Fuel is one of the running costs people underestimate when they price out life in Paraguay. It’s also one of the few where where you buy changes what you actually get. Fuel quality varies between brands — and sometimes between stations of the same brand — so picking the wrong pump can mean paying premium prices for diluted fuel, or slowly damaging your engine.
How much does gas cost in Paraguay?
Fuel is sold by the liter in guaraníes. From a station price board on June 5, 2026:
| Fuel | Price (Gs/liter) | Approx. USD/gallon |
|---|---|---|
| Standard (85 octane) | 6,690 | ~$4.24 |
| Supra (90 octane) | 7,190 | ~$4.55 |
| Supreme (95/97 octane) | 8,640 | ~$5.47 |
| Diesel | 8,890 | ~$5.63 |
| Diesel Elite | 10,650 | ~$6.75 |
| Alcohol (ethanol) | 5,290 | ~$3.35 |
To convert yourself: multiply the per-liter price by 3.8, then divide by the exchange rate — roughly 6,000 guaraníes to the dollar at the time of writing.
Prices have risen sharply in recent months — approximately 25% for gasoline and 30% for diesel — following the spike in global oil prices in mid-2026. Treat these as a snapshot, not a fixed reference.
Why fuel choice matters here
Every couple of years, investigations catch Paraguayan gas stations cheating customers. The recurring problems:
- Dilution — stretching gasoline with excess ethanol or additives
- Octane mislabeling — selling lower-octane fuel at higher-octane prices
- Pump calibration fraud — you pay for 5 liters, your tank gets 4.5
One pattern matters more than any brand ranking: the fraud almost never comes from the corporate level. It happens at the individual franchise operator level. So the brands with tight control over their outlets are the trustworthy ones — and high-volume stations in the greater Asunción area are safer than remote, low-traffic ones, because fast-moving stock leaves less room for shenanigans.
The three fuel brands we recommend
Shell. Returned to Paraguay in 2021 after roughly two decades away, acquiring the Barcos y Rodados network — around 300 outlets. International corporate oversight, no local quality scandals. If you drive something sensitive to fuel quality — a Mercedes, a BMW, an imported turbo engine — this is the safe default.
Petropar. Paraguay’s national oil company, also around 300 stations covering the whole country. Good reputation and solid control over its outlets. Out in the countryside, prefer their busier locations over tiny rundown outposts.
Copetrol. Paraguayan-owned, run by the Zapag group for over 50 years. Very high volume, especially around Asunción and on the main transit routes — which, again, is exactly what you want. We personally buy from all three.
Three brands to approach with caution
Petrobras. Licensed in Paraguay to the same Zapag group that owns Copetrol — but bought as a turnkey operation about five years ago, inheriting poorly controlled independent operators. Individual stations have been caught in pump calibration and dilution scandals. Some are fine; you can’t tell which from the forecourt.
Lubripar. Loosely controlled operation with a track record of customer complaints about fuel quality.
Puma. International brand, but local operations have minimal corporate enforcement — individual station owners largely do what they want.
Beyond these, small independent chains pop up regularly. Unless you’re running on fumes with no alternative, skip them — and skip any station, whatever the brand, that looks remote, rundown, and low-traffic. A struggling operator has every incentive to cheat.
Paraguayan octane ratings are not on the US scale
This catches out most new arrivals. Paraguay’s octane numbers run higher than the US scale for equivalent fuel:
- Local 97 ≈ US 93 (premium)
- Local 90–95 ≈ US 87–89 (regular/midgrade)
- Local 85 ≈ US 82 (economy)
If you’re reading pump labels with American expectations, you are not getting the fuel the number suggests.
The practical rule for driving in Paraguay
Plan your fill-ups. Stick to Shell, Petropar, or Copetrol in urban areas or along major highways, favor busy stations over quiet ones, and don’t let the tank get low enough that a rundown rural pump becomes your only option. That solves most of the problem.
