Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Machala and Asuncion

For one person, living is cheaper in Machala: $654 a month against $1,075 in Asuncion, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Machala
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Machala Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Asuncion
Learn more

Asuncion Living Index

Jump to prices

Machala

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$654

/mo nomad

Asuncion

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$1,075

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $654 per month in Machala vs $1,075 in Asuncion, rent included.

Machala $654
Asuncion $1,075

A couple spends around $1,045 per month in Machala vs $1,684 in Asuncion, rent included.

Machala $1,045
Asuncion $1,684

A family of three spends $1,436 per month in Machala vs $2,292 in Asuncion, rent included.

Machala $1,436
Asuncion $2,292

Machala is about 39% cheaper than Asuncion, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Machala and Asuncion are more affordable than the global median – Machala 52% lower, Asuncion 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.69 $2.69

$7.15 ₲40.6K

-62.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.09 $25.09

$43.57 ₲247.8K

-42.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.21 $5.21

$7.10 ₲40.4K

-26.62%

Cappuccino

$2.70 $2.70

$3.51 ₲20.0K

-23.08%

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

$0.84 $0.84

$1.05 ₲5,980

-20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 $0.75

$0.58 ₲3,289

29.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.89 ₲10.8K

2.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 $3.80

$1.74 ₲9,906

118.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.29 ₲7,321

-14.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.50 ₲8,514

-30.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.39 ₲7,922

-30.94%

Eggs

$1.50 $1.50

$2.48 ₲14.1K

-39.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$9.74 ₲55.4K

-65.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$5.19 ₲29.5K

-20.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$10.07 ₲57.2K

-52.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.99 ₲17.0K

-48.49%

Banana (1kg)

$0.64 $0.64

$1.32 ₲7,493

-51.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.74 $0.74

$1.19 ₲6,742

-37.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 $0.53

$2.47 ₲14.1K

-78.54%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 $0.38

$1.40 ₲7,984

-72.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 $0.49

$1.33 ₲7,562

-63.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.37 $0.37

$0.92 ₲5,243

-59.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.77 ₲4,372

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.39 $4.39

$2.43 ₲13.8K

80.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 $7.59

$9.08 ₲51.6K

-16.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.42 ₲8,064

6.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.79 ₲10.2K

17.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 $0.33

$0.58 ₲3,315

-43.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.38 $22.38

$37.92 ₲215.6K

-40.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.54 ₲8,735

-4.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.62 ₲9,204

11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.98 $7.98

$10.44 ₲59.4K

-23.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 $0.59

$1.29 ₲7,320

-54.26%

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

$18.1K $18.1K

$17.5K ₲99.5M

3.42%

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

$21.9K $21.9K

$35.0K ₲199.2M

-37.57%

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

$50.8 $50.8

$51.5 ₲293.0K

-1.36%

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

$15.01 $15.01

$17.68 ₲100.5K

-15.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.60 $26.60

$22.35 ₲127.1K

19.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.11 $43.11

$36.60 ₲208.1K

17.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.17 $30.17

$15.33 ₲87.2K

96.80%

Cinema Ticket

$4.91 $4.91

$8.89 ₲50.6K

-44.77%

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

$133 $133

$190 ₲1.1M

-29.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,667 $5,667

$5,930 ₲33.7M

-4.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.9 $65.9

$64.7 ₲368.0K

1.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.72 $39.72

$57.9 ₲329.4K

-31.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 $79.8

$107 ₲610.0K

-25.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.6 $67.6

$73.3 ₲416.8K

-7.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$193 $193

$645 ₲3.7M

-70.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$132 $132

$385 ₲2.2M

-65.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$349 $349

$1,061 ₲6.0M

-67.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 $265

$654 ₲3.7M

-59.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,715 ₲9.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,205 ₲6.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$458 $458

$747 ₲4.2M

-38.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.5

-52.38%

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

Last update for Machala: October 11, 2026

Last update for Asuncion: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Machala

$136 20.7%

Asuncion

$217 20.2% 60% $81

Accommodation & Living

Machala

$132 20.2%

Asuncion

$385 35.9% 192% $254

Clothing & Footwear

Machala

$114 17.4%

Asuncion

$136 12.7% 19.9% $23

Eating Out

Machala

$93 14.3%

Asuncion

$140 13% 50.3% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Machala

$92 14.1%

Asuncion

$92 8.5% 1% $0.9

Sport & Entertainment

Machala

$53 8.1%

Asuncion

$54 5.1% 2.7% $1.5

Getting Around

Machala

$34 5.2%

Asuncion

$50 4.6% 45.9% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $193 in Machala 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 63% 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 $25.00 in Machala versus $44.00 in Asuncion. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $136 vs $217 – making Machala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Machala

🇵🇾 Asuncion

🕒 Local time

18:23 6:23 PM

20:23 8:23 PM

2 h ahead of Machala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

231,260

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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 17, 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

Machala Asuncion 3,420 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Machala
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

Machala vs Asuncion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Asuncion is pricier by about 64%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $981 per month in Machala 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 Machala, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 69% less in Machala. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $133 per month in Machala 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 Machala, where all-in costs run around $654, than in Asuncion at $1,075. In Machala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Asuncion it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Machala – 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 Machala. 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.