Cheaper fuel in Foz draws Paraguayans, but bridge wait may eat savings

After years of traffic flowing the opposite way, the balance has turned at the border: refueling in Foz do Iguaçu is now cheaper than in Ciudad del Este, and Paraguayan drivers have started crossing the Friendship Bridge again just to fill their tanks. The Paraguayan newspaper Última Hora reported the movement on August 13, quoting drivers who make the crossing for the price difference.

The numbers explain the attraction. According to the survey, S-10 diesel costs about Gs 8,000 per liter in Foz versus Gs 10,800 in Ciudad del Este; premium gasoline is around Gs 7,500 on the Brazilian side, compared with more than Gs 9,000 on the Paraguayan side. At today’s Marco Três rate (Gs 1,000 equals roughly R$ 0.87), Brazilian diesel is about R$ 6.94 per liter. The savings amount to roughly Gs 3,000 per liter, or close to Gs 140,000 (R$ 121) for a full tank.

On the Brazilian side, the price follows the national decline. According to ANP, regular gasoline in Foz averages R$ 6.42 and diesel R$ 6.77 per liter (survey of August 11). The turnaround is attributed to recent tax reliefs from the Union and states in Brazil, while in Paraguay prices remained above the regional average despite occasional cuts announced by Petropar.

But the discount has a caveat that drivers need to weigh before heading out: the Friendship Bridge experiences intense traffic, and the wait at the Federal Revenue checkpoint burns fuel and time, so part of the savings may be lost in the queue. As Última Hora summed up, for those with patience the math still favors Foz; for those short on time, it may not be worth it.

That’s why it’s worth checking the crossing live before deciding. Marco Três tracks the Friendship Bridge queue in real time, showing wait times by direction. A quick glance tells you whether the savings at the pump offset the customs delay at that moment.