Cost of living in Asunción (2026): a realistic monthly budget

A monthly budget in numbers

Source: Numbeo, fetched 18 October 2026 (page updated 15 October). Rent ranges are wide: ₲3.0–4.5 million in the centre and ₲1.5–3.0 million outside for a one-bedroom. A listings-portal report (InfoCasas, January to April 2026) puts two-bedroom rentals at US$450 to US$650 a month.

Prices, wages and inflation

• Inflation: the central bank (BCP) reports 1.7% year on year for September 2026, against a 3.5% target (±2 points); the policy rate is 5.50% and the BCP projects 3.3% for 2026.
• Minimum wage: ₲3,044,000 a month and a daily rate of ₲117,077 from 1 July 2026 (Decree 6225/2026, a 5% rise). The same daily rate sets the DNM fees.
• Average monthly net salary reported by Numbeo: about ₲4.2 million. Local purchasing power is therefore far below what a remote worker paid in dollars or euros enjoys.
• VAT is 10%, with 5% on housing rent, property sales, a list of basic foods and medicines (Law 6380, Art. 90).
• Fuel (Petropar, 17 August 2026): Nafta Kape 88 at ₲6,990 per litre and Diésel Porã at ₲8,290. These may have moved since.

Food, transport and everyday costs

Numbeo lists a litre of milk at about ₲7,400, a kilo of rice at ₲7,800, a dozen eggs at ₲14,000, a kilo of chicken fillets at ₲30,400 and a kilo of beef round at ₲58,200. A one-way local bus ticket is ₲3,400 and a taxi starts at ₲8,600. We did not find a verified current price for the ordinary Asunción bus, for electricity per kWh or for water: ANDE's tariff is under study and a rise of up to 45.6% over 2026–2030 has been projected, so do not budget electricity from old figures.

Rent and property

Numbeo gives purchase prices of about ₲10.0 million per m² in the centre and ₲7.0 million outside, gross rental yields of 7.7% and 6.7%, and a typical mortgage rate of 10.5% over 20 years. The InfoCasas report says own-use buyers target two-bedroom flats and houses at US$100,000 to US$150,000 and that a sale listing takes about five months to find a buyer. Title problems are a known risk, so use a notary and check the land registry before paying.

Safety in numbers

Paraguay ranks 64th of 163 on the 2026 Global Peace Index (score 1.882), and the World Bank series built on UNODC data shows 6.78 intentional homicides per 100,000 in 2023. Numbeo's perception scores for Asunción are 45.3 for safety and 54.7 for crime, with corruption and bribery perceived as a very high problem. See our comparison of Latin American countries.

What it means for your tax and residency plan

A low cost of living is one reason people look at Paraguay, but the budget above is in a country where the local median wage is about ₲4.2 million: income from abroad goes a long way. The tax side is separate and needs its own care: see residency and tax in Paraguay. Expectat is not a financial or tax adviser: verify current prices and rules before you move.