Moving to Bolivia from Costa Rica
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Costa Rica to Bolivia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Costa Rica to Bolivia, you would find that Bolivia is 65.7% cheaper than Costa Rica overall. A CRC34,000,000 salary in Costa Rica would need to be roughly BOB299,000 in Bolivia to maintain the same lifestyle.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Bolivia cheaper than Costa Rica?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 73.4% less
Groceries
pay 67.7% less
Transportation
pay 56.6% less
Housing
pay 66.8% less
Childcare
pay 81.7% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 56.5% less
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 Bolivia?
What does your salary buy?
CRC34,000,000 → BOB299,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Bolivia
Calculate with your salary →Get free moving quotes to Bolivia
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Costa Rica to Bolivia, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Costa Rica and Bolivia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Costa Rica generally does better on safety, though Bolivia leads in homicide rate.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Bolivia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Costa Rica leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Costa Rica performs better than Bolivia across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Costa Rica generally does better on infrastructure, though Bolivia leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Costa Rica generally does better on employment & economy, though Bolivia leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Costa Rica 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), Directorate General of Taxation of Costa Rica (2016), Autoridad de Impugnación Tributaria (AIT), Bolivia (2016), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Can you move from Costa Rica to Bolivia?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Costa Rica and Bolivia. To live, work, or study long-term in Bolivia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Bolivia's immigration authority.
Costa Rica passport holder visiting Bolivia
Visa Free
Bolivia passport holder visiting Costa Rica
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Bolivia than Costa Rica?
Generally yes: Bolivia runs about 66% cheaper than Costa Rica on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Bolivia?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a CRC34,000,000 comparable salary, that's around BOB74,750 in Bolivia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Bolivia?
With 12.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Bolivia can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Costa Rica and Bolivia.
Is Bolivia safe for expats?
Costa Rica generally does better on safety, though Bolivia leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Bolivia is 4.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 17.8 in Costa Rica.
How is healthcare in Bolivia compared to Costa Rica?
Bolivia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Costa Rica leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 12.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Bolivia, compared to 26.9 in Costa Rica. Bolivia scores 65 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Costa Rica: 81).
What language do they speak in Bolivia?
The official languages in Bolivia are Aymara, Guaraní, Quechua and Spanish. In Costa Rica, the official language is Spanish.
