Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston and Asuncion

For one person, living is cheaper in Asuncion: $1,049 a month against $1,668 in Kingston, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Kingston
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Kingston Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Asuncion
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Asuncion Living Index

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Kingston

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,668

/mo nomad

Asuncion

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$1,049

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,668 per month in Kingston vs $1,049 in Asuncion, rent included.

Kingston $1,668
Asuncion $1,049

A couple spends around $2,779 per month in Kingston vs $1,635 in Asuncion, rent included.

Kingston $2,779
Asuncion $1,635

A family of three spends $3,890 per month in Kingston vs $2,221 in Asuncion, rent included.

Kingston $3,890
Asuncion $2,221

Kingston costs about 59% more than Asuncion, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Kingston sits 24% above the global median, while Asuncion is 22% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.57 JMD 2,150

$6.66 ₲38.1K

103.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.2 JMD 11.8K

$43.46 ₲248.7K

70.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.95 JMD 1,261

$6.63 ₲37.9K

19.91%

Cappuccino

$5.47 JMD 866

$3.44 ₲19.7K

59.01%

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

$1.14 JMD 180

$1.07 ₲6,096

6.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 JMD 118

$0.58 ₲3,325

29.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 JMD 358

$1.85 ₲10.6K

22.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 JMD 496

$1.70 ₲9,721

84.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.12 JMD 654

$1.25 ₲7,144

229.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.79 JMD 600

$1.49 ₲8,516

154.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 JMD 251

$1.35 ₲7,707

17.78%

Eggs

$3.56 JMD 564

$2.32 ₲13.3K

53.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.22 JMD 1,778

$9.85 ₲56.4K

13.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.48 JMD 1,026

$5.20 ₲29.8K

24.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.22 JMD 1,620

$9.91 ₲56.7K

3.13%

Apples (1kg)

$5.89 JMD 933

$2.99 ₲17.1K

96.99%

Banana (1kg)

$3.90 JMD 619

$1.23 ₲7,017

217.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.34 JMD 1,163

$1.21 ₲6,921

506.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.06 JMD 485

$2.45 ₲14.0K

24.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 JMD 511

$1.30 ₲7,464

148.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 JMD 423

$1.34 ₲7,644

99.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.05 JMD 483

$0.84 ₲4,784

263.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 JMD 240

$0.69 ₲3,957

118.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.51 JMD 1,507

$2.24 ₲12.8K

324.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.32 JMD 1,793

$9.02 ₲51.6K

25.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 JMD 447

$1.33 ₲7,597

112.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 JMD 649

$1.68 ₲9,593

144.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 JMD 123

$0.57 ₲3,238

36.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.32 JMD 5,914

$38.02 ₲217.5K

-1.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 JMD 196

$1.45 ₲8,289

-14.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.18 JMD 504

$1.57 ₲9,008

102.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.46 JMD 1,023

$10.04 ₲57.4K

-35.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 JMD 225

$1.21 ₲6,897

17.36%

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

$44.7K JMD 7.1M

$16.9K ₲96.9M

163.82%

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

$32.9K JMD 5.2M

$35.3K ₲202.2M

-6.97%

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

$169 JMD 26.7K

$50.1 ₲286.6K

236.78%

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

$29.11 JMD 4,613

$16.94 ₲96.9K

71.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.9 JMD 8,390

$21.75 ₲124.5K

143.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.5 JMD 9,904

$36.50 ₲208.9K

71.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.63 JMD 2,793

$14.89 ₲85.2K

18.40%

Cinema Ticket

$13.28 JMD 2,104

$8.59 ₲49.2K

54.60%

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

$357 JMD 56.6K

$184 ₲1.1M

93.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,163 JMD 1.3M

$5,873 ₲33.6M

38.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.85 JMD 3,780

$62.4 ₲357.2K

-61.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.37 JMD 4,971

$55.4 ₲316.8K

-43.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.0 JMD 12.4K

$104 ₲597.0K

-25.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 JMD 16.1K

$69.2 ₲395.8K

46.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 JMD 151.6K

$620 ₲3.6M

54.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$576 JMD 91.3K

$373 ₲2.1M

54.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,139 JMD 338.9K

$1,050 ₲6.0M

103.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 JMD 220.5K

$624 ₲3.6M

122.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,892 JMD 458.2K

$1,716 ₲9.8M

68.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,080 JMD 329.6K

$1,242 ₲7.1M

67.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$733 JMD 116.1K

$723 ₲4.1M

1.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

10.15

-6.90%

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

Last update for Kingston: October 4, 2026

Last update for Asuncion: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kingston

$576 34.2%

Asuncion

$373 35.8% 35.3% $203

Groceries & Markets

Kingston

$384 22.8%

Asuncion

$213 20.4% 44.6% $171

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kingston

$251 14.9%

Asuncion

$89 8.5% 64.6% $162

Eating Out

Kingston

$223 13.2%

Asuncion

$134 12.8% 40.1% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Kingston

$106 6.3%

Asuncion

$131 12.6% 24% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Kingston

$89 5.3%

Asuncion

$54 5.2% 39.7% $35

Getting Around

Kingston

$58 3.4%

Asuncion

$50 4.8% 13.9% $8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $957 in Kingston versus $620 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 1% higher in Kingston, 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 $74.0 in Kingston versus $43.00 in Asuncion. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $213 – making Asuncion the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Kingston

🇵🇾 Asuncion

🕒 Local time

00:32 12:32 AM

02:32 2:32 AM

2 h ahead of Kingston

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

660,000 Capital

742,023 Capital

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.31 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR

10,000 PYG = 1.75 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PYG, USD, EUR to JMD – Jamaican Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇲 Jamaican Dollar ($)

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.31 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR).

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 5,722 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.75 USD). 1 EUR = 6,418 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR).

USD to JMD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Kingston Asuncion 5,240 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Kingston
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

Kingston vs Asuncion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Kingston is pricier by about 59%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,502 per month in Kingston and $1,574 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 2% less in Asuncion. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $357 per month in Kingston and $184 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 $1,049, than in Kingston at $1,668. In Asuncion it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kingston 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, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kingston makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.