Cheaper fuel in Foz draws Paraguayans; queue may eat savings

After years of traffic flowing the opposite way, the balance has turned at the border: refueling in Foz do Iguaçu became cheaper than in Ciudad del Este, and Paraguayan drivers have returned to crossing the Friendship Bridge just to fill up. The Paraguayan newspaper Última Hora reported the movement on August 13, hearing drivers who make the crossing because of 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 sells for around Gs 7,500 on the Brazilian side, against more than Gs 9,000 on the Paraguayan side. At today’s Marco Três rate (Gs 1,000 equals about R$ 0.87), Brazilian diesel is around R$ 6.94 per liter. Savings reach roughly Gs 3,000 per liter, which is close to Gs 140,000 (R$ 121) for a full tank.

On the Brazilian side, the price follows the national decline. According to the 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 spot reductions announced by Petropar.

But the discount has a caveat that drivers need to weigh before heading out: the Friendship Bridge experiences intense traffic, and waiting at the Federal Revenue control 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 calculation still favors Foz; for those short on time, it may not be worthwhile.

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