Living in La Paz, Bolivia

La Paz is a large inland city in Bolivia (1 to 5 million people in the city proper). It has a cool climate, averaging 9°C over the year with about 598 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €2,584 a month to live centrally. For citizens from outside Mercosur and its associate states, long-term residency in Bolivia is comparatively open, with a self-funded route from about $300 a month in income.

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Est. cost: €2,584; a month for a couple
Climate: 9°C; 598 mm rain a year
Size: Large; 1 to 5 million people
Safety: 57/100; country-level
Residency: Comparatively open; outside free-movement blocs

Limited data for Bolivia. Figures for safety, healthcare, cost of living and political stability in Bolivia are country-level estimates from World Bank indicators, each named with its year. We have no tax, English, social openness or internet speed figures for Bolivia, so the quiz scores those factors conservatively and this page leaves them out.

What stands out about La Paz

Colder than 93% of the cities we track
Self-funded residency from about $300 a month in income

Residency and visas

Comparatively open, for people from outside Mercosur and its associate states. Residency runs through a specific-purpose visa that converts to renewable temporary residency, with a sufficient-means route for retirees and self-funded applicants and an open-ended investor/property route, leading to permanent residency and citizenship within a few years.

Citizens of Mercosur and its associate states have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights here.

The cheapest self-funded routes we track for Bolivia:

Income: about $300 a month (Bolivia sufficient-means/rentista residency (DS 24423 art. 37 requires foreign income sufficient for subsistence; no statutory figure, practical baseline ~USD 300/mo of demonstrable income or savings); as of June 2026)

For short visits, 52 of 198 passports can enter visa-free and 146 can get an e-visa or visa on arrival.

Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules, figures as of June 2026. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).

Climate

La Paz averages 9°C across the year with about 598 mm of rain, which makes it cool and dry. It is warmer than 7% of the 1225 cities we track.

Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.

Healthcare

Bolivia scores 53 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 8% of the cities we compare.

Source: Country-level estimate, the same for every city in Bolivia: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, 2024) and current health spending per person in US dollars (SH.XPD.CHEX.PC.CD, 2023), calibrated to the 0 to 100 scale of our reference tables. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Cost of living

We estimate a couple needs about €2,584 a month to live centrally in La Paz, 5% below the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 66% of them.

Source: OurNextCity model from the price level of GDP relative to the United States, from GDP per person in US dollars and at purchasing power parity (NY.GDP.PCAP.CD/NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD, 2025), calibrated to our country-level cost index (New York = 100) and scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Safety and stability

Bolivia scores 57 out of 100 on safety, safer than 40% of the cities we compare. Its estimated democracy score is 5.6 out of 10.

Source: Country-level estimate, the same for every city in Bolivia: country-level homicide rate per 100,000 people (VC.IHR.PSRC.P5, 2023) and Worldwide Governance Indicators Political Stability and Absence of Violence estimate (GOV_WGI_PV.EST, 2025), calibrated to the 0 to 100 scale of our reference tables (higher is safer). Stability: Worldwide Governance Indicators Voice and Accountability estimate (GOV_WGI_VA.EST, 2025), calibrated to the EIU Democracy Index scale. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Questions couples ask about La Paz

Is La Paz a good place to live for couples?

It depends on what the two of you weigh most. It is weaker on healthcare. Our figures for Bolivia are partial: no tax, English, social openness or internet speed data, and country-level World Bank estimates for the rest. Expect a cool, dry climate (9°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks La Paz and 914 other cities for both of you at once.

How much does it cost a couple to live in La Paz?

We estimate about €2,584 a month for a couple living centrally, 5% below the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from the World Bank price level of GDP for Bolivia, calibrated to our country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.

Can foreigners live in Bolivia long term?

Citizens of Mercosur and its associate states have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights. Our assessment for everyone else: comparatively open. Residency runs through a specific-purpose visa that converts to renewable temporary residency, with a sufficient-means route for retirees and self-funded applicants and an open-ended investor/property route, leading to permanent residency and citizenship within a few years. The cheapest self-funded routes we track: income, about $300 a month (as of 2026-06).

What is the weather like in La Paz?

La Paz averages 9°C across the year with about 598 mm of rain, which makes it cool and dry. It is warmer than 7% of the cities we track.