South America
Paraguay
Paraguay's appeal is practical more than scenic. It is one of the lowest-cost countries in the Americas, and it is known among long-term travellers for a comparatively easy route to residency, which attracts people planning a second residence more than sightseers. Be realistic about the rest: there is little tourist infrastructure or activity beyond low-key Asunción, internet is inconsistent outside the capital, and flight connections are limited. There is no dedicated nomad visa. Summers, from October to April, are extremely hot, so the mild winter from May to September is the better time to be here.
Nomad quick facts
$940/mo
$1500/mo
146.9 Mbps
1.882 (#83 of 190)
Limited
May–Sep
Not available
72.4 / 100
Score breakdown
Very low cost of living, fast internet in Asunción, comparatively easy residency route.
Little to do beyond the capital, inconsistent internet outside Asunción, limited flight connections, extremely hot summers.
Cost of living in Paraguay
Paraguay is one of South America's more affordable destinations, with low costs for accommodation, food and everyday services. Asunción offers the country's widest range of amenities and is the easiest base for longer stays, while Encarnación provides a smaller and quieter alternative. For nomads seeking a low-cost South American base, Paraguay offers strong value without requiring a particularly austere lifestyle.
Estimated monthly cost
Single
$940/mo
Couple
$1,500/mo
Cost score inputs
Livingcost
90/100
WB PLI
38.1
Score blends a nomad-realistic monthly cost estimate (built from livingcost.org data, adjusted for short-term nomad spending like furnished housing, coworking, and eating out) with the World Bank's Household Consumption Price Level Index, a broader cross-country cost benchmark. Countries without World Bank price-level data are scored on the livingcost estimate alone. Prices displayed in USD.
The nomad cost estimate reflects a realistic single/couple monthly budget, not a bare local cost of living — actual spending still varies with lifestyle and location within a country.
Sources: livingcost.org · World Bank Household Consumption Price Level Index · Independent nomad cost estimates
Internet in Paraguay
Paraguay provides dependable fiber internet in Asunción with decent upload capacity, though performance drops when traveling into remote rural zones.
Download speed
146.9 Mbps
Upload speed
90.7 Mbps
Latency
37.4 ms
Blends download speed (Ookla Speedtest Global Index) with upload speed and latency (Cloudflare Radar). Speeds are scored between 10 Mbps (0) and 200 Mbps (100); latency counts the opposite way — lower is better. A missing metric doesn't penalize a country, it's scored on whatever data is available.
A national average — city and neighbourhood speeds vary, especially outside major hubs.
Get an eSIM for arrival →Sources: Ookla Speedtest Global Index · Cloudflare Radar
Safety in Paraguay
Paraguay is moderately safe by South American standards, with petty theft the main concern in Asunción; Ciudad del Este, on the border with Brazil and Argentina, carries a notably higher risk of smuggling-related crime than the rest of the country.
Global safety rank
#83 of 190
Peace Index score
1.882 (lower = safer)
WJP Rule of Law rank
#88 of 143
WJP Rule of Law score
0.69 (higher = safer)
Gallup Law & Order rank
#77 of 119
Gallup Law & Order score
73 (higher = safer)
Blends three published safety indices: the Global Peace Index, the WJP Rule of Law Index (Order & Security factor), and the Gallup Global Law and Order Index. Places the Global Peace Index doesn't cover use our own estimate, based on regional peers and crime data. Each is rescaled 0-100 and combined with weights favoring GPI and Gallup slightly over WJP. Not every country is tracked by all three — the blend adjusts to whichever are available (weights are renormalized) rather than penalizing a country for a missing source, though a country tracked by fewer sources carries lower confidence.
As this is national average data, be aware that safety varies significantly by city and region within a country.
Get nomad insurance →Sources: Global Peace Index (Institute for Economics & Peace) · WJP Rule of Law Index (World Justice Project) · Gallup Global Law and Order Index
Tourism & infrastructure in Paraguay
Paraguay's appeal is more bureaucratic than scenic — an easy path to residency draws nomads more than sightseers, and there's genuinely little tourist infrastructure beyond low-key Asunción. This is a country better suited to handling paperwork affordably than exploring extensively.
Happiness rank
#57 of 147
Tourism development rank
#90 of 119
English Proficiency Index
531.0 (43 out of 106)
Within-city transit
Limited
Between-city transit
Moderate
Subtropical; hot, humid summers and mild winters; seasons reversed.
Best months: May–Sep
Paraguay's transit is bus-based and basic. Asunción's aging city bus fleet is slowly modernising but remains crowded and slow, with no metro or passenger rail. Intercity coaches connect the main towns affordably. Most middle-class residents drive, ride-hailing (Bolt, Uber) is available, and the compact centre of Asunción is walkable.
A weighted blend of published indices: the World Economic Forum's Travel & Tourism Development Index (weighted highest — the strongest predictor of appeal), Numbeo's Quality of Life Index, the World Happiness Report, Gallup's day-to-day enjoyment data, the EF English Proficiency Index, and a public transit assessment covering both within-city and between-city transport. Not every country is scored on all six — the blend adjusts to whichever are available rather than penalizing a country for a missing one.
Sources: WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index · Numbeo Quality of Life Index · World Happiness Report · Gallup · EF English Proficiency Index · Public transit assessment
Paraguay visa and entry rules for digital nomads
Tourist entry — USA passport
Visa-free — 90 days
Tourism Visa Note
Even though visa-free, proof of onward/return travel is commonly requested by both the airline at check-in and immigration on arrival — don't rely on a one-way ticket alone. If you're arriving from (or transiting more than 12 hours through) a yellow-fever-risk country, you may also be asked for a yellow fever vaccination certificate, even though it's not required for travelers arriving directly from Canada/USA/UK/EU.
Working remotely in Paraguay on tourist entry
Work of any kind, including remote work, is permitted only with a standard work visa, according to EY's July 2026 global guide. Source
Staying longer
A further 90 days can be requested from the Paraguayan immigration department. Source
Digital nomad visa
No dedicated digital-nomad route
Other long-stay options
Temporary Residency, Permanent Residency
Visa and entry requirements can change. Check the latest information from official government sources before travelling; eligibility, documents and permitted activities depend on your nationality and personal circumstances.
Tax & residency in Paraguay
Tax-residency timing
No fixed day threshold identified in the personal-income tax rules reviewed
How the day count works
Paraguay personal-income tax is primarily territorial; income sourcing turns on where activities are performed and where goods or rights are used, rather than a general day-count threshold.
Other residency triggers
No separate personal-income-tax residence trigger was established in the current source review; residence or domicile can still matter for particular categories of income and treaty claims.
Remote work before residence
May be taxable. Personal services performed in Paraguay are generally Paraguay-source, even when the client is abroad; treaty terms and the activity's legal classification can affect the result.
If you become tax resident
Personal income tax is generally territorial, covering Paraguay-source personal-service and capital income; specified foreign-source income may be treated differently under the law.
What this usually means for nomads
A short stay alone may not establish tax residence, but income source still matters. Services physically performed in Paraguay may be taxable there even when the client is abroad. Local business activity, how services are used and any applicable treaty can affect the result.
Tax rules can change and depend on your residency status, income structure, time spent in the country and applicable tax treaties. This information is general only and is not financial or tax advice. Consult a qualified tax professional before relying on it.
Top cities for nomads in Paraguay
Asunción has the best infrastructure and most of the small nomad scene. Encarnación is a relaxed riverside city with beaches and a well-known carnival, and Ciudad del Este is a busy border trading city with a higher crime risk.
Capital & largest; best infra & amenities, very low CoL, hot; most of the nomad scene.
Riverside 'Pearl of the South'; beaches, promenade, famous carnival, relaxed.
Bustling tri-border commercial city; shopping hub, gritty, cheap.
Artsy cobblestone town by Lake Ypacaraí; ceramics, cafes, weekend escape.
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