Moving to Paraguay from Nicaragua

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Nicaragua to Paraguay — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Nicaragua to Paraguay, you would find that Paraguay is 4.2% cheaper than Nicaragua overall. A NIO2,762,553 salary in Nicaragua would need to be roughly PYG344,050,528 in Paraguay to maintain the same lifestyle.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Nicaragua to Paraguay.

What does your salary buy?

NIO2,762,553 PYG344,050,528

To maintain the same standard of living in Paraguay

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 13.6% less

Groceries

pay 30.2% less

Transportation

pay 2.1 times more

Housing

pay 19.7% less

Childcare

pay 24.2% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 23.7% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 NIO = 165.22 PYG (July 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

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Key Indicator Comparison

How Nicaragua and Paraguay stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

NI
11.0
PY
7.0
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

NI
13.6
PY
21.0

Nicaragua generally does better on safety, though Paraguay leads in homicide rate.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

NI
$689
PY
$1,469
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

NI
6.6
PY
38.8

Paraguay generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Nicaragua leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

NI
38.0
PY
25.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

NI
0.8t
PY
1.2t

Nicaragua generally does better on environment, though Paraguay leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

NI
4.9
PY
10.9
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

NI
2.2%
PY
1.8%

Paraguay performs significantly better than Nicaragua across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

NI
4.8%
PY
5.8%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

NI
$7,300
PY
$15,700

Paraguay generally does better on employment & economy, though Nicaragua leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

NI
74.8 yrs
PY
78.4 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

NI
19.1
PY
23.2

Nicaragua generally does better on family life, though Paraguay leads in life expectancy.

Data: The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Managua Rain: 78.3 in/yr (1989 mm)
None° / None°F

Avg. annual high / low

Asuncion Rain: 55.2 in/yr (1401 mm)
83° / 65°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Managua Asuncion
Jan–Mar 91°/72°F (33°/22°C)
Apr–Jun 78°/61°F (26°/16°C)
Jul–Sep 77°/58°F (25°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 87°/68°F (31°/20°C)
View all months
Month Managua Asuncion
Jan 92°/73°F (33.5°/22.8°C)
Feb 91°/72°F (32.6°/22.3°C)
Mar 89°/70°F (31.6°/21.3°C)
Apr 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.6°C)
May 77°/60°F (25.0°/15.7°C)
Jun 74°/57°F (23.1°/13.8°C)
Jul 74°/56°F (23.2°/13.1°C)
Aug 77°/58°F (24.8°/14.3°C)
Sep 80°/61°F (26.4°/15.9°C)
Oct 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.6°C)
Nov 87°/68°F (30.7°/20.1°C)
Dec 90°/71°F (32.3°/21.8°C)

Data: Dirección de Meteorología e Hidrología (DMH) Dirección de Meteorología e Hidrología (DMH)

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Nicaragua and Paraguay. To live, work, or study long-term in Paraguay, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Paraguay's immigration authority.

Nicaragua passport

Nicaragua passport holder visiting Paraguay

Visa Free
Nicaragua passport holders can enter Paraguay without a visa.
Paraguay passport

Paraguay passport holder visiting Nicaragua

Visa Free
Paraguay passport holders can enter Nicaragua without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Paraguay than Nicaragua?

Generally yes: Paraguay runs about 25% cheaper than Nicaragua on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

How much money do I need to move to Paraguay?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a NIO2,762,553 comparable salary, that's around PYG86,012,632 in Paraguay for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Paraguay?

With 10.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Paraguay can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Nicaragua and Paraguay.

Is Paraguay safe for expats?

Nicaragua generally does better on safety, though Paraguay leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Paraguay is 7.0 per 100,000 people, compared to 11.0 in Nicaragua.

How is healthcare in Paraguay compared to Nicaragua?

Paraguay generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Nicaragua leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 38.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Paraguay, compared to 6.6 in Nicaragua. Paraguay scores 72 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Nicaragua: 70).

What's the weather like in Paraguay compared to Nicaragua?

The average high temperature in Asuncion is 83°F, compared to None°F in Managua. Asuncion receives around 55.2 in of rainfall per year, while Managua gets 78.3 in.

What language do they speak in Paraguay?

The official languages in Paraguay are Guaraní and Spanish. In Nicaragua, the official language is Spanish.

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At a Glance

NI PY
Population 6,301,880 7,356,409
Currency Nicaraguan Córdoba (NIO) Paraguayan Guarani (PYG)
Languages Spanish Guaraní, Spanish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +505 +595
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 118 911