Moving to Bolivia from Uruguay

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Uruguay to Bolivia — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Uruguay to Bolivia, you would find that Bolivia is 63.8% cheaper than Uruguay overall. A UYU3,000,000 salary in Uruguay would need to be roughly BOB298,000 in Bolivia to maintain the same lifestyle.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Uruguay to Bolivia.

What does your salary buy?

UYU3,000,000 → BOB298,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Bolivia

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 77.9% less

Groceries

pay 60.7% less

Transportation

pay 60.9% less

Housing

pay 62.6% less

Childcare

pay 70.2% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 60.4% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 UYU = 0.2743 BOB (October 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.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Uruguay to Bolivia, and how the trend has changed.

Living there in 2020
565 ↑ 11% vs 2015

people born in Uruguay live in Bolivia · UN DESA

Who's moving to Bolivia?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Uruguay and Bolivia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

UY
11.2
BO
4.4
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

UY
13.0
BO
17.6

Uruguay generally does better on safety, though Bolivia leads in homicide rate.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

UY
$3,135
BO
$756
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

UY
46.7
BO
12.8

Bolivia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Uruguay 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

UY
16.0
BO
54.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

UY
2.6t
BO
2.3t

Uruguay generally does better on environment, though Bolivia leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

UY
33.0
BO
12.1
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

UY
12.1%
BO
0.2%

Uruguay 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

UY
7.5%
BO
3.0%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

UY
$25,216
BO
$5,148

Uruguay generally does better on employment & economy, though Bolivia leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

UY
78.3 yrs
BO
68.7 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

UY
6.2
BO
14.2

Uruguay 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), Dirección General Impositiva (2016), Autoridad de Impugnación Tributaria (AIT), Bolivia (2016). How we calculate this

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Uruguay 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.

Uruguay passport

Uruguay passport holder visiting Bolivia

Visa Free
Uruguay passport holders can enter Bolivia without a visa.
Bolivia passport

Bolivia passport holder visiting Uruguay

Visa Free
Bolivia passport holders can enter Uruguay 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 Bolivia than Uruguay?

Generally yes: Bolivia runs about 64% cheaper than Uruguay 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 UYU3,000,000 comparable salary, that's around BOB74,500 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 Uruguay and Bolivia.

Is Bolivia safe for expats?

Uruguay 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 11.2 in Uruguay.

How is healthcare in Bolivia compared to Uruguay?

Bolivia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Uruguay leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 12.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Bolivia, compared to 46.7 in Uruguay. Bolivia scores 65 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Uruguay: 82).

What language do they speak in Bolivia?

The official languages in Bolivia are Aymara, Guaraní, Quechua and Spanish. In Uruguay, the official language is Spanish.

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At a Glance

UY BO
Population 3,384,688 12,581,843
Currency Uruguayan Peso (UYU) Bolivian Boliviano (BOB)
Languages Spanish Aymara, Guaraní, Quechua, Spanish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +598 +591
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 911 110