Moving to Asuncion

Today we look at moving to Asuncion in Paraguay from Lagos in Nigeria. We highlight cost of living and other major differences likely to be experienced in our series of short blogs on moving between different international locations.
In Asuncion people speak Spanish and Guarani. In Lagos people speak English (official), Yoruba, Ibo and Hausa.

Asuncion is the capital and largest city of Paraguay. Lagos is a port and the most populous city in Nigeria. Asuncion is the home of the national government, principal port, and the chief industrial and cultural centre of the country. Local manufacturing production includes footwear, textiles, and tobacco products. Lagos is Nigeria's most prosperous city, and much of the nation's wealth and economic activity are concentrated there. Most commercial, financial and business centers of Lagos and of Nigeria remains at the central business district in Lagos Island which is also typified with the presence of high rise buildings.

The overall cost of living rank in Asuncion is 219 out of 300 global locations, which equates it with low cost of living locations.  An expatriate moving from Lagos to Asuncion will experience a change in cost of living of -25.6%.
In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, Asuncion is ranked as a some hardship location with a hardship index of 20% compared to Lagos with a hardship index of 40% which is an extreme hardship location.

Source: Cost of living Asuncion, Paraguay as at July 2011.