Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Portmore and Asuncion

For one person, living is cheaper in Asuncion: $1,075 a month against $1,246 in Portmore, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. The total is higher in Portmore despite lower rent and utilities.

Portmore
🇯🇲 Jamaica
$1,246
/mo nomad
Asuncion
🇵🇾 Paraguay
$1,075
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,246 per month in Portmore vs $1,075 in Asuncion, rent included.

  • Portmore $1,246
  • Asuncion $1,075

A couple spends around $2,073 per month in Portmore vs $1,684 in Asuncion, rent included.

  • Portmore $2,073
  • Asuncion $1,684

A family of three spends $2,900 per month in Portmore vs $2,292 in Asuncion, rent included.

  • Portmore $2,900
  • Asuncion $2,292

Portmore costs about 16% more than Asuncion, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Portmore and Asuncion are more affordable than the global median – Portmore 8% lower, Asuncion 20% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Portmore
Asuncion
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.15 JMD 1,603
$7.15 ₲40.6K
41.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$63.3 JMD 10.0K
$43.57 ₲247.8K
45.38%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.04 JMD 1,270
$7.10 ₲40.4K
13.24%
Cappuccino
$5.43 JMD 859
$3.51 ₲20.0K
54.70%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90 JMD 143
$1.05 ₲5,980
-14.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.66 JMD 104
$0.58 ₲3,289
13.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.18 JMD 345
$1.89 ₲10.8K
15.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.16 JMD 342
$1.74 ₲9,906
24.14%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Portmore
Asuncion
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$3.02 JMD 478
$1.29 ₲7,321
134.11%
White Bread (500g)
$3.49 JMD 551
$1.50 ₲8,514
132.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.02 JMD 161
$1.39 ₲7,922
-26.62%
Eggs
$3.61 JMD 571
$2.48 ₲14.1K
45.56%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.52 JMD 1,821
$9.74 ₲55.4K
18.28%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.30 JMD 996
$5.19 ₲29.5K
21.39%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.43 JMD 1,490
$10.07 ₲57.2K
-6.36%
Apples (1kg)
$5.99 JMD 946
$2.99 ₲17.0K
100.33%
Banana (1kg)
$3.93 JMD 620
$1.32 ₲7,493
197.73%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.96 JMD 468
$1.19 ₲6,742
148.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.01 JMD 476
$2.47 ₲14.1K
21.86%
Potato (1kg)
$3.30 JMD 521
$1.40 ₲7,984
135.71%
Onion (1kg)
$2.60 JMD 411
$1.33 ₲7,562
95.49%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.59 JMD 251
$0.92 ₲5,243
72.83%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 JMD 199
$0.77 ₲4,372
63.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.64 JMD 1,523
$2.43 ₲13.8K
296.71%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.24 JMD 1,776
$9.08 ₲51.6K
23.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.81 JMD 444
$1.42 ₲8,064
97.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 JMD 356
$1.79 ₲10.2K
26.26%
🚌 Getting Around
Portmore
Asuncion
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.29 JMD 361
$0.58 ₲3,315
294.83%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$50.2 JMD 7,931
$37.92 ₲215.6K
32.38%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.96 JMD 152
$1.54 ₲8,735
-37.66%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.09 JMD 488
$1.62 ₲9,204
90.74%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.24 JMD 985
$10.44 ₲59.4K
-40.23%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.18 JMD 187
$1.29 ₲7,320
-8.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$43.1K JMD 6.8M
$17.5K ₲99.5M
146.11%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.3K JMD 5.1M
$35.0K ₲199.2M
-7.77%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Portmore
Asuncion
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$155 JMD 24.5K
$51.5 ₲293.0K
200.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$29.01 JMD 4,583
$17.68 ₲100.5K
64.08%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.7 JMD 8,322
$22.35 ₲127.1K
135.66%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Portmore
Asuncion
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$60.2 JMD 9,503
$36.60 ₲208.1K
64.34%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$15.33 ₲87.2K
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.38 JMD 2,114
$8.89 ₲50.6K
50.51%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Portmore
Asuncion
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$285 JMD 45.1K
$190 ₲1.1M
50.41%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,143 JMD 496.5K
$5,930 ₲33.7M
-47.00%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Portmore
Asuncion
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$23.25 JMD 3,674
$64.7 ₲368.0K
-64.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.94 JMD 4,889
$57.9 ₲329.4K
-46.58%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$78.7 JMD 12.4K
$107 ₲610.0K
-26.63%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$94.5 JMD 14.9K
$73.3 ₲416.8K
28.98%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Portmore
Asuncion
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$307 JMD 48.6K
$645 ₲3.7M
-52.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$216 JMD 34.1K
$385 ₲2.2M
-43.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$656 JMD 103.7K
$1,061 ₲6.0M
-38.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$590 JMD 93.3K
$654 ₲3.7M
-9.66%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,466 JMD 1.2M
$1,715 ₲9.8M
335.36%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,702 JMD 900.9K
$1,205 ₲6.9M
373.29%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Portmore
Asuncion
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,301 JMD 205.5K
$747 ₲4.2M
74.22%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.45
10.5
-10.00%

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

Last update for Portmore: October 10, 2026

Last update for Asuncion: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Portmore
$336
Asuncion
$217 35.3% $119
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Portmore
$237
Asuncion
$92 61.3% $145
Accommodation & Living
Portmore
$216
Asuncion
$385 78.5% $169
Eating Out
Portmore
$192
Asuncion
$140 27% $52
Clothing & Footwear
Portmore
$102
Asuncion
$136 33.3% $34
Sport & Entertainment
Portmore
$87
Asuncion
$54 37.4% $33
Getting Around
Portmore
$76
Asuncion
$50 34.2% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $307 in Portmore 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 74% higher in Portmore, 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 $63.0 in Portmore versus $44.00 in Asuncion. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $336 vs $217 – making Asuncion the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇯🇲 Portmore
🇵🇾 Asuncion
🕒 Local time
17:31 5:31 PM
19:31 7:31 PM
2 h ahead of Portmore
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
170,000
742,023 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PYG, USD, EUR to JMD – Jamaican Dollar Converter

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR).

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5,686 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 6,393 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Portmore Asuncion 5,240 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Portmore
  • 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
Portmore vs Asuncion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Asuncion cheaper than Portmore?
Yes – Portmore is pricier by about 16%, 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 $1,868 per month in Portmore and $1,613 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 32% less in Asuncion. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $285 per month in Portmore and $190 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 Portmore or in Asuncion?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Asuncion, where all-in costs run around $1,075, than in Portmore at $1,246. In Asuncion it covers expenses comfortably, while in Portmore it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Portmore 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, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Portmore makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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