Exploring Bolivia: A Budget-Friendly Adventure

Bolivia is known for being a cheap destination for travellers, with its low cost of living and affordable tourist activities. It is the cheapest country in South America, with a couple being able to live comfortably on $1,550 per month. The country offers a range of accommodation, from budget hotels to family-run hostels, with prices as low as $8 per night for a single room. Food is also reasonably priced, with a traditional guinea pig meal costing around $10 and a set lunch at a local restaurant costing between $2 and $3. Transport is readily available and affordable, with a 5-minute taxi ride costing $1 and a local bus ride costing $0.20. Tourist activities vary in price, with a tour of the Uyuni Salt Flats costing $25-$30, and a round of golf at the world's highest course costing $80. Overall, Bolivia is a great destination for budget-conscious travellers looking for a mix of culture, nature and adventure.

Eating out

Bolivia is a reasonably affordable destination for eating out. The average cost of food in Bolivia is $17 (or B115) per day, based on the spending habits of previous travellers. When dining out, an average meal in Bolivia should cost around $6.68 (or B46) per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner.

The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Bolivia is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices. A common meal can cost around $3, a breakfast around $2, and a dessert around $1. Tourists, however, tend to spend much more on food than natives, with an average of $15 per meal. This is because tourist places charge a lot more to foreigners. In these tourist spots, the average meal is generally around $15, which is five times the normal food price in Bolivia.

If you're looking for a cheap lunch, Bolivia has you covered. While a slightly more pleasant set lunch (soup, main, and sometimes pudding) will cost at least 12B (and up to 25B in touristy areas), you can find cheaper options. Often hidden away in corners of fruit and vegetable markets are women selling plates of food for around 5B. The quality varies from stall to stall, but it's a great budget option.

Breakfast in the traditional sense is a little hard to come by in Bolivia. Most locals have already been up for hours by the time tourists get up, so they're eating lunch at 8 a.m. Breakfast out can be expensive and mediocre, with prices of 20B or more for coffee, eggs, and bread or jam.

If you want the good stuff when it comes to coffee, head to the tourist-friendly hubs. A cup of instant coffee can be found on almost any corner for around 5B.

Accommodation

In the larger cities, you will find a broad range of options, including top-end hotels charging over Bs700 ($100) per night. In smaller towns, there is less choice, especially in the mid- and upper-price ranges, but there are usually plenty of decent budget places.

Room rates in areas popular with tourists tend to rise during the high season (July-August) and can double or treble during major fiestas. Prices in resort towns that are popular with Bolivians also increase at the weekend.

Prices vary by region: accommodation in big cities tends to be more expensive (especially in Santa Cruz), while smaller towns that attract a lot of budget travellers – such as Coroico, Copacabana, and Rurrenabaque – tend to have a good range of inexpensive places to stay.

Hotel Names

The names of different types of accommodation – hotel, hostal, residencial, and alojamiento – mean relatively little in Bolivia. Most high-end accommodation will call itself a hotel, but many basic places do the same. Smaller and cheaper hotels, also known as hostales, alojamientos, or residenciales, tend to offer simple rooms with shared bathrooms only, but they vary widely in price, cleanliness, and comfort.

Cabañas are self-contained cabins or bungalows, sometimes with kitchenettes, usually found away from big cities.

A motel is a place where unmarried couples go to have sex, and a pension is a cheap place to eat, not to stay.

Hotel Ratings

There is no standard or widely used rating system for hotels in Bolivia, so it is worth having a look around before you decide where to stay. It is usually worth asking to see a few different rooms and choosing one you like, rather than accepting the first one offered. A little haggling is also worth a try, especially if the hotel seems fairly empty or if you are in a group.

The cheapest places often charge per person, but otherwise, single rooms tend to cost as much as, or only slightly less than, double rooms. Rooms with double beds (cama matrimonial) usually cost less than those with two beds.

Facilities

Even in the coldest highland cities, heating is generally only found in the more expensive hotels. In the lowlands, heat is often a problem. All but the cheapest rooms are equipped with a fan, and many places offer air-conditioning. In the lowlands, check whether the windows of your room are screened against mosquitoes or if the bed is equipped with a net.

All but the cheapest places have hot water, but the reliability and effectiveness of water-heating systems vary. Many hotels have a strong box where you can lock up your valuables, but you should count cash carefully before handing it in and ask for a receipt. Many places will also store luggage for you, often free of charge.

Hostels and Camping

The number of hostels in Bolivia is slowly increasing, and many are affiliated with Hostelling International. Relatively few have dorms or traditional hostel facilities like communal kitchens, offering instead simple and inexpensive rooms, normally with a choice of either shared or private bathroom.

Few travellers bother camping in Bolivia, unless they are exploring the country’s wilderness areas. Outside cities and towns, however, you can usually camp for free. Be aware that in the highlands it gets extremely cold at night, while in the lowlands, mosquitoes can be a problem if your tent isn’t screened. In the rainforest, a hammock combined with a fitted mosquito net and a tarpaulin allows you to camp out pretty much anywhere.

When looking for a place to camp, it is usually okay to set up your tent in fields beyond the outskirts of settlements, but you should ask permission from the nearest house first. In wilderness areas, you can camp freely. On the more popular trekking routes, you may be asked for a small fee by local villagers.

In some national parks and other protected wilderness areas, you will find rustic shelters – albergues or refugios – where you can stay for a small fee, often in the campamentos used by park guards. Rudimentary cooking facilities and running water are usually available.

Transport

Bolivia is a large country with varied and stunning landscapes, from the Amazon rainforest in the far north to the Uyuni salt flats in the south. The country's topography and size, as well as its lack of basic infrastructure, make getting around a challenge. Most of Bolivia's road network is unpaved, and its roads are often in poor condition. However, the country does boast one of the few extensive rail networks in Latin America.

Buses

Buses (also known as "flotas" or "omnibuses") are the most popular form of land transportation in Bolivia. They are extremely good value, with tickets costing as little as $0.20 for a ride on the public bus in La Paz, or $2 per hour for a first-class public bus. Sleeper buses, which allow passengers to sleep overnight, tend to be more expensive, although they allow for savings on accommodation costs. Semi-bed buses ("semi-camas") are a mid-range option, providing a mix of comfort and affordability.

Trains

Unlike in other countries, train travel in Bolivia has always been inexpensive. Trains reach most of the country, except for the Amazon and central regions, and tickets for internal travel usually cost between $50 and $100. The Ferrocarril Andino and Ferrocarril Oriental are the two main train companies, with the former offering a picturesque service between Sucre and Potosí.

Air Travel

Air travel is a great way to save time on cross-country travel, although it is less affordable for most Bolivians. Most internal flights cost between $50 and $100. The main carrier is the state-owned Boliviana de Aviacion, although smaller operators such as Amaszonas and Transportes Aereo Militar (TAM) are also options.

Taxis, Moto-taxis and Micros

Taxis are a cheap and safe way to get around in Bolivia, with fares tending to be fixed in each city or town. Moto-taxis (motorcycles used as taxis) are most common in remote cities and towns in the lowlands, while micros (small minibuses) have almost completely replaced larger buses as the main form of urban public transport. A trip in a micro costs a couple of bolivianos or less.

Entertainment

Bolivia is a very affordable destination for entertainment and leisure activities. The cost of entertainment in Bolivia typically averages $18 (or $b126) per person, per day, and this includes entrance tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.

For example, in La Paz, you can take the Mi Teleférico cable car for a spectacular aerial view of the city for only 7 BOB per person for a return trip. A full-day guided hike near Sucre will cost you around 20 USD, and a tour of the Potosi mines is approximately 11 USD. If you're feeling adventurous, you can try the Death Road Mountain Biking experience for 45-50 USD. A city tour of La Paz as part of an organized tour costs around 8 USD, and a tour of the famous Uyuni Salt Flats ranges from 25-30 USD.

Bolivia also offers a range of free activities, such as wandering the charming streets of Sucre, a UNESCO-designated city, or exploring the outer walls of San Pedro Prison in La Paz.

When it comes to food and drinks, Bolivia offers a variety of options to suit all budgets. Traditional Bolivian food is generally considered bland, but you will find international cuisine across the country. A steak dinner at a nice restaurant costs around 15 USD, while a traditional guinea pig meal is about 10 USD. Pasta at a mid-level restaurant is reasonably priced at 6 USD. For an even cheaper option, you can try local street food like choripan (grilled chorizo in a roll with salad and hot sauce) for less than 1 USD each.

For drinks, a large bottle of water will cost you about 7 BOB, and local beers are available for around 2 USD each.

Alcohol

For example, in La Paz, local beers are very affordable, but expect to pay more in nightclubs.

A bottle of wine in Bolivia costs around $2 a pop.

Frequently asked questions