Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Portland, ME and Asuncion

For one person, living is cheaper in Asuncion: $1,032 a month against $3,283 in Portland, ME, rent and utilities included – about $27,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Portland, ME, United States
Asuncion, Paraguay
Portland, ME
🇺🇸 United States
$3,283
/mo nomad
Asuncion
🇵🇾 Paraguay
$1,032
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,283 per month in Portland, ME vs $1,032 in Asuncion, rent included.

  • Portland, ME $3,283
  • Asuncion $1,032

A couple spends around $4,743 per month in Portland, ME vs $1,625 in Asuncion, rent included.

  • Portland, ME $4,743
  • Asuncion $1,625

A family of three spends $6,204 per month in Portland, ME vs $2,217 in Asuncion, rent included.

  • Portland, ME $6,204
  • Asuncion $2,217

Portland, ME costs about 218% more than Asuncion, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Portland, ME sits 143% above the global median, while Asuncion is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Portland, ME
Asuncion
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.75 $24.75
$7.19 ₲45.7K
244.23%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$118 $118
$42.94 ₲273.0K
174.45%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.10 $15.10
$6.58 ₲41.9K
129.48%
Cappuccino
$6.15 $6.15
$3.28 ₲20.9K
87.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.02 $3.02
$1.01 ₲6,391
199.01%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.47 $2.47
$0.55 ₲3,521
349.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.15 $8.15
$2.06 ₲13.1K
295.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.04 $8.04
$1.68 ₲10.7K
378.57%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Portland, ME
Asuncion
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.07 $1.07
$1.24 ₲7,913
-13.71%
White Bread (500g)
$4.73 $4.73
$1.42 ₲8,997
233.10%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$8.46 $8.46
$1.30 ₲8,297
550.77%
Eggs
$4.03 $4.03
$2.39 ₲15.2K
68.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.05 $19.05
$9.44 ₲60.0K
101.80%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.41 $10.41
$5.10 ₲32.4K
104.12%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.10 $16.10
$9.66 ₲61.4K
66.67%
Apples (1kg)
$4.70 $4.70
$3.00 ₲19.1K
56.67%
Banana (1kg)
$1.65 $1.65
$1.25 ₲7,930
32.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.04 $6.04
$1.16 ₲7,361
420.69%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.89 $6.89
$2.42 ₲15.4K
184.71%
Potato (1kg)
$6.18 $6.18
$1.32 ₲8,365
368.18%
Onion (1kg)
$3.77 $3.77
$1.33 ₲8,443
183.46%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.17 $3.17
$0.85 ₲5,388
272.94%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.61 $2.61
$0.69 ₲4,364
278.26%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.13 $12.13
$2.34 ₲14.9K
418.38%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.23 $15.23
$8.87 ₲56.4K
71.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.89 $1.89
$1.30 ₲8,283
45.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.51 $2.51
$1.65 ₲10.5K
52.12%
🚌 Getting Around
Portland, ME
Asuncion
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.03 $2.03
$0.59 ₲3,783
244.07%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$60.1 $60.1
$35.97 ₲228.7K
67.00%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.92 $3.92
$1.44 ₲9,129
172.22%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.21 $2.21
$1.53 ₲9,743
44.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.78 $29.78
$10.03 ₲63.8K
196.91%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.17 $1.17
$1.21 ₲7,681
-3.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K $26.8K
$16.8K ₲106.9M
59.35%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.0K $26.0K
$29.2K ₲185.8M
-11.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Portland, ME
Asuncion
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$225 $225
$49.05 ₲311.9K
358.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$68.2 $68.2
$16.79 ₲106.7K
306.37%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$77.4 $77.4
$21.60 ₲137.4K
258.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Portland, ME
Asuncion
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.8 $51.8
$35.35 ₲224.8K
46.56%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$39.23 $39.23
$14.61 ₲92.9K
168.51%
Cinema Ticket
$14.14 $14.14
$8.51 ₲54.1K
66.16%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Portland, ME
Asuncion
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,229 $1,229
$183 ₲1.2M
571.15%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$27.9K $27.9K
$5,730 ₲36.4M
386.38%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Portland, ME
Asuncion
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.7 $52.7
$63.2 ₲401.8K
-16.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$80.1 $80.1
$56.7 ₲360.2K
41.39%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 $101
$104 ₲662.3K
-2.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$132 $132
$70.2 ₲446.2K
87.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Portland, ME
Asuncion
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,109 $2,109
$611 ₲3.9M
244.99%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,716 $1,716
$367 ₲2.3M
368.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,115 $3,115
$1,033 ₲6.6M
201.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,569 $2,569
$630 ₲4.0M
307.61%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,429 $5,429
$1,747 ₲11.1M
210.81%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,110 $4,110
$1,234 ₲7.8M
232.95%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Portland, ME
Asuncion
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,487 $4,487
$676 ₲4.3M
564.03%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.5
10.15
-35.96%

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

Last update for Portland, ME: October 31, 2026

Last update for Asuncion: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Portland, ME
$1.7K
Asuncion
$367 78.6% $1.3K
Groceries & Markets
Portland, ME
$473
Asuncion
$209 55.7% $263
Eating Out
Portland, ME
$396
Asuncion
$137 65.5% $259
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Portland, ME
$370
Asuncion
$87 76.4% $283
Clothing & Footwear
Portland, ME
$165
Asuncion
$132 19.6% $32
Getting Around
Portland, ME
$83
Asuncion
$47 42.9% $36
Sport & Entertainment
Portland, ME
$80
Asuncion
$52 34.6% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,109 in Portland, ME versus $611 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 in Portland, ME are about 6.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in Portland, ME versus $43 in Asuncion. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $473 vs $209 – making Asuncion the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Portland, ME
🇵🇾 Asuncion
🕒 Local time
11:02 11:02 AM
13:02 1:02 PM
2 h ahead of Portland, ME
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
652,503
742,023 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

PYG, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 6,358 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 7,141 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.4 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Portland, ME Asuncion 7,770 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Portland, ME
  • 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
Portland, ME vs Asuncion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Asuncion cheaper than Portland, ME?
Yes – Portland, ME is pricier by about 218%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,924 per month in Portland, ME and $1,548 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 Asuncion, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $611 there versus $2,109 in Portland, ME.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 40% less in Asuncion. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,229 per month in Portland, ME and $183 in Asuncion. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Portland, ME or in Asuncion?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Asuncion, where all-in costs run around $1,032, than in Portland, ME at $3,283. In Asuncion it covers expenses comfortably, while in Portland, ME it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Portland, ME or Asuncion more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Asuncion. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Portland, ME makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Portland, ME vs other spots: cost of living compared

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