Encarnación vs Cali
In short
Calculated from the figures below, with no overall “who wins” score.
Rent
✓in Encarnación cheaper — −74%
Family budget
≈ about equal≈ $634₲3,732,432 and ≈ $623COP 2,046,552 per month
Internet
≈ about equal≈ $16–25₲95–150k and ≈ $19–23COP 60,900–75,900 per month
In numbers
Exchange rate as of the date each figure was checked.
House or apartment rent
per month✓Encarnación≈ $255–373₲1.5–2.2Mcheaper by 74%Cali≈ $434–1,980COP 1,425k – 6.5MFamily groceries
per month✓Encarnación≈ $280₲1,650,472cheaper by 7%Cali≈ $301COP 989,488Family budget
per monthalmost equalEncarnación≈ $634₲3,732,432Cali≈ $623COP 2,046,552Internet
per monthalmost equalEncarnación≈ $16–25₲95–150kCali≈ $19–23COP 60,900–75,900Winter
averageEncarnación16 °C16 °CCali19–29 °C19–29 °CPrecipitation
per yearEncarnación1,760 mm1,760 mmCali1,485 mm1,485 mmReady-made house
purchase✓Encarnación$85–160k$85–160kcheaper by 35%Cali≈ $131–243kCOP 430–800M
By topic
A quick look at each city. Details and sources are on the city page.
Housing
Encarnación
A two-room apartment in the Centro area, three blocks from the Costanera, is PYG 1.5 million; by the river in Ribera Bolik it is 2.2 million. New buildings on the waterfront start at 4 million.
SpecialistInfoCasas: two-bedroom 3 blocks from the Costanera, 1,500,000 guaraníes per month · checked 30 Sep 2026
A new 3-bedroom house in Cambyretá is $85k, in San Pedro $89k, and right by the waterfront in San Isidro $160k. In the expensive part of Cambyretá, up to $264k.
SpecialistInfoCasas: new 105 m² house with a pool in Cambyretá, $84,900 · checked 30 Sep 2026
A 384–440 m² plot on the outskirts (Ita Paso, La Esperanza) is PYG 115–180 million; in Quiteria on paved road, 330 million. In the centre, 500 m² is $110k.
SpecialistViaParaguay: 384 m² plot in Ita Paso, 200 m from Ruta 1, 115,000,000 guaraníes · checked 30 Sep 2026
Cali
A three-bedroom by listings: in stratum 4 in the south the median is 1.4 million pesos a month (about 430 dollars, 65 m²), in stratum 6 it is 6.5 million (about 1,940 dollars, 210 m²).
SpecialistFincaraíz: three-bedroom apartments for rent in Cali · checked 6 Oct 2026
A resale three-bedroom by listings: from 155 million to 1.5 billion pesos, half within 430-800 million. New three-bedroom units sell from 220 million to 1.6 billion.
SpecialistFincaraíz: three-bedroom apartments for sale in Cali · checked 6 Oct 2026
Money and prices
Encarnación
The minimum food basket in the country’s cities is PYG 412,618 per person, about 1.65 million for a family of four, roughly $280. There is no figure for the city itself.
SpecialistABC Color: INE data on monetary poverty for 2025, cost of baskets · checked 30 Sep 2026
The INE poverty line is PYG 933,108 per person, for a family of four 3.73 million a month without rent. With a two-room apartment in Centro (1.5–2.2 million) it comes to 5.2–5.9 million.
SpecialistABC Color: INE data on monetary poverty for 2025, cost of baskets · checked 30 Sep 2026
The price gap with Posadas is shrinking: the guaraní has strengthened from 7,800 to 5,900 per dollar, and merchants call sales sluggish. The advantage remains for some goods.
SpecialistFM 89.3: in Encarnación Argentines spend less, according to the head of the chamber of commerce · checked 30 Sep 2026
Cali
The DANE minimum food basket for Cali is 247,372 pesos per person a month, about 989 thousand (296 dollars) for a family of four. Figures for 2025.
OfficialDANE: monetary poverty 2025, presentation of results with poverty lines by city · checked 6 Oct 2026
A family of four in Cali counts as poor with income below 2.05 million pesos a month, about 610 dollars (2025). Average income is 1.58 million per person.
OfficialDANE: monetary poverty 2025, presentation of results with poverty lines by city · checked 6 Oct 2026
Family and kids
Encarnación
There are private schools in the city (Bautista, Divina Esperanza, Riogrande), but no prices for them. Nationally the typical level is PYG 0.9–1.5 million a month. Few are bilingual.
SpecialistRDN: private education in Paraguay, segments by size of monthly fee · checked 30 Sep 2026
Cali
Nothing yet
Healthcare
Encarnación
Since July 2025 specialised care in Itapúa has moved to the new Hospital General de Itapúa, and there is also the private Sanatorio Itapúa. The most complex cases go to Asunción.
SpecialistABC Color: Hospital Regional de Encarnación reduces intake after the opening of Hospital General de Itapúa · checked 30 Sep 2026
Cali
Fundación Valle del Lili in Cali is Colombia's best hospital in the Newsweek ranking for the fifth year in a row; 126th in the world list of 2026 out of 2,530 assessed.
SpecialistConsultorSalud: which Colombian hospitals are in the World's Best Hospitals 2026 ranking · checked 6 Oct 2026
Transport
Encarnación
The bus to Asunción takes 4–7.5 hours, a ticket is PYG 120–150k ($20–25), about 16 departures a day. Night departures take about 5 hours.
SpecialistCheckMyBus: Encarnación - Asunción buses, travel time and number of departures · checked 30 Sep 2026
There are no scheduled flights from Encarnación. The nearest working airport is in Posadas across the bridge; from 1 November 2026 JetSMART flies from there to Buenos Aires from $66.
SpecialistAviacionline: with no flights in Encarnación, JetSMART urges Itapúa residents to fly from Posadas · checked 30 Sep 2026
The bridge is open around the clock. On weekdays the queue is 30–60 minutes, at weekends 2 hours or more. The train takes 8 minutes, a ticket is PYG 18,000, the bus 17,000.
SpecialistMisiones Online: how long the crossing from Posadas to Encarnación takes, joint border control · checked 30 Sep 2026
Cali
In 2025 about 6.4 million passengers passed through Cali airport, 1.2 million of them international. Since September 2025 it has been run by the state agency Aerocivil.
OfficialAerocivil, open data: commercial air traffic by origin-destination, 2020-2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026
Climate
Encarnación
July is the coldest: on average 16.2 degrees, about 22 by day and about 10 at night. Frosts are rare, but the station record is minus 6 degrees (June 1945).
SpecialistClimas y Viajes: climate of Encarnación, monthly averages 1991-2020 · checked 30 Sep 2026
January: on average 27 degrees, about 33 by day and about 21 at night. Heat waves above 35 occur from September to March; the station record is 42 degrees (December 2008).
SpecialistClimas y Viajes: climate of Encarnación, monthly averages 1991-2020 · checked 30 Sep 2026
About 1,760 mm a year, no dry season: the driest month, July, has 105 mm, the wettest, October, 180 mm. The daily record is 268 mm (December 1997).
SpecialistClimas y Viajes: climate of Encarnación, monthly averages 1991-2020 · checked 30 Sep 2026
Cali
There is no winter: in the coolest month, November, it averages 19 degrees at night and 28.8 during the day, in August 18.5 and 30.9. The difference between months is about 2 degrees.
OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals of Cali 1971-2000 · checked 6 Oct 2026
In the city about 1,485 mm a year and 166 rainy days. Two wet seasons, March-May and October-November; driest in July-August.
OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals of Cali 1971-2000 · checked 6 Oct 2026
Safety
Encarnación
Itapúa is fourth in the country for homicides: 46 intentional ones in January–August 2026. The outlet names Cambyretá as a risk zone. There is no data by city district.
SpecialistABC Color: stronger security in Itapúa ahead of the Mundial de Rally, Ministerio Público statistics · checked 30 Sep 2026
Cali
According to Ministry of Defense open data, Cali had 1,068 homicides in 2025 against 950 in 2024. In January-August 2026 there were 766, 17% more than in the same period of 2025.
OfficialColombian Ministry of Defense, open data: homicides by municipality (HOMICIDIO) · checked 6 Oct 2026
Internet and phone
Encarnación
Home fibre: Claro 100 Mbit/s symmetric for PYG 95k, Personal 400 Mbit/s for 150k ($16–25). Coverage is built block by block.
SpecialistClaro Paraguay: 100 Mbit/s symmetric internet, 95,000 guaraníes · checked 30 Sep 2026
Cali
Tigo sells home internet at 200-500 Mbit/s for 60,900-75,900 pesos a month (strata 1-3, VAT included). On cable the upload is only 12-15 Mbit/s, on fibre 100-250.
SpecialistTigo: terms of home plans, internet plan specifications · checked 6 Oct 2026
Services
Encarnación
Electricity is on an ANDE tariff that varies by hour: at peak hours (12–16 and 18–22) it is PYG 669 per kilowatt-hour, against the previous 404. There is no separate tariff for the city.
SpecialistABC Color: new ANDE tariff scheme, peak-hour rates 65% higher · checked 30 Sep 2026
Cooking is done on cylinder gas: a 10 kg cylinder costs PYG 110–125k ($19–21) nationwide. About half of homes cook on gas, a third on electricity.
SpecialistLa Nación: gas price to rise by an average of 500 guaraníes per kg, the 10 kg cylinder to go up to 110,000 · checked 29 Sep 2026
Water is supplied by ESSAP: PYG 1,767 per m³ up to 15 m³ plus a fixed charge of 8,236 (the general 2018 tariff). About 60% of the city is covered by water; sewerage is run by EBY, not ESSAP.
SpecialistABC Color: ESSAP head on the Encarnación municipality's lawsuit: water coverage about 60%, sewerage handled by EBY · checked 29 Sep 2026
Cali
EMCALI has one of the cheapest electricity prices in the country: 868.6 pesos per kWh for stratum 4 as of June 2026. 300 kWh a month is about 261 thousand pesos (78 dollars).
SpecialistValora Analitik: the most expensive electricity tariffs for stratum 4 in Colombia · checked 6 Oct 2026

