Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between McAllen, TX and Asuncion

For one person, living is cheaper in Asuncion: $1,075 a month against $1,788 in McAllen, TX, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in McAllen, TX
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McAllen, TX Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Asuncion
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Asuncion Living Index

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McAllen, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$1,788

/mo nomad

Asuncion

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$1,075

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,788 per month in McAllen, TX vs $1,075 in Asuncion, rent included.

McAllen, TX $1,788
Asuncion $1,075

A couple spends around $2,731 per month in McAllen, TX vs $1,684 in Asuncion, rent included.

McAllen, TX $2,731
Asuncion $1,684

A family of three spends $3,674 per month in McAllen, TX vs $2,292 in Asuncion, rent included.

McAllen, TX $3,674
Asuncion $2,292

McAllen, TX costs about 66% more than Asuncion, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

McAllen, TX sits 32% above the global median, while Asuncion is 20% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.21 $18.21

$7.15 ₲40.6K

154.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.3 $76.3

$43.57 ₲247.8K

75.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.93 $7.93

$7.10 ₲40.4K

11.69%

Cappuccino

$4.53 $4.53

$3.51 ₲20.0K

29.06%

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

$2.44 $2.44

$1.05 ₲5,980

132.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$0.58 ₲3,289

232.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.97 $4.97

$1.89 ₲10.8K

162.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.40 $5.40

$1.74 ₲9,906

210.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.29 ₲7,321

-24.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.50 ₲8,514

96.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$1.39 ₲7,922

213.67%

Eggs

$3.37 $3.37

$2.48 ₲14.1K

35.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.87 $9.87

$9.74 ₲55.4K

1.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.58 $12.58

$5.19 ₲29.5K

142.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.09 $15.09

$10.07 ₲57.2K

49.85%

Apples (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.99 ₲17.0K

71.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.32 ₲7,493

81.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

$1.19 ₲6,742

175.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.47 ₲14.1K

-16.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.40 ₲7,984

111.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.33 ₲7,562

96.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 $1.74

$0.92 ₲5,243

89.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$0.77 ₲4,372

171.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.68 $8.68

$2.43 ₲13.8K

257.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.75 $15.75

$9.08 ₲51.6K

73.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.42 ₲8,064

47.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.79 ₲10.2K

24.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 ₲3,315

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.92 ₲215.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 $4.29

$1.54 ₲8,735

178.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.62 ₲9,204

-51.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.44 ₲59.4K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.29 ₲7,320

-31.01%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$17.5K ₲99.5M

54.23%

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

$23.5K $23.5K

$35.0K ₲199.2M

-33.07%

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

$164 $164

$51.5 ₲293.0K

218.98%

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

$37.59 $37.59

$17.68 ₲100.5K

112.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.3 $66.3

$22.35 ₲127.1K

196.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.90 $44.90

$36.60 ₲208.1K

22.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.33 ₲87.2K

Cinema Ticket

$12.23 $12.23

$8.89 ₲50.6K

37.57%

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

$908 $908

$190 ₲1.1M

378.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,930 ₲33.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.5 $78.5

$64.7 ₲368.0K

21.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.89 $44.89

$57.9 ₲329.4K

-22.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 $74.2

$107 ₲610.0K

-30.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 $96.6

$73.3 ₲416.8K

31.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 $816

$645 ₲3.7M

26.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 $669

$385 ₲2.2M

73.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 $1,342

$1,061 ₲6.0M

26.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,144 $1,144

$654 ₲3.7M

75.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,676 $1,676

$1,715 ₲9.8M

-2.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,700 $1,700

$1,205 ₲6.9M

41.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,646 $3,646

$747 ₲4.2M

388.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.48

10.5

-38.29%

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

Last update for McAllen, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Asuncion: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

McAllen, TX

$669 37.4%

Asuncion

$385 35.9% 42.4% $284

Groceries & Markets

McAllen, TX

$364 20.4%

Asuncion

$217 20.2% 40.3% $147

Eating Out

McAllen, TX

$277 15.5%

Asuncion

$140 13% 49.4% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

McAllen, TX

$268 15%

Asuncion

$92 8.5% 65.9% $177

Clothing & Footwear

McAllen, TX

$132 7.4%

Asuncion

$136 12.7% 3.1% $4

Sport & Entertainment

McAllen, TX

$69 3.9%

Asuncion

$54 5.1% 21.6% $15

Getting Around

McAllen, TX

$8.2 * 0.5%

Asuncion

$50 4.6% 508% $42

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $816 in McAllen, TX 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 388% higher in McAllen, TX, 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 $76.0 in McAllen, TX versus $44.00 in Asuncion. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $364 vs $217 – making Asuncion the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 McAllen, TX

🇵🇾 Asuncion

🕒 Local time

20:56 8:56 PM

22:56 10:56 PM

2 h ahead of McAllen, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

142,210

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

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Between locations

McAllen, TX Asuncion 7,190 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

McAllen, TX
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

McAllen, TX vs Asuncion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – McAllen, TX is pricier by about 66%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,682 per month in McAllen, TX 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,788 in McAllen, TX and $1,075 in Asuncion. That's a gap of about 66%.

Kindergarten costs $908 per month in McAllen, TX 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 McAllen, TX at $1,788. In Asuncion it covers expenses comfortably, while in McAllen, TX 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, McAllen, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.