Moving to New Zealand from Bolivia

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Bolivia to New Zealand — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Bolivia to New Zealand, you would find that New Zealand is 3.1 times more expensive than Bolivia overall. A BOB830,000 salary in Bolivia would need to be roughly NZ$427,000 in New Zealand to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.

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Is New Zealand cheaper than Bolivia?

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 3.7 times more

Groceries

pay 2.6 times more

Transportation

pay 2.6 times more

Housing

pay 3.9 times more

Childcare

pay 6.0 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.7 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 BOB = 0.1636 NZD (November 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

What salary do you need in New Zealand?

What does your salary buy?

BOB830,000 → NZ$427,000

To maintain the same standard of living in New Zealand

Calculate with your salary →

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

How many people actually move from Bolivia to New Zealand, based on official data.

Moved in 2023
21 ↓ 12% vs 2022

people moved from Bolivia to New Zealand · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to New Zealand?

Top countries of origin for New Zealand's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Bolivia to New Zealand.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

BO
4.4
NZ
1.5
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

BO
17.6
NZ
6.6

New Zealand performs significantly better than Bolivia across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

BO
$756
NZ
$5,576
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

BO
12.8
NZ
36.1

Bolivia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Zealand leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

BO
54.0
NZ
12.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

BO
2.3t
NZ
6.0t

Bolivia generally does better on environment, though New Zealand leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

BO
12.1
NZ
38.0
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

BO
0.2%
NZ
8.1%

New Zealand generally does better on infrastructure, though Bolivia leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

BO
3.0%
NZ
5.1%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

BO
$5,148
NZ
$49,591

Bolivia generally does better on employment & economy, though New Zealand leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

BO
68.7 yrs
NZ
82.0 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

BO
14.2
NZ
4.0

New Zealand generally does better on family life, though Bolivia leads in education spending.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Autoridad de Impugnación Tributaria (AIT), Bolivia (2016), New Zealand Inland Revenue Department (2016). How we calculate this

Can you move from Bolivia to New Zealand?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Bolivia and New Zealand. To live, work, or study long-term in New Zealand, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check New Zealand's immigration authority.

Bolivia passport

Bolivia passport holder visiting New Zealand

Visa Required
Bolivia passport holders need a visa to enter New Zealand.
New Zealand passport

New Zealand passport holder visiting Bolivia

Visa Free
New Zealand passport holders can enter Bolivia without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in New Zealand than Bolivia?

No — New Zealand is on average about 214% more expensive than Bolivia. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to New Zealand?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly NZ$106,750 in New Zealand on a BOB830,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).

Can I work remotely from New Zealand?

Internet is rarely the blocker — New Zealand has 38.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.

Is New Zealand safe for expats?

New Zealand performs significantly better than Bolivia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in New Zealand is 1.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 4.4 in Bolivia.

How is healthcare in New Zealand compared to Bolivia?

Bolivia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Zealand leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 36.1 doctors per 10,000 people in New Zealand, compared to 12.8 in Bolivia. New Zealand scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Bolivia: 65).

What language do they speak in New Zealand?

The official languages in New Zealand are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. In Bolivia, the official languages are Aymara, Guaraní, Quechua and Spanish.

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At a Glance

BO NZ
Population 12,581,843 5,324,700
Currency Bolivian Boliviano (BOB) New Zealand Dollar (NZ$)
Languages Aymara, Guaraní, Quechua, Spanish English, Māori, New Zealand Sign Language
Driving side Right Left
Calling code +591 +64
Time zones 1 5
Emergency number 110 111