Living in Ciudad del Este, Paraguay

Ciudad del Este is a mid-sized inland city in Alto Paraná Department, Paraguay (250,000 to 1 million people in the city proper). It has a warm climate, averaging 23°C over the year with about 1,724 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €2,282 a month to live centrally. For citizens from outside Mercosur and its associate states, long-term residency in Paraguay is comparatively open.

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Est. cost: €2,282; a month for a couple
Climate: 23°C; 1,724 mm rain a year
Size: Mid-sized; 250,000 to 1 million people
Safety: 57/100; country-level
Residency: Comparatively open; outside free-movement blocs

Limited data for Paraguay. Figures for safety, healthcare, cost of living and political stability in Paraguay are country-level estimates from World Bank indicators, each named with its year. We have no tax, English, social openness or internet speed figures for Paraguay, so the quiz scores those factors conservatively and this page leaves them out.

What stands out about Ciudad del Este

More affordable than 82% of the cities we compare

Climate

Ciudad del Este averages 23°C across the year with about 1,724 mm of rain, which makes it warm and very wet. It is warmer than 63% of the 1225 cities we track.

Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.

Cost of living

We estimate a couple needs about €2,282 a month to live centrally in Ciudad del Este, 16% below the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 82% of them.

Source: OurNextCity model from the price level of GDP relative to the United States, from GDP per person in US dollars and at purchasing power parity (NY.GDP.PCAP.CD/NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD, 2025), calibrated to our country-level cost index (New York = 100) and scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Healthcare

Paraguay scores 59 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 26% of the cities we compare.

Source: Country-level estimate, the same for every city in Paraguay: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, 2024) and current health spending per person in US dollars (SH.XPD.CHEX.PC.CD, 2023), calibrated to the 0 to 100 scale of our reference tables. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Residency and visas

Comparatively open, for people from outside Mercosur and its associate states. Paraguay grants temporary residency under Law 6984/2022 to any foreigner regardless of nationality with no income, deposit, or investment bar, convertible to permanent residency after two years; an optional SUACE investor pass offers a direct fast-track.

Citizens of Mercosur and its associate states have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights here.

For short visits, 68 of 198 passports can enter visa-free, 2 can get an e-visa or visa on arrival and 128 need a visa in advance.

Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).

Safety and stability

Paraguay scores 57 out of 100 on safety, safer than 40% of the cities we compare. Its estimated democracy score is 5.7 out of 10.

Source: Country-level estimate, the same for every city in Paraguay: country-level homicide rate per 100,000 people (VC.IHR.PSRC.P5, 2023) and Worldwide Governance Indicators Political Stability and Absence of Violence estimate (GOV_WGI_PV.EST, 2025), calibrated to the 0 to 100 scale of our reference tables (higher is safer). Stability: Worldwide Governance Indicators Voice and Accountability estimate (GOV_WGI_VA.EST, 2025), calibrated to the EIU Democracy Index scale. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Questions couples ask about Ciudad del Este

Is Ciudad del Este a good place to live for couples?

It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, Ciudad del Este scores well on affordability. It is weaker on healthcare. Our figures for Paraguay are partial: no tax, English, social openness or internet speed data, and country-level World Bank estimates for the rest. Expect a warm, very wet climate (23°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Ciudad del Este and 914 other cities for both of you at once.

How much does it cost a couple to live in Ciudad del Este?

We estimate about €2,282 a month for a couple living centrally, 16% below the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from the World Bank price level of GDP for Paraguay, calibrated to our country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.

Can foreigners live in Paraguay long term?

Citizens of Mercosur and its associate states have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights. Our assessment for everyone else: comparatively open. Paraguay grants temporary residency under Law 6984/2022 to any foreigner regardless of nationality with no income, deposit, or investment bar, convertible to permanent residency after two years; an optional SUACE investor pass offers a direct fast-track.

What is the weather like in Ciudad del Este?

Ciudad del Este averages 23°C across the year with about 1,724 mm of rain, which makes it warm and very wet. It is warmer than 63% of the cities we track.