Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Asuncion

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $979 a month against $1,049 in Asuncion, rent and utilities included – about $840 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Asuncion outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Quito
🇪🇨 Ecuador
$979
/mo nomad
Asuncion
🇵🇾 Paraguay
$1,049
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $979 per month in Quito vs $1,049 in Asuncion, rent included.

  • Quito $979
  • Asuncion $1,049

A couple spends around $1,607 per month in Quito vs $1,635 in Asuncion, rent included.

  • Quito $1,607
  • Asuncion $1,635

A family of three spends $2,234 per month in Quito vs $2,221 in Asuncion, rent included.

  • Quito $2,234
  • Asuncion $2,221

Quito is about 7% cheaper than Asuncion, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Quito and Asuncion are more affordable than the global median – Quito 27% lower, Asuncion 22% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Quito
Asuncion
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.14 $6.14
$6.66 ₲38.1K
-7.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$53.9 $53.9
$43.46 ₲248.7K
24.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.81 $7.81
$6.63 ₲37.9K
17.80%
Cappuccino
$3.42 $3.42
$3.44 ₲19.7K
-0.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.44 $1.44
$1.07 ₲6,096
34.58%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.14 $1.14
$0.58 ₲3,325
96.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.48 $3.48
$1.85 ₲10.6K
88.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.89 $5.89
$1.70 ₲9,721
246.47%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Quito
Asuncion
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.14 $1.14
$1.25 ₲7,144
-8.80%
White Bread (500g)
$1.54 $1.54
$1.49 ₲8,516
3.36%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 $1.51
$1.35 ₲7,707
11.85%
Eggs
$2.16 $2.16
$2.32 ₲13.3K
-6.90%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.40 $6.40
$9.85 ₲56.4K
-35.03%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.48 $5.48
$5.20 ₲29.8K
5.38%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.81 $7.81
$9.91 ₲56.7K
-21.19%
Apples (1kg)
$2.33 $2.33
$2.99 ₲17.1K
-22.07%
Banana (1kg)
$1.24 $1.24
$1.23 ₲7,017
0.81%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.31 $1.31
$1.21 ₲6,921
8.26%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.14 $1.14
$2.45 ₲14.0K
-53.47%
Potato (1kg)
$1.21 $1.21
$1.30 ₲7,464
-6.92%
Onion (1kg)
$1.02 $1.02
$1.34 ₲7,644
-23.88%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.93 $0.93
$0.84 ₲4,784
10.71%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.05 $1.05
$0.69 ₲3,957
52.17%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.02 $6.02
$2.24 ₲12.8K
168.75%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.93 $9.93
$9.02 ₲51.6K
10.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 $1.59
$1.33 ₲7,597
19.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.08 $3.08
$1.68 ₲9,593
83.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Quito
Asuncion
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.37 $0.37
$0.57 ₲3,238
-35.09%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$20.95 $20.95
$38.02 ₲217.5K
-44.90%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.54 $1.54
$1.45 ₲8,289
6.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.53 $1.53
$1.57 ₲9,008
-2.55%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.01 $10.01
$10.04 ₲57.4K
-0.30%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.87 $0.87
$1.21 ₲6,897
-28.10%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K $21.0K
$16.9K ₲96.9M
23.95%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.6K $28.6K
$35.3K ₲202.2M
-19.18%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Quito
Asuncion
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$28.97 $28.97
$50.1 ₲286.6K
-42.15%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.57 $17.57
$16.94 ₲96.9K
3.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.14 $28.14
$21.75 ₲124.5K
29.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Quito
Asuncion
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.48 $46.48
$36.50 ₲208.9K
27.34%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.70 $17.70
$14.89 ₲85.2K
18.87%
Cinema Ticket
$6.38 $6.38
$8.59 ₲49.2K
-25.73%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Quito
Asuncion
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$746 $746
$184 ₲1.1M
305.20%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,015 $9,015
$5,873 ₲33.6M
53.50%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Quito
Asuncion
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.8 $68.8
$62.4 ₲357.2K
10.20%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.4 $50.4
$55.4 ₲316.8K
-9.05%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$117 $117
$104 ₲597.0K
12.60%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$109 $109
$69.2 ₲395.8K
57.57%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Quito
Asuncion
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$478 $478
$620 ₲3.6M
-22.94%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$313 $313
$373 ₲2.1M
-16.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$967 $967
$1,050 ₲6.0M
-7.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$549 $549
$624 ₲3.6M
-12.03%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,763 $1,763
$1,716 ₲9.8M
2.75%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$720 $720
$1,242 ₲7.1M
-42.01%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Quito
Asuncion
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$597 $597
$723 ₲4.1M
-17.44%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.12
10.15
-0.30%

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

Last update for Quito: October 4, 2026

Last update for Asuncion: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Quito
$313
Asuncion
$373 19.1% $60
Groceries & Markets
Quito
$198
Asuncion
$213 7.8% $15
Clothing & Footwear
Quito
$156
Asuncion
$131 15.7% $24
Eating Out
Quito
$153
Asuncion
$134 12.7% $19
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Quito
$75
Asuncion
$89 18.9% $14
Sport & Entertainment
Quito
$59
Asuncion
$54 9.4% $5.5
Getting Around
Quito
$32
Asuncion
$50 56.8% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $478 in Quito versus $620 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 21% higher in Asuncion, 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 $54.0 in Quito versus $43.00 in Asuncion. Groceries tell a different story – $198 in Quito vs $213 in Asuncion – so Quito wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇪🇨 Quito
🇵🇾 Asuncion
🕒 Local time
20:54 8:54 PM
22:54 10:54 PM
2 h ahead of Quito
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,671,191 Capital
742,023 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

PYG, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 5,722 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.75 USD). 1 EUR = 6,418 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Quito Asuncion 3,580 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Quito
  • 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
Quito vs Asuncion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Asuncion cheaper than Quito?
Yes – Asuncion is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,468 per month in Quito and $1,574 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 Quito, 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 81% less in Quito. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $746 per month in Quito and $184 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 Quito or in Asuncion?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Quito, where all-in costs run around $979, than in Asuncion at $1,049. In Quito it covers expenses comfortably, while in Asuncion it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Quito or Asuncion more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Quito – 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 Quito. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Asuncion makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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