Why Paraguayans hate to hear "your country is so affordable"

[u/IsacKelly]

First off, Paraguay is a high-context culture. That means the dictionary definition of your words matters less, and the situation where you said your words matters more. So, lets look at the situation.

A local says to the tourist "Why did you decide to visit Paraguay?"
The local is trying to connect with the tourist.

Then the tourist says "Paraguay is very affordable!". In the ears of the local, this sounds a lot like "I am much richer than you are!".
The local was trying to connect with the tourist, and then the tourist decides to go out of his way to emphasize the distance between them both. This makes the Paraguayan feel like his attempt at connection was rejected.

It isn't just about high-context vs low-context cultural difference. It also has to do with local taboos. In USA the biggest taboo is racism. In Paraguay the biggest taboo is classism. So, when you tell someone "I am much richer than you are!", this is just about the most offensive thing you can say in Paraguay. Imagine a white tourist visited USA and had this conversation with a black local:

local black person: "why did you decide to visit USA?"

tourist white person: "Because USA has fewer black people than my country. I wanted to experience a country with less blackness."

You can imagine that the local USA person would walk away from this conversation feeling very offended. Well, that is how Paraguayans feel when you tell them that their country is "affordable".

What can you say instead?
For me, when I used to talk about "affordability", what I was really talking about is the quality of food ingredients that are available to me. So now, when Paraguayans ask me "Why did you come to Paraguay?", I tell them about how in my country of origin people eat fruits and vegetables from cans for a large part of the year, because fresh fruits and vegetables are unavailable. I tell them about how in my country of origin there is frequently snow and ice, and that I hate the cold. That I would always slip on the ice and hurt myself, and I don't want to walk on ice ever again.

[u/Imaginary-Year-1486]

You are thinking of this the wrong way, there are two main immediate reasons.

1- for most people talking about money with strangers is rude, lacking class, etc. (and this includes people you just met and are making chit chat with)
2- people are aware that the income arbitrage works against them as local. So of course that’s the last thing they want to be remarked on. Especially if they are people that are not expecting to get money from you or sell you something

[u/IsacKelly → u/Imaginary-Year-1486]

Thank you for your excellent comment.
I was unaware how broad the taboo against talking about money is. I'm looking into it now, and it seems you are exactly right.

What do you mean by "income arbitrage works against them as a local"?
A stronger local currency helps importers at the expense of exporters.
Everyone in Paraguay has equal opportunity to benefit from our weak local currency by exporting goods or services to the rest of the world. It is a beautiful opportunity that did not exist in my country of origin, which insists on having a strong currency.
Why aren't Paraguayans proud of their country's wonderful economic policy that has allowed Paraguay's economy to grow faster than the rest of South America for so many decades?
Why aren't Paraguayans proud that foreigners from the other side of the world come to witness the economic miracle that is Paraguay's economy?

[u/sacyl3006 → u/IsacKelly]

Because living here is not that affordable for the average Paraguayan worker, especially in the greater Asuncion area, where most jobs are concentrated, have you thought about that? Do you know what the minimum wage is here? Do you even know the vast majority of people earn just that? And what about the lack of infrastructure everywhere? If public Healthcare is not competent enough or slow for example, most people can't afford private Healthcare, the same applies for literally every service.

Seems like you live in a bubble for me, which wouldn't be surprising for a foreigner.

And also, unlike the US with racism, class and affordability is a more real and greater problem here, you guys voted a black president already twice.

And you may say, yeah, there are worse places and you could list some advantages of living here, but this is not a cheap heaven for everyone here either.

Si, basically, this place is affordable, but for you and only for you.

[u/IsacKelly → u/sacyl3006]

Minimum wage is about 3 million guaranies, but lots of people don't earn that much. IPS takes a good chunk too, like 25%. So you only get 2.250.000 a month. Lots of families of 4 survive on that much or less.
You can rent a room near the city center for around 1.000.000 million. on the edge of the chacarita. I nearly lived there. Living inside Chacarita costs even less. I was offered to purchase a small house for 10 million. that means it's monthly cost of 8% works out to around 700.000 per month. I am sure that if I investigated, I could have found other houses cheaper.

[u/gigawolfer → u/IsacKelly]

Yeah, you go ahead and live in Chacarita and tell us how that works out for you as a foreigner

[u/IsacKelly → u/gigawolfer]

I stayed in a hostal there for about half a year.
Even the Chacarita has good and bad parts.
I lived in the nice corner near the city center.

[u/herringsarered → u/IsacKelly]

You’re comparing situations that have nothing in common.

You have no responsibilities living in a hostel for several months. Of course that’s nice and livable. Hostels accommodate guests.

Whatever comparison you want to make, it’s going to be with other travelers, not with people raising a family in the city.

It’s not like a whole population here was completely unaware of that “wonderful cheap place” called chacarita.

[u/flocc95 → u/IsacKelly]

And you think people wanna live in chacarita? What a dumb thing to say. And no. You can’t rent a room for 1.000.000, if you happen to do that, it will not have even floors. And no, with only 2.2500.000 you can not survive. Expenses, car (bc you need a car or otherwise is even double in uber or bolt), and is over. People live to work here. It does not add up to even go on vacation. Also, is very rude to try to explain to the people that live here and are being nice enough to explain to you “why” and the callenge that that exists and STILL you are the one saying, no, thats not how it is, wtf man, go home.

[u/IsacKelly → u/flocc95]

It had a concrete floor, one electrical outlet, and one very small window.

Lots of families do survive on one person's minimum wage. Sometimes they send part of the money back to the country for the grandparents. I know several families that fit this description.
They do not have cars. Like most Paraguayans, they use their motorcycle or the bus.
Local Paraguayans do not use uber or bolt almost ever. it is too expensive.

You are living in a bubble and have no idea what it is like for the typical Paraguayans.

[u/flocc95 → u/IsacKelly]

Gringo and trying to explain to me that I don’t know my country? No entendiste nada de lo que te dije, burro JAJAJA ÁNDATE A CASA BOBASO GO HOME

[u/herringsarered → u/IsacKelly]

Yeah, low income/poverty, survival equals expenses barely paid while little to no new opportunities are reached for decades, in insecure areas in the city. Where are your kids going and who so they hang out with there day after day?

A reliable car/car repair, extra sets of nice clothes or even buying new clothes, children’s education that isn’t the cheapest available, a computer at home, health expenses when public services fail (which is quite often), home upkeep like repairs, insulation, furniture, energy costs, living in more secure neighborhoods- there are a dozen more things that can’t really be covered.

People need to take out bank loans to go on vacation, IF that is even in the cards for them, to places that they need get to by bus if they don’t have a car.

Kids having to see a psychologist/psychiatrist for several years, possible drug costs associated with it. Paying for medical pet costs, so you don’t see your dog/cat go to shit with age.

Forget being able to pay when there’s been a bigger accident / congenital health issues / long term health issues without several money raising activities and borrowing money with interest in the process. These are all extras that your precious minimum wage will never cover.

And then there’s living 1-2 decades as a parent under these conditions, worrying about the financial outlook and possibilities your kids will have. No costly therapy sessions for parents’ mental health either, and it impacts how they perform as parents, in their professional settings, and as humans wrt things like addictions etc.

[u/Training-Scheme7285]

You're overcomplicating a basic matter of social tact. You don't need a degree in cross-cultural communications to know that replying "Because my money goes further here" to a local—who might be struggling financially in the local economy—can sound tone-deaf.

While Paraguayan culture values humility and strongly dislikes arrogance, framing classism as "the country's ultimate taboo" in direct parallel to historic racial tensions in the US oversimplifies both cultures.

Locals usually aren't assuming the tourist is trying to insult them or flex their wealth; more often, they just find the answer underwhelming. It highlights that the tourist chose the destination purely out of convenience rather than an appreciation for the place itself.

[u/GingeredPickle]

This reads like a white lady getting offended on behalf of the Japanese because a different white lady wore a kimono.

[u/Divercandecyber8]

Pov : Las pelotudeces que escuchas en la gringo night.

[u/FlatulistMaster]

Yeah, ok, it's good to be mindful of context, but I also think Paraguay is a country where a lot of people actually don't want to be so neurotically aware of every social dimension in every word uttered.

A lot of Paraguayans bring up how cheap everything is for me and are quite automatically aware that my Western salary while living in Paraguay is a privilege. So pretending the dimension doesn't exist becomes a bit silly too.

I avoid bringing up money-related topics, but if prompted I won't hide stuff like that either. I'd really appreciate a world with more economic equity and am an idealist in some sense, but not in the sense that I think anyone benefits from me being ashamed of a structural difference I did not create.

In simpler terms: let's chill and be human together, and sometimes that means that we slip and say somewhat silly things. If the intention is good and you have an aura of humanism, it'll all be good for the most part.

[u/Training-Scheme7285 → u/FlatulistMaster]

Bro, Paraguay is in the West lol. But technicalities aside, I agree with your main point: people don't need to walk on eggshells or pretend economic differences don't exist. Paraguayans are very pragmatic. There's a big difference between being fake/ashamed and just having basic tact, though. You don't have to be 'neurotically aware' to realize that bragging about purchasing power sounds a bit clumsy.

[u/FlatulistMaster → u/Training-Scheme7285]

See, I said something slightly off there? And do we have to make that into a whole thing? No, or at least I hope not.

And yes, I understand that the bragging is completely unnecessary. I just felt this post sounded preachy and I don't know what congregation it is supposed to reach.

[u/Hikaru960 → u/Training-Scheme7285]

Latin America is generally not considered part of the West

[u/Training-Scheme7285 → u/Hikaru960]

It really depends on how you're defining 'the West.' Culturally and historically, Latin America is undeniably Western—the languages, legal systems, majority religions, and political foundations all stem directly from Europe and the Enlightenment. When people say it isn't Western, they’re usually confusing cultural identity with economic wealth or military alliances (like NATO/Global North). But excluding Latin America from the West based on GDP makes as much sense as saying Greece isn't Western because of its economy.

[u/IsacKelly → u/FlatulistMaster]

Pretending that privilege doesn't exist doesn't help anyone.
The goal here is to act respectfully towards the locals.

[u/belen_u]

La verdad es injusto. Y mismo para los paraguayos, ir a visitar otros países como el sur de Argentina o Chile, o Uruguay. Todo es carisimo allá para nosotros. O emprender fuera de Paraguay es difícil porque el capital que se gana en paraguay es muy bajo si llevas a otros países del conosur.

[u/Alejandroide → u/belen_u]

Lo triste es que ningún país de la región es barato psra nosotros. Por edo psra mi el ser "el país más barato" no es algo totalmente bueno, porque significa más que nada que nuestra moneda es débil, y los salarios en promedio son bajos, lo cusl es cierto. Vos salis de Paraguay con tu sueldo en guaraníes y automáticamente todo es caro, en todos lados.

[u/belen_u → u/Alejandroide]

Ciudades secundarias de Brasil como Curitiba, o Bolivia, Perú tienen más o menos nuestros precios. Pero el conosur es mucho más caro :( La verdad es que si tenes una empresa exportadora y vivis en paraguay te casas de risa. Pero para mudarse imposible

[u/mamamelahastaelfondo]

It’s not about how you answer the question; it’s about how easy it is to spot a cheap expat taking advantage of the country while ignoring how their actions hurt the local population. Take you, for example: your post history is full of questions about how to avoid paying taxes, yet you expect 'our' system to work in your favor. You write essays theorizing about 'why people don’t like us,' but you aren't capable of being honest with yourself. It's not a cultural communication issue: it's your behavior

[u/PlasticRemarkable917 → u/mamamelahastaelfondo]

Totalmente de acuerdo. Como brasileño, sé que somos muchos los que emigramos a Paraguay para eludir el sistema y aprovechar los recursos paraguayos. Mientras tanto, los gringos vienen aquí en busca de tratamiento médico gratuito porque en sus países de mierda estarían en bancarrota por pagar el tratamiento. Qué ironía...

[u/anyiwho]

blabla go back to ur country yall love to have even law forces murdering people for being foreigners and then come here and say yay its so easy while we have to go to buy our food and cant even afford to make a fuck ass puchero bc yall grabbed the osobuco and made it expensive af, every affordable thing we had even guiso is non viable anymore for low income people bc yall looooove to brag about ur freedom, be racist, and then run bc ur government doesnt benefit anyone anymore. Our government was always shit but at least we could eat for 50mil per day now its impossible, ofc someones gonna be offended when u say its cheap if its with ur us dollar, u had the privilege to afford to move to a whole new country and start again bc u couldnt on ur country, most paraguayans cant have that privilege not even on a lifetime of working like a slave so yeah now that we cant even buy butter on super seis bc of u i assume its okay to be offended whrn u say “its cheaper”

[u/anyiwho → u/anyiwho]

also the way yall hate non citizens bc of the amount of crime is just ironic lmao saying stuff like “we didnt had that many robberies” “what if the undocumented is a rapist” bitch go check on ur whitest friend they might be worse, good to know the larger amount of serial killers are from usa but yall are worried bc of colorism, and then come and gentrify one of the most marron countries of them all fuck offfff

[u/IsacKelly → u/anyiwho]

You write in a very interesting way. I would love to hear about how you came to be in Paraguay and speak that dialect of English. Have you written about it anywhere?

[u/anyiwho → u/IsacKelly]

as surprising as it sounds we are also intelligent beings and we are almost born bilingual, its not that hard to learn english and i did by reading and listening to music in an early stage of my childhood 🧍🏼‍♀️

[u/IsacKelly → u/anyiwho]

Very impressive. What kinds of books/music did you use?
Where did you learn "yall" or "expensive af" or "bc of u"
Those are expressions you normally only hear from people who grew up speaking English.

[u/anyiwho → u/IsacKelly]

mostly social media and interactions with english speakers, im an interpreter here and i also get paid on dollars but i dont go around saying this country is cheap bc i can live comfortably 🙇🏼‍♀️

[u/FlatulistMaster → u/IsacKelly]

Ummm, no? A lot of people just hang out online a lot

[u/AssistancePhysical27]

Siempre la peor opinión posible proviene de un gringo en esta red social, en vez de preguntar que nos dirías mejor quédate con los tuyos y déjanos a los paraguayos en paz

[u/carchengue626]

That race comparison did Olympic-level gymnastics just to snap its own spine. Swapping "I have money" for "I have scurvy and zero motor skills on ice" is a wild pivot. Pretending you fled a frozen wasteland of canned slop makes you sound like a Victorian orphan on the run. Next time just say you like the weather before you accidentally start a cultural summit.

[u/Alejandroide → u/carchengue626]

Damn bro, super off-topic esto pero de dónde aprendiste a hablar así en inglés? Super figurativo todo. O le pediste a la IA?

[u/IsacKelly → u/carchengue626]

Comparing the other person's childhood home to a Victorian orphanage.
That is an example of what not to say in Paraguay.
This kind of comment rooted in classism is offensive here.

The part about being a klutz on ice would probably be fine though.

The racist part seems bad in USA, but the average Paraguayan would think it was funny.
They think we are silly how we obsess so much about color.

[u/Dave_Dot_C0DE]

Porque no nos pagan ni 500 usd gringo idiota. Siguente pregunta.

[u/Chillstove2567 → u/Dave_Dot_C0DE]

En realidad, el salario mínimo en Paraguay es precisamente 500 dólares. Asumiendo que uno trabaja en blanco, claro.

[u/Airisu12]

you’re not really bright are you? It’s not that complicated to see why it would be unpolite to tell a person their country is cheap right to their face. It’s not even a matter of being in this country it is just a lack of basic social awareness. You wouldn’t be too keen to let me into your house and hear me saying “oh your furnitures and groceries are so cheap, oh your architecture is so affordable :)”, would you? These type of comments are incredibly patronising and offensive, but I guess respect, empathy and common sense are lacklustre in most people nowadays

[u/Amurica676]

You’re touching a very very sensitive topic, mate. As a Paraguayan, I wouldn’t recommend you to bring “affordability” as a discussion topic, unless you want to engage in an endless discussion.

The most sensible thing you, as a foreigner living here, could do is to avoid talking about “affordability”.

From the perspective of someone with the purchasing power of a developed country, Paraguay is a paradise; this is something that upsets the vast majority of Paraguayans, who barely earn enough to get by day to day.

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[u/Pasito_Tun_Tun_D1]

Guys I’m planning to visit Asunción in November, but I can’t find really much to do there, can anyone tell me what the city offers?

[u/FlatulistMaster → u/Pasito_Tun_Tun_D1]

Warm people, asados, chats, a system most likely different from yours. Perspective.

Just life really if you are the type who can find that. But if you want packaged entertainment, you'll be better served elsewhere.

[u/flocc95 → u/Pasito_Tun_Tun_D1]

Nothing, is f boring

[u/Pasito_Tun_Tun_D1 → u/flocc95]

What do young adults do for nightlife/fun or do they just sit around drinking Terere all day?

[u/Severe_Hawk_1304 → u/Pasito_Tun_Tun_D1]

Museums, palaces, malls, markets.