

105.88%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$35.0K ₲199.2M

-27.97%

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

$266 $266

$51.5 ₲293.0K

415.35%

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

$53.3 $53.3

$17.68 ₲100.5K

201.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.9 $81.9

$22.35 ₲127.1K

266.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.68 $48.68

$36.60 ₲208.1K

33.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.82 $19.82

$15.33 ₲87.2K

29.29%

Cinema Ticket

$13.74 $13.74

$8.89 ₲50.6K

54.56%

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

$1,285 $1,285

$190 ₲1.1M

577.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K $23.7K

$5,930 ₲33.7M

299.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.3 $64.3

$64.7 ₲368.0K

-0.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 $50.1

$57.9 ₲329.4K

-13.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$107 ₲610.0K

-6.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$73.3 ₲416.8K

54.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 $1,179

$645 ₲3.7M

82.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 $1,096

$385 ₲2.2M

184.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,297 $2,297

$1,061 ₲6.0M

116.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 $1,671

$654 ₲3.7M

155.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,825 $3,825

$1,715 ₲9.8M

123.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,963 $1,963

$1,205 ₲6.9M

62.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,701 $3,701

$747 ₲4.2M

395.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

10.5

-38.57%

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

Last update for Iowa City, IA: 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

Iowa City, IA

$1.1K 46.3%

Asuncion

$385 35.9% 64.8% $711

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iowa City, IA

$401 16.9%

Asuncion

$92 8.5% 77.2% $309

Groceries & Markets

Iowa City, IA

$350 14.8%

Asuncion

$217 20.2% 38% $133

Eating Out

Iowa City, IA

$267 11.3%

Asuncion

$140 13% 47.6% $127

Clothing & Footwear

Iowa City, IA

$148 6.2%

Asuncion

$136 12.7% 7.5% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Iowa City, IA

$76 3.2%

Asuncion

$54 5.1% 28.6% $22

Getting Around

Iowa City, IA

$30 * 1.3%

Asuncion

$50 4.6% 66.9% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,179 in Iowa City, IA 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 396% higher in Iowa City, 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 $68.0 in Iowa City, IA versus $44.00 in Asuncion. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $217 – making Asuncion the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Iowa City, IA

🇵🇾 Asuncion

🕒 Local time

14:53 2:53 PM

16:53 4:53 PM

2 h ahead of Iowa City, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,828

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 19, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Iowa City, IA Asuncion 8,220 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Iowa City, 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

Iowa City, IA vs Asuncion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Iowa City, IA is pricier by about 120%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,552 per month in Iowa City, IA and $1,613 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 138% less in Asuncion. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,285 per month in Iowa City, IA and $190 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 $1,075, than in Iowa City, IA at $2,368. In Asuncion it covers expenses comfortably, while in Iowa City, 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, Iowa City, IA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.