What budget for activities and outings Bolivia?

Most of the treks can be done without a guide, but we strongly recommend that you hire the services of a qualified guide. It would be a pity to get lost in the mountains at an altitude of 4 500 m... The nights are polar cold!

Some examples of prices: a local guide will ask you about 200 Bs the day, count about 400 Bs all included for a descent in mountain bike of the Death Road, 40 US$ for the descents in tyrolienne, 250 US$ for 3 days of trek all included (guide, meals, nights, etc.), about 200 US$ for a circuit 4 days and 3 nights in the South-Lipez and 700 US$ to climb Illimani at the sides of guides certified by the IVBV-UIAGM-IFMGA

The country is not really a shopper's paradise, however you will find some modern shopping malls in La Paz and Santa Cruz. Bolivia's markets are among the most fascinating in South America and the local handicrafts (textiles, alpaca clothing, tanning, jewellery, etc.) are well worth a look.

Local shows (dance, theater, concerts, peñas. ..) are generally very affordable. Please note: very few establishments (bars, clubs, peñas) accept payment cards.

What budget to eat Bolivia?

Eating in the markets. Throughout the country, the mercados often have a comedor where you can enjoy local menus for nothing! For lunch, they often offer an almuerzo formula consisting of a soup and a main course for a handful of bolivianos (between 10 and 20 Bs the menu).

The restaurants. Almost all restaurants offer almuerzo lunch packages at low prices, with soup and a main course for the smaller restaurants (around 40 Bs), plus salad bar, desserts and drinks for the better ones (up to 70 Bs). Prices for a la carte dishes vary greatly depending on the choice of restaurant. The cost of a dinner is generally higher than lunch. And, with a few exceptions, the prices charged by good restaurants are not prohibitive

Prices for espresso or cappuccino in the big cities are slightly cheaper than in France. Prices are much lower in street stalls or some small shops.

What is the budget for accommodation Bolivia?

Bolivia's hotels are not the most glorious in the world (most of the bathrooms, even in "5-star" hotels - often corresponding to international 2 or 3-star hotels - are old), but they are gradually improving. From 25 US$ for a double room, you can find decent hotels (mainly in Sucre but also in La Paz, Cochabamba, Potosí and Tarija). The "hostales", small family-run hotels, offer the best value for money, with dormitories from 10 US$. Even the luxury hotels are not very expensive compared to international prices (between 50 US$ and 100 US$ for a double room), so it is not a bad idea to treat yourself for 1 or 2 nights after a long journey in the Salar of Uyuni and the South-Lípez.

Bolivia has all the usual range of hotels in the big cities. In the countryside, it is more difficult to find medium category establishments, although places like the Yungas, Lake Titicaca, Uyuni and the Jesuit missions of Chiquitos have a certain tourist infrastructure... This progress dates from the last fifteen years. Moreover, the situation tends to improve with the development of certain regions and the construction, slow but sure, of asphalted roads (one of the main problems of the country).

Outside the cities, during a 4x4 excursion in the South-Lípez or in the park of Sajama, you will find without problem in the villages a bed for the night in a refuge. Prices are modest (from 5 US$ per person in non-touristy places, 5 to 10 US$ in more touristic places) but, of course, expect a basic comfort (hot shower quite rare, common toilets, sometimes dormitories of 6 beds to share).

Travel budget Bolivia and cost of living

Standard of living. Since 2014, thanks to President Morales, the minimum wage is about Bs 1,440 per month, or about US$ 207, a sudden increase of more than 20% while the salary was regularly capped at around Bs 1,000. We will have understood that life is not expensive in Bolivia but that the population is not very rich. We can travel at a lower cost by eating local (10-15 Bs a menu in a market), by travelling with rudimentary buses (hardly more than 80 Bs for 20 hours of bus between La Paz and Rurrenabaque) and by sleeping as we can (camping if possible, dormitory most of the time). A small bottle of water costs 4 or 5 Bs in the street; a salchipapa (sausage/fries) or a hamburger no more than 6 or 7 Bs, still in the street. For a hairdresser, count between 25 and 50 Bs for a haircut. For a taxi, hardly more than 10 to 15 Bs the race... An excellent restaurant, however, does not charge more than 90 Bs per dish, which is about 10 €, which is quite reasonable! Domestic flights, with BoA or Amaszonas, are also very accessible (from 50 US$ in general). You can count your money every day to spend as little as possible, or have the luxury of a little splurge from time to time, because life is really cheap in Bolivia for a European. Please try not to grumble for nothing and especially not to haggle like a madman for 2 €!

Budget. For about the equivalent of 35 € per day, without counting the internal transport, you can enjoy good quality accommodation and epicurean food in the big cities. In the countryside, this budget can be considerably reduced.

Small budget: about 22 € per day and per person including one night in a youth hostel, meals taken on the go (market, kiosks...) and local bus trips.

Average budget: 35-60 € per day and per person, including a night in a hotel with private sanitary facilities and hot water, meals in restaurants, more comfortable buses, possibly one or two domestic flights and all-inclusive stays in the Amazon (for example)

Big budget: 65-110 € per day per person, including one night in an international hotel, excellent restaurants, private transfers and domestic flights, plus possible all-inclusive stays here and there

Tipping. It is normally already included in the bill, but there is nothing to stop you from thanking for good service or special attention... It is a habit that has been lost little by little, but it is still useful to "congratulate" those who make an effort and deserve it. You will be rewarded with a beautiful smile, be sure, and you will participate in improving the image of the French tourist who is always a little too close to his money.

Merchanting (pedir rebaja). "Rebájame Casero (or Casera)! This expression is used to establish a relationship of trust with the merchant, while asking for a discount. Bargaining is part of the Bolivian way of life, but discounts rarely exceed 25% of the original price. However, do not try to devalue the price of local handicrafts since their survival depends on it. The right price is also a sign of safety and quality, especially on an excursion. A few years ago, many North American "researchers" bought J'alqa (the best fabrics in Bolivia) at US$5 a piece, because the peasant women did not know the real value of their products. In fact, these pieces were worth a hundred times more. The Americans in question have dedicated a museum to them in San Diego. Moreover, J'alqa fabrics almost disappeared forever from Bolivian culture, as the women of the region needed to have earlier models to ensure the continuation of their production. While in other Latin American countries, haggling is part of the way of life, it is used much more sparingly in Bolivia. If it can appear as a game, it is necessary to remember that paying a fair price (certainly difficult to define) is a question of survival for the native and of respect for the visitor towards his hosts.

Taxes. Since your final destination is outside the European Union, you can benefit from Duty Free (tax-free purchases). Note that if you have a stopover in the European Union, you will benefit from this in all airports on the outbound journey, but not on the return. For example, for an outbound flight with a stopover, you will be able to do Duty Free shopping in all three airports, but not in the airport where you are staying on the return journey