In this guide
For the weekly shop in Caaguazú, pick a supermarket on your side of Route PY02 or on your way home, and keep a neighbourhood supermarket or corner store for topping up bread, milk and vegetables. Before you fill the trolley, check which day your card has a discount, and look over your receipt before you leave.
A store on PY02 or in your barrio?
The city of Caaguazú sits on Route PY02, 180 km from Asunción and 144 km from Ciudad del Este (opens in a new tab), and is also linked by routes 8 and 13 (opens in a new tab). Many people live here while working elsewhere in the department, because the city has health care, schools and infrastructure (Infonegocios, 2025 (opens in a new tab)). So the weekly shop often happens on the way home from work.
- Big shop: a store on the highway or near the centre, with parking and a good chilled section. If you drive, choose one on your side of PY02 so you don't have to cross with a full boot.
- Mid-week top-ups: your local shop, whether in Centro, Ciudad Nueva, Villa Industrial, San Roque or Centenario (Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)), keeps you off the highway at rush hour.
- On foot or by bike: the PY02 widening added bike lanes and seven pedestrian footbridges (opens in a new tab) in the urban area. Use them to cross with your bags.
What to buy at the supermarket and what elsewhere
Caaguazú department is Paraguay's top cassava (mandioca) producer and second for sugar cane (opens in a new tab). Mandioca, corn and seasonal vegetables are often best bought fresh from a market stall, a neighbourhood stand or straight from a grower; leave the pantry staples, cleaning products, dairy and packaged goods for the supermarket.
- Compare price per kilo or litre, not per pack.
- On promotions, the sign must show the previous price, the discount percentage and the current price (opens in a new tab). If something's missing, ask before paying.
- Prices must be shown with taxes included (opens in a new tab) (Ley 1334, art. 10).
When to go in the heat
In Caaguazú, highs reach about 42 °C in summer and lows about 0 °C in winter (opens in a new tab). In summer:
- Shop in the morning or late afternoon.
- Pick up meat, dairy and frozen food last and keep a cool box in the car if you have other errands.
- Buy fruit and vegetables for a few days at a time and top up locally.
Paying and using promotions
QR is now the usual way to pay at the supermarket: in April 2026, 35% of QR transactions on the Bancard network were at supermarkets (opens in a new tab). Still carry some cash for market stalls and corner stores.
Bank discounts depend on the day and the card. Before the big shop, check your bank's app for which day and which chain your discount applies to, whether there's a monthly cap and which products are excluded. If your usual store has no deal with your bank, it can pay to move the big shop to another day or store.
What if the till charges a different price?
The consumer agency Sedeco advises asking the store manager first to honour the shelf price; if they won't, photograph the price tag and the invoice and file a complaint on Sedeco's website (opens in a new tab). So:
- Check your receipt before leaving.
- Always take an invoice (factura): every sale must be invoiced (opens in a new tab).
Quick list before you go
- Choose a main store for the week and a backup near work.
- Split your list into "supermarket" (pantry, cleaning, dairy) and "market" (mandioca, fruit, vegetables).
- Keep reusable bags and a cool box in the car.
FAQ
Where are the supermarkets in Caaguazú?
For the big shop, pick one with parking on your side of PY02; for top-ups, use the shop in your barrio.
What should I do if the till charges more than the shelf price?
Ask the manager first. If it isn't corrected, photograph the price tag and the invoice and file a complaint on Sedeco's website.
Do supermarkets in Caaguazú accept QR payments?
QR now accounts for 68.1% of electronic payments in Paraguay, and supermarkets handle 35% of those transactions. Check at the till anyway and carry some cash for market stalls.
