Asunción: Paraguay's one big city, for about $1,400 a month
What daily life in Paraguay's capital costs, how safe it is, how you get around without a train, and whether it works for retirement.
- 462,241
- Population (2022)
- $1,400/mo
- Monthly budget · single
- 74°F / 24°C
- Avg temperature
Plan on roughly $1,400 a month for one person in Asunción, with most singles landing between $1,100 and $1,700. A couple runs about $2,000 and a family of four about $2,900. A one-bedroom near the center rents for about $650, or about $450 further out, and an inexpensive restaurant meal is around $6.
That gets you a capital of about 462,000 people in the city proper (2022), with the private hospitals, international schools and main airport that the rest of Paraguay comes here for. It suits remote earners paid from abroad, self-funded retirees, and families who want more space for the money, as long as they're willing to run daily life in Spanish.
It's a harder sell if you want to walk everywhere or don't do heat. Average January highs sit near 92F, there's no train, and most people get around by car or ride-hailing app.
Reviewed and updated October 8, 2026 · 4 min read
At a glance
$1,400
Monthly budget · single person
$650/mo 1-bed rent, center
50/100
Safety index
$20
Internet / month
74°Fannual average
Jul 65° · Jan 83°
Climate
462,241
Population (2022)
Expatsi estimates, updated Oct 2026, based on rental listings, government statistics, and local reporting.
Cost of living
What it costs to live in Asunción
Single person
$1,100–$1,700/mo
about 55% below Austin, TX
Couple
$1,600–$2,400/mo
about 55% below Austin, TX
Family of four
$2,400–$3,400/mo
about 65% below Austin, TX
Compared with Austin, TX (Expatsi estimate, 2026).
- $6 −70%
- Inexpensive meal
- $550–$750/mo −67%
- 1-bed rent, center
- $350–$550/mo −67%
- 1-bed rent, outside
- $20/mo −69%
- Internet
- $158/sq ft −76%
- Buy price, center
Expatsi estimates, updated Oct 2026, based on rental listings, government statistics, and local reporting.
Daily life
How Asunción lives
- B- grade, 37th percentile among the cities we track
- Dining & caféstypical
- A- grade, 79th percentile among the cities we track
- Arts & culturestrong
- A- grade, 79th percentile among the cities we track
- Parks & outdoorsstrong
- A- grade, 83rd percentile among the cities we track
- Schools & educationstrong
- A- grade, 73rd percentile among the cities we track
- Healthcare accessstrong
- B grade, 53rd percentile among the cities we track
- Bike infrastructuretypical
- B- grade, 32nd percentile among the cities we track
- Public transittypical
- A+ grade, good physical accessibility
- Accessibilitygood
Graded on OpenStreetMap amenity density relative to the 298 cities we track. Accessibility is the exception: it's graded against a fixed standard (terrain steepness and sidewalk surfaces), not a curve.
Climate
Weather through the year
Annual average 74°F (24°C) · 56 in of rain a year · Source: Meteostat station normals (86218, 1991-2020)
On the ground
Scenes from Asunción
Getting around
Transport in Asunción
Asunción moves by car. Figures cited by Bolt in June 2026 put about 78 percent of trips in the metro area in a car or on a motorcycle, and under 7 percent on public transport. Buses are the only public transit. There's no metro, light rail or rapid bus line. The government is reworking routes and adding integrated fares, but the State Department still bars its own staff from city buses because of robbery and assault risk, and most foreign residents skip them too.
Uber and Bolt fill the gap. Both work across the city and to the airport, and a lot of newcomers lean on them for months before deciding whether to buy a car. If you do drive, know that Paraguay doesn't require vehicle insurance, plenty of drivers carry none, and the State Department says traffic rules are routinely ignored. Buy full coverage anyway.
Rain is the local wild card. Heavy storms send fast-moving street floods, called raudales, down some avenues because the storm drains can't keep up. The city flags crossings on Avenida Fernando de la Mora, General Santos and Eusebio Ayala among the worst. When one hits, stay put until the water drops.
Walking works for short errands, though many streets are cobblestone and summer afternoons are hot. A commuter train to Luque is planned, with construction set to start in April 2027. Don't plan your move around it.
- 8.3/sq mi
- Transit stops
- 8.4/sq mi
- Bike infrastructure
- 2.2/sq mi
- Wheelchair-accessible places
Mapped features per square mile from OpenStreetMap.
Keep exploring
Places like Asunción
Community
Community & practical notes
Where newcomers land: Villa Morra is the usual first address. Carmelitas, next door, has many of the newer towers and restaurants, and Las Mercedes is a quieter version nearby. Rents in these pockets have climbed as more foreigners arrive. The foreign community is small, and its biggest group is Brazilian, not American, so expect to make local friends or not many. Spanish runs daily life. Guaraní is co-official and you'll hear it everywhere, but nobody expects a newcomer to speak it.
Healthcare: Foreign residents use the private hospitals, known as sanatorios. Expats regularly name Sanatorio Migone, Sanatorio San Roque and Hospital La Costa among the best, and they rate the public hospitals well below them. Most providers expect cash, and Medicare doesn't apply in Paraguay. The usual setup is a local plan or cash for routine visits, plus an international policy with evacuation coverage, since complex cases often go to São Paulo or Buenos Aires. Dengue circulates here, so take mosquitoes seriously in the wet months.
Getting online: Home internet runs about $20 a month, and fiber reaches the central neighborhoods. If your income depends on calls, test the connection in a specific building before you sign a lease.
Families and schools: Asunción has six international schools. Two teach an American curriculum: the American School of Asunción and Pan American International School. Listed tuition ran from about $6,015 to $10,178 a year as of September 2026, before enrollment, transport and uniform fees. The local school year runs roughly February to November.
Limited mobility: This is one of the harder parts of the city. The State Department calls access to buildings, sidewalks and transport extremely difficult for people with disabilities, and accessibility rules are rarely enforced. Cobblestone streets and flash-flooded corners add to it. Plan on ride-hailing or a regular driver, and look for a newer building with an elevator and a step-free entrance.
Retiring here: Asunción fits retirees who want low monthly costs and private care close by, and who can handle a long, hot summer. Most Americans start with Paraguay's standard two-year temporary residence card, which has no minimum income requirement, then convert to permanent residency. The conversion rules got stricter in May 2026, so keep a clear paper trail of how you support yourself. Compare routes in our retirement visa guide, or read the full Paraguay guide.
Housing
Renting and buying
- 1-bed rent (center)
- $550–$750/mo
- 1-bed rent (outside center)
- $350–$550/mo
- Buy price (center)
- $158/sq ft
- Buy price (outside center)
- $102/sq ft
Expatsi estimates, based on rental listings, government statistics, and local reporting.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
What is the weather like in Asunción?
Hot, humid summers and mild winters. Average highs are near 92F in January, with December through February the hottest stretch. In July, average highs are near 76F and lows near 53F. About 56 inches of rain falls a year, most in November and least in August, and heavy storms can flood streets quickly.
Do you need to speak Spanish to live in Asunción?
Yes, for most of daily life. Spanish handles the bank, the landlord and the migration office, and Asunción is a poor fit if you need English to get through ordinary errands. Guaraní is the other official language and many locals mix it with Spanish, but nobody expects a newcomer to learn it.
Is Asunción safe for Americans?
Reasonably, if you keep big-city habits. In August 2026 the U.S. State Department kept Paraguay at Level 1, its lowest advisory level. The five departments with a Level 2 warning sit along the Brazilian border, away from the capital. Street crime is real, though: the State Department says pickpocketing and armed robberies are rising in cities, often by thieves on motorcycles. Keep your phone out of sight on the street and use ride-hailing at night.
Can I retire in Asunción?
Yes. Most American retirees start with Paraguay's standard two-year temporary residence card, which has no minimum income requirement, and then convert to permanent residency. Since May 2026 the conversion asks for clearer proof of how you support yourself. Medicare doesn't cover care in Paraguay, so budget for private health insurance with evacuation coverage.
Do you need a car in Asunción?
Not at first. Asunción has no metro or light rail, and the U.S. government bars its own staff from city buses because of robbery risk. Most newcomers use Uber and Bolt, which cover the city and the airport. Many long-term residents eventually buy a car. If you do, buy full insurance, since Paraguay doesn't require it and many drivers have none.
Where do expats live in Asunción?
Villa Morra is the usual first address. Carmelitas, next door, has many of the newer apartment towers and restaurants, and Las Mercedes is a quieter option nearby. Rents in these neighborhoods have climbed as more foreigners arrive, so expect to pay above the city's average of about $650 a month for a central one-bedroom.
How much does it cost to live in Asunción, Paraguay?
About $1,400 a month for one person, with most singles spending between $1,100 and $1,700. A couple needs about $2,000 a month and a family of four about $2,900. A one-bedroom apartment near the center rents for around $650, or about $450 in outer neighborhoods. These are U.S. dollar estimates for an ordinary month as of 2026.
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