Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Bolivia instead of California, you would:

Economy

be 41.8% less likely to be unemployed

In California, 5.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Bolivia, that number is 3.0% as of 2025.

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be 3.8 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In California, 11.7% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Bolivia, however, that number is 44.7% as of 2025.

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make 93.9% less money

California has a GDP per capita of $84,028 as of 2024, while in Bolivia, the GDP per capita is $5,148 as of 2025.

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Basic Needs

be 13.9% less likely to have internet access

In California, approximately 92.6% of the population has internet access as of 2023. In Bolivia, about 79.7% do as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2024–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024). How we calculate this

Compare further: California vs. Bolivia

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Bolivia is 80.3% cheaper than California
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Size Comparison · See true size
California is about 2.7 times smaller than Bolivia.
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Moving from California to Bolivia · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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Bolivia: At a glance

Bolivia is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 1,083,301 sq km. Bolivia, named after independence fighter Simon BOLIVAR, broke away from Spanish rule in 1825; much of its subsequent history has consisted of a series of nearly 200 coups and countercoups. Democratic civilian rule was established in 1982, but leaders have faced difficult problems of deep-seated poverty, social unrest, and illegal drug production. In December 2005, Bolivians elected Movement Toward Socialism leader Evo MORALES president - by the widest margin of any leader since the restoration of civilian rule in 1982 - after he ran on a promise to change the country's traditional political class and empower the nation's poor, indigenous majority. In December 2009, President MORALES easily won reelection, and his party took control of the legislative branch of the government, which will allow him to continue his process of change. In October 2011, the country held its first judicial elections to select judges for the four highest courts.
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How big is Bolivia compared to California? See an in-depth size comparison.

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