Currency in Bolivia: what to use and how to exchange

Bolivia runs on cash. The boliviano is the only legal tender; you will not pay in dollars or soles for a meal, a bus ticket or a market stall. Plan on carrying enough Bs for two or three days at a time and topping up in a city, because small towns and the salt-flat route have few working machines.

The exchange rate has moved since mid-2026, when the boliviano was allowed to float. Published rates now sit somewhere around Bs 9.7–12.6 per US$1, and the official and street rates are no longer the same thing. Treat any single number as a snapshot: check the rate on the day you change money, and change in small amounts rather than all at once.

Where to change. Casas de cambio in La Paz (around Avenida 16 de Julio and the centre) and in Sucre give the best rates for US$100 notes. Banks are slower and want ID and paperwork. Airport counters are convenient but usually the weakest rate. Hotels change money at a poor rate; use them only for a small emergency amount.

What notes to bring. US dollars are the easiest foreign currency to change. Bring clean, unmarked, untorn $100 bills — Bolivian money changers inspect them closely and reject anything with a stamp, a tear or heavy creasing. Small US$ notes and other currencies (euros, pounds) get a worse rate or are refused outside the main cities.

Cards and ATMs. Visa and Mastercard work in hotels, larger supermarkets, some restaurants and tour agencies in La Paz, Sucre and Santa Cruz. Elsewhere, expect cash only. ATMs exist in the main cities and in Uyuni, but withdrawal limits are low, fees are charged per withdrawal, and machines run out of cash on weekends and holidays. Take several cards from different networks and a backup of cash.

Paying for tours. Uyuni salt-flat tours, Death Road rides and Amazon trips are often quoted in US dollars but paid in bolivianos in cash, or by card with a surcharge. Confirm the currency and the payment method when you book, and keep the receipt.

Tipping and small change. Round up taxi fares, leave about 10% in tourist restaurants, and tip Uyuni drivers and cooks. Keep a stock of Bs 5, 10 and 20 notes; nobody has change for Bs 100 in a market.

Carry a money belt or an inside pocket in La Paz markets and on buses, and split your cash between two places. Count your change at market stalls and in taxis; short-changing is common enough to check every time.

Do not accept torn or heavily marked boliviano notes — shops and drivers will hand them back. Ask for replacements on the spot.

Prices in tourist areas are sometimes quoted in dollars. Ask for the boliviano price and compare before you agree; the conversion the seller uses is rarely in your favour.

If a card is declined, it is usually the bank's fraud block, not the machine. Tell your bank you are travelling, and keep a second card from a different network.

For the rest of the trip budget, see the country budget page; for what things cost day to day, see travel costs.