Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Asuncion

For one person, living is cheaper in Asuncion: $1,062 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Asuncion
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Asuncion Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Asuncion

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$1,062

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,062 in Asuncion, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Asuncion $1,062

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,655 in Asuncion, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Asuncion $1,655

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,249 in Asuncion, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Asuncion $2,249

Medellin costs about 54% more than Asuncion, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Asuncion is 22% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$6.76 ₲39.2K

19.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$43.17 ₲250.5K

8.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$7.01 ₲40.7K

35.52%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$3.47 ₲20.1K

-13.26%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$1.09 ₲6,309

65.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$0.55 ₲3,202

156.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$2.02 ₲11.7K

57.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$1.73 ₲10.0K

232.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$1.27 ₲7,351

18.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$1.46 ₲8,483

63.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$1.39 ₲8,042

27.34%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$2.36 ₲13.7K

22.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$9.88 ₲57.3K

3.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$5.23 ₲30.3K

88.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$10.02 ₲58.1K

39.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$3.01 ₲17.5K

31.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$1.25 ₲7,279

24.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$1.22 ₲7,105

78.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$2.49 ₲14.4K

-12.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$1.40 ₲8,097

40.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$1.35 ₲7,859

17.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$0.91 ₲5,292

26.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$0.71 ₲4,103

74.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$2.37 ₲13.8K

67.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$9.08 ₲52.7K

50.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$1.33 ₲7,697

24.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$1.73 ₲10.0K

30.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$0.61 ₲3,511

91.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$36.24 ₲210.3K

113.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$1.51 ₲8,790

-15.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$1.52 ₲8,817

34.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$10.37 ₲60.2K

-17.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$1.22 ₲7,103

10.66%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$17.0K ₲98.9M

99.90%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$29.5K ₲171.4M

17.38%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$51.4 ₲298.4K

229.87%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$17.47 ₲101.4K

-22.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$22.66 ₲131.5K

23.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$36.59 ₲212.3K

19.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$15.07 ₲87.5K

14.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$8.42 ₲48.9K

-17.93%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$183 ₲1.1M

334.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$5,692 ₲33.0M

60.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$63.8 ₲370.1K

32.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$56.7 ₲328.8K

2.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$108 ₲628.5K

24.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$70.0 ₲406.4K

39.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$639 ₲3.7M

88.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$382 ₲2.2M

67.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$1,066 ₲6.2M

90.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$635 ₲3.7M

59.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$1,750 ₲10.2M

138.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$1,233 ₲7.2M

54.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$726 ₲4.2M

-9.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

10.5

4.19%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Asuncion: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Asuncion

$382 36% 40.4% $259

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Asuncion

$215 20.3% 27.5% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Asuncion

$92 8.6% 56.7% $120

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Asuncion

$137 12.9% 19.3% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Asuncion

$134 12.7% 20.4% $35

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Asuncion

$48 4.5% 48.9% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Asuncion

$53 5% 7.1% $4.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $639 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 reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $43 in Asuncion. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $215 – making Asuncion the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇾 Asuncion

🕒 Local time

15:48 3:48 PM

17:48 5:48 PM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

742,023 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

10,000 PYG = 1.72 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.55 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PYG, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 5,803 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.72 USD). 1 EUR = 6,460 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.55 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Asuncion 4,010 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
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

Medellin vs Asuncion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 54%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,592 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $639 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Public transport costs about 53% less in Asuncion. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Medellin and $183 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 $1,062, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Asuncion it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin 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.

For expats, Asuncion is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 35% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.