Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Asuncion

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $996 a month against $1,049 in Asuncion, rent and utilities included – about $640 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Lima
🇵🇪 Peru
$996
/mo nomad
Asuncion
🇵🇾 Paraguay
$1,049
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $996 per month in Lima vs $1,049 in Asuncion, rent included.

  • Lima $996
  • Asuncion $1,049

A couple spends around $1,594 per month in Lima vs $1,635 in Asuncion, rent included.

  • Lima $1,594
  • Asuncion $1,635

A family of three spends $2,191 per month in Lima vs $2,221 in Asuncion, rent included.

  • Lima $2,191
  • Asuncion $2,221

Lima is about 5% cheaper than Asuncion, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Lima and Asuncion are more affordable than the global median – Lima 26% lower, Asuncion 22% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lima
Asuncion
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.42 PEN 15.21
$6.66 ₲38.1K
-33.63%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.04 PEN 121
$43.46 ₲248.7K
-19.37%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.84 PEN 23.52
$6.63 ₲37.9K
3.17%
Cappuccino
$3.27 PEN 11.26
$3.44 ₲19.7K
-4.94%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.10 PEN 3.80
$1.07 ₲6,096
2.80%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.65 PEN 2.23
$0.58 ₲3,325
12.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.58 PEN 8.88
$1.85 ₲10.6K
39.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.47 PEN 15.39
$1.70 ₲9,721
162.94%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lima
Asuncion
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.59 PEN 5.48
$1.25 ₲7,144
27.20%
White Bread (500g)
$2.58 PEN 8.89
$1.49 ₲8,516
73.15%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.36 PEN 4.67
$1.35 ₲7,707
0.74%
Eggs
$2.95 PEN 10.14
$2.32 ₲13.3K
27.16%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.10 PEN 31.30
$9.85 ₲56.4K
-7.61%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.81 PEN 19.98
$5.20 ₲29.8K
11.73%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.83 PEN 33.80
$9.91 ₲56.7K
-0.81%
Apples (1kg)
$2.01 PEN 6.92
$2.99 ₲17.1K
-32.78%
Banana (1kg)
$1.08 PEN 3.70
$1.23 ₲7,017
-12.20%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 PEN 4.71
$1.21 ₲6,921
13.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.48 PEN 5.08
$2.45 ₲14.0K
-39.59%
Potato (1kg)
$0.96 PEN 3.32
$1.30 ₲7,464
-26.15%
Onion (1kg)
$0.85 PEN 2.93
$1.34 ₲7,644
-36.57%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.88 PEN 3.03
$0.84 ₲4,784
4.76%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.87 PEN 2.98
$0.69 ₲3,957
26.09%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.90 PEN 20.31
$2.24 ₲12.8K
163.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.81 PEN 30.31
$9.02 ₲51.6K
-2.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.92 PEN 6.59
$1.33 ₲7,597
44.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.20 PEN 11.02
$1.68 ₲9,593
90.48%
🚌 Getting Around
Lima
Asuncion
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.68 PEN 2.33
$0.57 ₲3,238
19.30%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.74 PEN 92.0
$38.02 ₲217.5K
-29.67%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.81 PEN 13.10
$1.45 ₲8,289
162.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.04 PEN 7.02
$1.57 ₲9,008
29.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.14 PEN 24.57
$10.04 ₲57.4K
-28.88%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.65 PEN 5.67
$1.21 ₲6,897
36.36%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.2K PEN 76.3K
$16.9K ₲96.9M
30.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.7K PEN 88.3K
$35.3K ₲202.2M
-27.35%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
Asuncion
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$73.0 PEN 251
$50.1 ₲286.6K
45.85%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.26 PEN 55.9
$16.94 ₲96.9K
-4.01%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.60 PEN 94.9
$21.75 ₲124.5K
26.90%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lima
Asuncion
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.07 PEN 114
$36.50 ₲208.9K
-9.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.49 PEN 67.1
$14.89 ₲85.2K
30.89%
Cinema Ticket
$7.39 PEN 25.41
$8.59 ₲49.2K
-13.97%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lima
Asuncion
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$182 PEN 626
$184 ₲1.1M
-1.21%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.3K PEN 45.8K
$5,873 ₲33.6M
126.80%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lima
Asuncion
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.6 PEN 181
$62.4 ₲357.2K
-15.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.23 PEN 118
$55.4 ₲316.8K
-38.17%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.8 PEN 288
$104 ₲597.0K
-19.72%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.0 PEN 272
$69.2 ₲395.8K
14.24%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lima
Asuncion
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$723 PEN 2,488
$620 ₲3.6M
16.56%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$340 PEN 1,170
$373 ₲2.1M
-8.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,184 PEN 4,074
$1,050 ₲6.0M
12.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$635 PEN 2,183
$624 ₲3.6M
1.68%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,449 PEN 8,423
$1,716 ₲9.8M
42.73%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,372 PEN 4,718
$1,242 ₲7.1M
10.46%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lima
Asuncion
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$653 PEN 2,245
$723 ₲4.1M
-9.71%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.94
10.15
-11.92%

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

Last update for Lima: 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
Lima
$340
Asuncion
$373 9.7% $33
Groceries & Markets
Lima
$226
Asuncion
$213 5.9% $13
Eating Out
Lima
$124
Asuncion
$134 7.7% $9.5
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lima
$117
Asuncion
$89 24.1% $28
Clothing & Footwear
Lima
$112
Asuncion
$131 16.7% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Lima
$48
Asuncion
$54 12.2% $5.8
Getting Around
Lima
$43
Asuncion
$50 14.1% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $723 in Lima 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 11% higher in Asuncion, 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 $35.00 in Lima versus $43.00 in Asuncion. Groceries tell a different story – $226 in Lima vs $213 in Asuncion – so Asuncion wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇵🇪 Lima
🇵🇾 Asuncion
🕒 Local time
21:46 9:46 PM
23:46 11:46 PM
2 h ahead of Lima
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,989,369 Capital
742,023 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PYG, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lima Asuncion 2,510 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lima
  • 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
Lima vs Asuncion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Asuncion cheaper than Lima?
Yes – Asuncion is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,494 per month in Lima and $1,574 in Asuncion. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Lima, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 42% less in Lima. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $182 per month in Lima and $184 in Asuncion. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Lima or in Asuncion?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lima, where all-in costs run around $996, than in Asuncion at $1,049. In Lima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Asuncion it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Lima or Asuncion more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Lima – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Lima. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Asuncion makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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