You have arrived in Asuncion! Welcome. Life is not difficult here, but sometimes finding useful information online, in English, is somewhat difficult. Here are some helpful hints and tips to help you settle in as quickly as possible, and enjoy living in Asuncion.
Meeting other foreigners here
There are two Facebook groups which will be useful for you to join and engage with:
This group is the largest and covers all of Paraguay (not just Asuncion). Some members regularly have a monthly meet-up in various places around Asuncion, usually on a Saturday evening in the middle of the calendar month, and occasionally meet-ups in other places around Paraguay. Various topics about living in Paraguay are regularly discussed by group members on the group Facebook page, which is more geared towards long-term expats living in Paraguay, of all ages.
This group is smaller, and focused on Asuncion (rather than Paraguay in general), and includes digital nomads living here temporarily as well as those living here as expats. Some members regularly have meet-ups in various places around Asuncion, usually on weekday evenings. Various topics about life in Asuncion are regularly discussed by group members on the group Facebook page, which is more geared towards digital nomads and a slightly younger expat crowd.
Note: There is a lot of overlap between the two groups, many people are part of both communities, both are very welcoming to new people, and you will probably benefit from joining both of them, if you want to meet other foreigners here to share (and learn from) stories and experiences.
There are several other groups (not necessarily on Facebook) which are active here, generally catering to specific nationalities or interests. There are some business-focused groups (Chambers of Commerce etc), but they are not as large or as active as you will find in many other capital cities.
Meeting other foreigners based here is probably the best, and quickest, way for you to find whatever it is you're looking for, as many of them will have already found it and know where or how to achieve whatever it is you're aiming for whilst living in Asuncion.
Meeting local Paraguayans here
You will meet local Paraguayans everywhere, and they are all very friendly and welcoming to foreigners. Spanish and Guarani are both spoken widely, so you may have some communication issues if you are not fluent in Spanish, although you will regularly meet some locals who do speak English and/or other languages.
Every time you go out to a busy bar or nightclub, you will make new friends, for sure. The most common way of staying in touch for Paraguayans you meet in nightlife venues is Instagram - if you want to stay in touch with your new friends, and learn about upcoming local events, you will need an Instagram account.
Expect the locals you meet to be genuinely interested in why you chose to come here, and genuinely willing to help you settle in. Many Paraguayans have at least one ancestor from another country, and with the heavy European and American influences on the culture here, you are likely to share some common interests, whether that's sports, music, travel experiences, or something else.
Local convenience stores
If you can, try to find a "Biggie", or "Biggie Express". It's one of the best convenience stores in the world, and gives you a great insight into Paraguayan culture.
They're not all the same - some are better than others - but generally speaking, you will find everything you could possibly want from a local convenience store, and then some. There's the usual convenience store staples - a selection of bread, canned goods, fresh vegetables, oven-ready frozen food, chocolate and candy, cigarettes - as well as a very large refrigerated beer section, a large wine selection, a selection of cheeses, a huge selection of (large) beef cuts and steaks, sausages, desserts from local high-end restaurant suppliers, and much more.
Everything you could possibly want for a sumptuous barbeque feast is here - because sumptuous barbeque feasts is what the people of Paraguay do, every week. And - the shops are open 24 hours. They will be your 24-hour best friend, when you first start living in Asuncion, and for as long as you stay here.
For a wide selection of spirits, wines, and Cuban cigars - all at relatively low prices, by international standards - head to your local "Bodega Tequila & Limon" store.
Local Supermarkets
There are many to choose from, and most of them range from "a very large shop with a big delicatessen attached to it", to "a very large delicatessen with a big shop attached to it".
Look out for SuperSeis (also called Super6), Real Supermercado, Delimarket, and various others. In many of them, the bakery section sells its produce by weight, so you can get a large tray full of whatever delicacies you like for a fixed price per kilogram, whether that's chocolate truffles or croissants.
The meat section will have some of the best, and cheapest, meat you will find anywhere in the world. The cheeses and other dairy sections in supermarkets here won't have the same wide range of options as some other countries, but the range that's here is delicious and relatively inexpensive.
You will also find a varying selection of pre-cooked food, including meats, quiches, and empanadas. You will not go hungry in Asuncion, and it will not cost you a lot to fill your stomach (and probably extend your stomach).
Every Tuesday, there is a farmers market in the basement of Mariscal Shopping (Villa Morra) where a wide range of fresh produce, grown in various parts of Paraguay, can be purchased all in one place.
Great wines from Argentina and Chile are both excellent and cheap (by international standards), and locally-made spirits (predominantly rum, gin, vodka, whiskey, and brandy) can be purchased for a fraction of the cost of other countries. Don't be put off by brands you haven't heard of - the big brands here (which you've probably never heard of) taste much better than the discount brands in other countries which you have heard of - and they are massively cheaper. Paraguayans know how to party.
It's not all perfect - don't expect to find world-class fresh seafood at low prices in an (almost) landlocked country, for example. But definitely seek out the local and regional produce - meats, dairy, vegetables, fruits, wines, beers, and spirits - you won't be disappointed with the quality, or the prices.
Nightlife & Entertainment
There are loads of nightlife options in Asuncion, spread all over the city - the difficult part is finding out what the general vibe will be at any given venue on any given day, because it does change, and it isn't easy to discover online unless you know where to look (or who to ask).
The live music scene in Asuncion is vibrant, and you will find a lot of gigs in bars and clubs. Rock music and Reggaeton are the most popular genres, as well as several options for jazz and some options for most other genres.
Generally speaking, places don't tend to get busy until around 11pm, with many places packed full from then until 3am or later. Don't expect to find lots of busy bars and pubs between 6pm and 10pm like you will in many other countries - during these hours, even on weekends, most people are either in restaurants or at home getting ready to go out. It's not uncommon to see a venue calling itself an "Irish Pub" literally empty at 9pm, and then literally packed full by 11pm...
There are far to many venues to list them all; here is a selection of places to get you started (with Facebook links), each with a different vibe from each other, and also a different vibe on different days of the week: Kilkenny, Kingfish, Negroni, Arsenal Cue.
The area around Paseo Carmelitas and the northern end of a street named "Senador Long" are good places to start for your first evenings out - they are pretty much next to each other, in Villa Morra, and have many different venues. The whole area is walkable and easy to navigate.
Asuncion has several theatres, ranging from relatively small to very large, with various performing arts, plays, musicals, and comedy. The vast majority of these are performed in Spanish, but the acting is definitely good enough for you to follow along even if you're just starting to learn Spanish - and it probably helps!
Car hire and driving
Hiring a car is relatively easy - either from the airport, or from several other locations around the city. One of them is in Shopping Del Sol, near Villa Morra. Rates generally start from around $30 USD per day.
Note that when driving, particularly outside of Asuncion, you are supposed to have your headlights on at all times, even during the day. Those are the rules, and you'll be stopped and fined if you don't have them on.
Cars drive on the right-hand-side of the road in Paraguay.
Education and Learning
In addition to the usual range of schools, colleges, and universities for traditional education, there are a wide range of privately-owned vocational schools for both adults and children, which can keep you busy whilst you're living in Asuncion, and can help you meet new people and find new friends.
The ones you will see most frequently are language schools (which often teach a variety of languages, not just Spanish), and music schools, which teach a wide range of instruments and vocals. Generally speaking, the prices for lessons here are significantly lower than you would need to pay in other countries, and the teaching quality is very high, from experienced teachers. Here's two to get you started:
For language lessons: Epoliglota (website and Facebook page)
For music lessons: School of Rock (website and Facebook page)
Sports, gyms, and outdoor recreation
There are loads of sports facilities here in Asuncion - most sports are played here, and facilities are plentiful. You often won't have to travel more than 250 meters from wherever you live before coming across a five-a-side football pitch, or a tennis court, or a park with some sports facilities in it. If you're looking for something specific, or looking for a group to join in with, start by posting in one (or both) of the Facebook groups linked to at the top of this page, or just ask people you meet.
Various live professional sports can be viewed as a spectator; tickets to a Paraguayan Premier League football game cost just a few dollars, and it's recommended to pay $12-$15 for the VIP seats (particularly if it's your first time). South American football fans are known for their passion and boisterousness, and Paraguayan football fans are no exception!
There are several golf clubs, a yacht club, a hippodrome, running tracks, all sorts. If you would like to go horse riding, you can do this near the botanical gardens, or at a wide range of places further out of Asuncion in the countryside.
There are loads of gyms, some of which are specialist training centers for specific interests, such as weightlifting, martial arts, Crossfit, etc. There are also plenty of general fitness gyms, in shopping malls, office buildings, residential areas - there are loads. Many of them will allow monthly or even daily membership, and some of them have personal trainers available at no additional cost, either for a one-off session or regular planned sessions.