What budget to travel Bolivia? Money and currency

What budget for activities and outings Bolivia?

Most of the treks can be completed without a guide, but we strongly recommend that you enlist the services of a qualified guide. It would be a shame to get lost in the mountains at around 4,500 m altitude... Nights are polar cold!

A few examples of prices: a local guide will charge you around 200 Bs a day, count around 400 Bs all-inclusive for a mountain bike descent of the Death Road, 40 US$ for zip-line descents, 250 US$ for a 3-day trek all-inclusive (guide, meals, overnight stays, etc.), around 200 US$ for a 4-day, 3-night tour of Southern Lípez and 700 US$ to climb Illimani alongside IVBV-UIAGM-IFMGA-certified guides.

The country isn't exactly a shopper's paradise, but you'll find a few 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, jewelry, etc.) are well worth a closer 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 out in the markets. Throughout the country, mercados often have a comedor where you can enjoy local menus for next to nothing! For lunch, they often offer an almuerzo formula consisting of soup and a main course for a handful of bolivianos (between 10 and 20 Bs per menu).

Restaurants. Virtually all restaurants offer lunchtime almuerzo formulas at attractive prices, with soup and main course for the smaller restaurants (around Bs 40), plus salad bar, desserts and drinks for the better restaurants (up to Bs 70). A la carte prices vary enormously according to the choice of restaurant. The cost of dinner is generally higher than that of lunch. And, with a few exceptions, the prices charged by good restaurants are not prohibitive.

Prices for an espresso or cappuccino in the big city chains are slightly lower than in France. Prices are considerably lower in street stalls and some small shops.

What is the budget for accommodation Bolivia?

Bolivia's hotels are not the most luxurious in the world (most bathrooms, even in so-called "5-star" hotels, often correspond to international 3-star hotels), but they are gradually improving and are not expensive. From US$25 for a double room, you can find decent hotels (mainly in Sucre, but also in La Paz, Cochabamba, Potosí and Tarija).

Hostales", small family-run hotels with a friendly atmosphere, generally offer good value for money, with dormitories from US$10 and double rooms from US$20. But they are not heated.

Hotels at around US$40-50 are charming, and have appreciable heating at 4,000 m at night!

Luxury hotels are not very expensive (between 80 US$ and 100 US$ for a double room), so it's not a bad idea to treat yourself to 1 or 2 nights after a long tour of the Salar d'Uyuni and Sud-Lípez.

In the countryside, it's harder to find mid-range and luxury establishments, although places like the Yungas, Lake Titicaca, Uyuni and the Jesuit missions of Chiquitos offer all price ranges. On a 4x4 excursion to Southern Lípez or Sajama Park, you'll have no trouble finding a bed for the night in a refuge in the villages. Prices are modest (US$5 to US$10 in the more touristy areas) but, of course, you can expect basic comfort (hot shower is rare, dormitory or private room without heating).

Travel budget Bolivia and cost of living

Plane. The average price of a return flight from Paris to La Paz is €1,200. A flight to Santa Cruz de la Sierra costs slightly less. Domestic flights, with BoA or Amaszonas, are also very affordable (from US$50 to US$100 for La Paz-Uyuni). Please try not to haggle over €2. For you, it's nothing, but for a cholita at a market, it's two days' food for your family.

Standard of living. In 2014, President Morales raised the minimum wage by 20% to Bs1,440 a month, or around US$207. Since then, the country's good economic performance has enabled it to be increased to Bs 2,362 in 2023. Although in 2024 it was reduced to 2,250 Bs due to the new economic crisis, the overall evolution remains spectacular. As you can see, living in Bolivia is not expensive, but the population is not very wealthy. You can therefore travel more cheaply by eating locally (10-15 Bs in a market), 30-60&nbSp;BS in a local restaurant. Travelling by rudimentary bus costs very little, but choose the more luxurious ones for reasons of comfort and above all safety, as Bolivian roads are dangerous. To sleep, 10 euros per person is the minimum, comfort is 20 euros per person, luxury from 35 euros. For a cab, no more than 10 to 20 Bs a ride... An excellent restaurant charges no more than 90 Bs per dish, i.e. around €10, which is quite reasonable!

Budget. Small budget: around €22 per day per person, including one night in a youth hostel, meals on the go (market, bouis-bouis...) and local bus or minibus trips.

Average budget: €35-60 per day per person, including one night in a hotel with private bathroom and hot water, meals in restaurants, more comfortable tourist 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 a night in an international standard hotel, excellent restaurants, private transfers and domestic flights, plus possible all-inclusive stays here and there.

Tipping. It's normally already included in the bill, but there's nothing to stop you thanking someone for good service or special attention... It's a habit we've gradually lost, but it's still very useful when it comes to "congratulating" those who make the effort and deserve it. You'll be rewarded with a beautiful smile, you can be sure, and you'll be helping to improve the image of the French tourist who's always a little too close to his pennies.

Merchandising (pedir rebaja). "Rebájame Casero (or Casera)! "This expression is used to establish a relationship of trust with the shopkeeper, while asking for a discount. Bargaining is part of the Bolivian way of life, but discounts rarely exceed 25% of the original price. However, don't try to undercut the price of local crafts, as 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 (Bolivia's finest fabrics) at US$5 a piece, because the peasant women didn't know the real value of their products. In fact, they were worth a hundred times more. The Americans in question have dedicated a museum to them in San Diego. What's more, J'alqa fabrics almost disappeared forever from Bolivian culture, as the women of the region needed to have access to earlier models to ensure their continued production. While in other Latin American countries, haggling is part of the way of life, in Bolivia it is used much more sparingly. While it may seem like a game, it's worth remembering that paying a fair price (admittedly difficult to define) is a matter of survival for the local people and respect for the visitor's hosts.

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