Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tulum and Asuncion

For one person, living is cheaper in Asuncion: $1,049 a month against $1,252 in Tulum, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Tulum outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Tulum
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,252
/mo nomad
Asuncion
🇵🇾 Paraguay
$1,049
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,252 per month in Tulum vs $1,049 in Asuncion, rent included.

  • Tulum $1,252
  • Asuncion $1,049

A couple spends around $2,131 per month in Tulum vs $1,635 in Asuncion, rent included.

  • Tulum $2,131
  • Asuncion $1,635

A family of three spends $3,010 per month in Tulum vs $2,221 in Asuncion, rent included.

  • Tulum $3,010
  • Asuncion $2,221

Tulum costs about 19% more than Asuncion, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tulum and Asuncion are more affordable than the global median – Tulum 7% lower, Asuncion 22% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tulum
Asuncion
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.26 MX$150
$6.66 ₲38.1K
24.02%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$56.4 MX$1,026
$43.46 ₲248.7K
29.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.13 MX$148
$6.63 ₲37.9K
22.62%
Cappuccino
$3.87 MX$70.4
$3.44 ₲19.7K
12.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.14 MX$20.80
$1.07 ₲6,096
6.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$21.42
$0.58 ₲3,325
103.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.94 MX$53.5
$1.85 ₲10.6K
58.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.80 MX$69.1
$1.70 ₲9,721
123.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tulum
Asuncion
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.58 MX$28.75
$1.25 ₲7,144
26.40%
White Bread (500g)
$2.00 MX$36.31
$1.49 ₲8,516
34.23%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.74 MX$31.71
$1.35 ₲7,707
28.89%
Eggs
$1.89 MX$34.29
$2.32 ₲13.3K
-18.53%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.55 MX$101
$9.85 ₲56.4K
-43.65%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.93 MX$144
$5.20 ₲29.8K
52.50%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.09 MX$165
$9.91 ₲56.7K
-8.27%
Apples (1kg)
$2.66 MX$48.31
$2.99 ₲17.1K
-11.04%
Banana (1kg)
$1.42 MX$25.75
$1.23 ₲7,017
15.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.52 MX$27.67
$1.21 ₲6,921
25.62%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 MX$27.34
$2.45 ₲14.0K
-38.78%
Potato (1kg)
$2.28 MX$41.45
$1.30 ₲7,464
75.38%
Onion (1kg)
$1.86 MX$33.77
$1.34 ₲7,644
38.81%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.51 MX$27.40
$0.84 ₲4,784
79.76%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.83 MX$15.11
$0.69 ₲3,957
20.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.39 MX$79.9
$2.24 ₲12.8K
95.98%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.35 MX$152
$9.02 ₲51.6K
-7.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.39 MX$25.31
$1.33 ₲7,597
4.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.32 MX$24.00
$1.68 ₲9,593
-21.43%
🚌 Getting Around
Tulum
Asuncion
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.40 MX$25.48
$0.57 ₲3,238
145.61%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$38.02 ₲217.5K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.81 MX$51.2
$1.45 ₲8,289
93.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.44 MX$44.47
$1.57 ₲9,008
55.41%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.58 MX$102
$10.04 ₲57.4K
-44.42%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 MX$27.71
$1.21 ₲6,897
25.62%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.4K MX$389.2K
$16.9K ₲96.9M
26.40%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.8K MX$433.0K
$35.3K ₲202.2M
-32.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tulum
Asuncion
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$106 MX$1,927
$50.1 ₲286.6K
111.56%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.87 MX$307
$16.94 ₲96.9K
-0.41%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.97 MX$636
$21.75 ₲124.5K
60.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tulum
Asuncion
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.35 MX$625
$36.50 ₲208.9K
-5.89%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$14.89 ₲85.2K
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.45 MX$117
$8.59 ₲49.2K
-24.91%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tulum
Asuncion
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$263 MX$4,776
$184 ₲1.1M
42.52%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,022 MX$55.0K
$5,873 ₲33.6M
-48.55%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tulum
Asuncion
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.26 MX$769
$62.4 ₲357.2K
-32.31%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.26 MX$605
$55.4 ₲316.8K
-39.92%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$97.4 MX$1,772
$104 ₲597.0K
-6.60%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$60.2 MX$1,095
$69.2 ₲395.8K
-13.01%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tulum
Asuncion
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$614 MX$11.2K
$620 ₲3.6M
-1.09%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$539 MX$9,808
$373 ₲2.1M
44.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,504 MX$27.4K
$1,050 ₲6.0M
43.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,316 MX$23.9K
$624 ₲3.6M
110.78%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,162 MX$57.5K
$1,716 ₲9.8M
84.33%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,818 MX$33.1K
$1,242 ₲7.1M
46.45%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tulum
Asuncion
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$784 MX$14.3K
$723 ₲4.1M
8.53%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.8
10.15
6.40%

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

Last update for Tulum: October 5, 2026

Last update for Asuncion: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tulum
$539
Asuncion
$373 30.8% $166
Groceries & Markets
Tulum
$222
Asuncion
$213 4.1% $9.1
Eating Out
Tulum
$169
Asuncion
$134 20.7% $35
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tulum
$158
Asuncion
$89 43.7% $69
Clothing & Footwear
Tulum
$105
Asuncion
$131 24.9% $26
Sport & Entertainment
Tulum
$47
Asuncion
$54 13.7% $6.4
Getting Around
Tulum
$21 *
Asuncion
$50 140% $29

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $614 in Tulum 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 9% higher in Tulum, 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 $56.0 in Tulum versus $43.00 in Asuncion. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $222 vs $213 – making Asuncion the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Tulum
🇵🇾 Asuncion
🕒 Local time
21:46 9:46 PM
23:46 11:46 PM
2 h ahead of Tulum
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
46,721
742,023 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PYG, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.19 MXN (100 MXN = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20.4 MXN (100 MXN = 4.9 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
  • Tulum Asuncion 6,030 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Tulum
  • 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
Tulum vs Asuncion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Asuncion cheaper than Tulum?
Yes – Tulum is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,878 per month in Tulum 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 Asuncion, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Tulum and in Asuncion?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,252 in Tulum and $1,049 in Asuncion. That's a gap of about 19%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $263 per month in Tulum 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 Tulum or in Asuncion?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Asuncion, where all-in costs run around $1,049, than in Tulum at $1,252. In Asuncion it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tulum it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Tulum 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, Tulum makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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