Bolivia is the cheaper of the two — around €28 a day against €70 — but price is rarely the whole decision. Here is how they compare on everything that actually settles it: what a day costs, how safe each rates, when to go, and what each one is genuinely good at.
Bolivia is around €28 a day. Costa Rica is around €70. That is two and a half times, and it is the difference between a trip you can extend on a whim and a trip you budget carefully. Bolivia is one of the cheapest countries in the Americas; Costa Rica is one of the most expensive, and both facts are structural rather than seasonal.
Costa Rica's prices are what ecotourism costs when it works: park fees, guides, lodges built to a standard, and an infrastructure that assumes visitors. You are paying for the 25% of the country that is protected, and for how easy it is to reach.
La Paz and the Uyuni salt flats sit above 3,600 m. That is high enough that the first two days are genuinely uncomfortable for most people — headaches, broken sleep, no appetite — and high enough that it needs to be planned for rather than absorbed. Nobody warns you loudly enough about this.
Costa Rica's version of the same problem is heat and humidity at sea level, which is exhausting in a different way but does not require acclimatisation. If you have limited days and cannot afford to lose two of them, that alone can decide it.
Costa Rica rates 78/100 and Bolivia 60, and this is the one axis where the gap is large enough to change plans. Bolivia's issues are the ordinary ones amplified — petty theft, unregulated transport, protests that close roads with little notice — rather than danger to visitors as such. It rewards travellers who are comfortable improvising and punishes tight itineraries.
Costa Rica is at its best in winter and spring; Bolivia in spring and autumn. Between them they cover most of the year, so if your dates are fixed the choice may already be made for you. Uyuni is the exception worth knowing: the mirror effect that everyone goes for needs water on the flats, which means the wet months, which are the ones most other advice tells you to avoid.
| 🇧🇴 Bolivia | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily cost | ~€28 | ~€70 |
| Safety score | 60/100 | 78/100 |
| Best time to go | Spring, Autumn | Winter, Spring |
| Climate | Dry, Tropical | Tropical |
| Best for | Adventure, Nature, Culture | Nature, Adventure, Beaches |
| Suits | Solo travellers, Couples, Groups of friends | Couples, Groups of friends, Families, Solo travellers |
| Budget level | Budget | Mid-range |
The safety scores are general indicators, last reviewed in August 2026. They are not travel advice: conditions change, and official advisories often flag specific regions rather than whole countries. Check your own government’s advice before you book.
On-the-ground spending only — flights aren't included, and they often matter more than the daily rate.
| Trip length | Bolivia | Costa Rica | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| A long weekend (3 days) | ~€84 | ~€210 | €126 |
| One week | ~€196 | ~€490 | €294 |
| Two weeks | ~€392 | ~€980 | €588 |
🇧🇴 Bolivia. Uyuni Salt Flats' mirror sky, Amazon basin, witches' markets in La Paz and the world at 3,600m.
🇨🇷 Costa Rica. Rainforest zip-lines, sea turtle nesting beaches and 25% of the country protected as national park.