Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Merrillville, IN and Asuncion

For one person, living is cheaper in Asuncion: $1,069 a month against $2,597 in Merrillville, IN, rent and utilities included – about $18,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Merrillville, IN
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Merrillville, IN Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Asuncion
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Asuncion Living Index

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Merrillville, IN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,597

/mo nomad

Asuncion

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$1,069

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,597 per month in Merrillville, IN vs $1,069 in Asuncion, rent included.

Merrillville, IN $2,597
Asuncion $1,069

A couple spends around $3,672 per month in Merrillville, IN vs $1,673 in Asuncion, rent included.

Merrillville, IN $3,672
Asuncion $1,673

A family of three spends $4,748 per month in Merrillville, IN vs $2,277 in Asuncion, rent included.

Merrillville, IN $4,748
Asuncion $2,277

Merrillville, IN costs about 143% more than Asuncion, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Merrillville, IN sits 92% above the global median, while Asuncion is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.93 $14.93

$7.09 ₲40.3K

110.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.9 $55.9

$43.29 ₲246.1K

29.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.88 $9.88

$6.81 ₲38.7K

45.08%

Cappuccino

$4.63 $4.63

$3.40 ₲19.3K

36.18%

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

$2.19 $2.19

$1.06 ₲6,005

106.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 $2.24

$0.59 ₲3,381

279.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.89 ₲10.7K

140.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 $5.90

$1.79 ₲10.2K

229.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.74 $0.74

$1.27 ₲7,227

-41.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 $3.19

$1.46 ₲8,317

118.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.37 ₲7,771

231.39%

Eggs

$4.63 $4.63

$2.49 ₲14.1K

85.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 $11.10

$9.72 ₲55.2K

14.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 $9.61

$5.43 ₲30.9K

76.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.94 $21.94

$10.00 ₲56.9K

119.40%

Apples (1kg)

$5.75 $5.75

$2.94 ₲16.7K

95.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.26 ₲7,174

-11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$1.19 ₲6,792

268.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.49 $5.49

$2.53 ₲14.4K

117.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.68 $3.68

$1.35 ₲7,674

172.59%

Onion (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$1.29 ₲7,360

241.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 $2.45

$0.87 ₲4,965

181.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.73 ₲4,128

73.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.36 $11.36

$2.41 ₲13.7K

371.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.22 $12.22

$9.47 ₲53.8K

29.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.41 ₲7,998

47.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 $3.43

$1.72 ₲9,755

99.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.62 ₲3,508

225.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.61 ₲213.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.95 $4.95

$1.53 ₲8,710

223.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.53 ₲8,700

22.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.3 $50.3

$10.61 ₲60.3K

373.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.28 ₲7,274

-27.34%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$17.5K ₲99.5M

59.28%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$29.4K ₲167.2M

-8.08%

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

$233 $233

$49.78 ₲283.0K

367.08%

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

$50.9 $50.9

$17.74 ₲100.9K

186.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.0 $59.0

$22.69 ₲129.0K

160.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.50 $47.50

$36.22 ₲205.9K

31.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.06 ₲85.7K

Cinema Ticket

$14.98 $14.98

$8.67 ₲49.3K

72.78%

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

$1,397 $1,397

$189 ₲1.1M

640.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.4K $20.4K

$5,686 ₲32.3M

259.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 $53.3

$64.1 ₲364.5K

-16.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.39 $40.39

$56.7 ₲322.2K

-28.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 $106

$106 ₲603.5K

0.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.7 $95.7

$71.6 ₲406.8K

33.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,510 $1,510

$624 ₲3.6M

141.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,374 $1,374

$387 ₲2.2M

255.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,410 $2,410

$1,057 ₲6.0M

127.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,148 $2,148

$656 ₲3.7M

227.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,523 $2,523

$1,733 ₲9.9M

45.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 $2,195

$1,228 ₲7.0M

78.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$721 ₲4.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

10.5

-37.81%

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

Last update for Merrillville, IN: October 19, 2026

Last update for Asuncion: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Merrillville, IN

$1.4K 52.9%

Asuncion

$387 36.2% 71.9% $988

Groceries & Markets

Merrillville, IN

$390 15%

Asuncion

$217 20.3% 44.4% $173

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Merrillville, IN

$342 13.2%

Asuncion

$90 8.4% 73.7% $252

Eating Out

Merrillville, IN

$257 9.9%

Asuncion

$138 12.9% 46.4% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Merrillville, IN

$133 5.1%

Asuncion

$134 12.6% 0.9% $1.2

Sport & Entertainment

Merrillville, IN

$77 3%

Asuncion

$54 5% 30.9% $24

Getting Around

Merrillville, IN

$22 * 0.9%

Asuncion

$49 4.6% 120% $27

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,510 in Merrillville, IN versus $624 in Asuncion. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56.0 in Merrillville, IN versus $43.00 in Asuncion. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $390 vs $217 – making Asuncion the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Merrillville, IN

🇵🇾 Asuncion

🕒 Local time

17:44 5:44 PM

19:44 7:44 PM

2 h ahead of Merrillville, IN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,444

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

Merrillville, IN Asuncion 8,030 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Merrillville, IN
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

Merrillville, IN vs Asuncion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Merrillville, IN is pricier by about 143%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,895 per month in Merrillville, IN and $1,603 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 $2,597 in Merrillville, IN and $1,069 in Asuncion. That's a gap of about 143%.

Kindergarten costs $1,397 per month in Merrillville, IN and $189 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 $1,069, than in Merrillville, IN at $2,597. In Asuncion it covers expenses comfortably, while in Merrillville, IN 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, Merrillville, IN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.