| At the
opposite end of the La Paz spectrum, San Pedro also boasts many old
properties, although many of them are in quite poor condition. Ibañez
regards
the San Pedro area as the cheapest in La Paz, citing as an example
a small garzonier (studio) in an apartment building that rents for US$100
per month, commands an anticrético of US$5,000 and sells for $17,000.
And in between the Sopocachi and San Pedro extremes is Miraflores, an area
favored by lower to middle-class Bolivians.
Zona Sur
is a wealthy suburb of La Paz. Zona Sur boasts newer, larger and more
expensive houses than central La Paz, and is favored predominantly by families
of expatriates and wealthier Bolivians. Four and five-bedroom houses in
Zona Sur can rent for US$500-700 per month and a similar house can be bought
for US$80,000. Anticréticos for houses start at US$20,000-30,000
for two or three-bedroom properties.
Interestingly,
because of the high rate of new construction in Zona Sur, and because working
professionals often prefer to live in the city center rather than in the
suburbs, flats can be cheaper in Zona Sur than central La Paz. Ibañez
estimates that the cheapest anticrético available in Zona Sur, for
a 30-40m2 garzonier, is US$6,000, whereas similar properties in central
La Paz would start at US$10,000.
Prices Outside
the Capital
Prices are
significantly lower outside La Paz. For example, a one-bedroom apartment
in Santa Cruz can rent for US$80 per month, while a two-bedroom apartment
with gallery and large patio can go for US$130 per month and a three-bedroom
apartment with two bathrooms and a garage for US$170 per month. A chalet
in the California district, with three bedrooms, maid's quarters, garden
and large garage, can be rented for US$350 per month.
You can
buy a three-bedroom chalet in Santa Cruz, centrally located in the
2nd/3rd anillos (ring roads), with two bathrooms, garden and garage for
two cars, for US$47,500. If you are prepared to move out slightly further,
to the 4th/5th anillos, a similar investment will get you a four-bedroom,
three-bathroom house with patio and garage. And if location close to the
city center is not that important to you, a three-bedroom chalet in one
of the outer anillos can cost as little as US$13,000.
As for anticréticos,
US$5,500 can get you a two-bedroom apartment with a small patio right in
the center in the 1st anillo. A little further out in the 4th anillo, a
pretty, two-bedroom house with large rooms and garage can be found for
US$9,000.
As these
examples show, you can pick up a property bargain today in several
of Bolivia's major cities, and if you're staying for a year and have some
free capital, you can even live in your home rent-free.
High Dining
Cuisine
is not often mentioned as one of Bolivia’s more noteworthy points but the
food can be delicious and very inexpensive. One
of the highlights of local dining is the almuerzo or fixed lunch, which
generally consists of a starter or salad, large bowl of wholesome soup,
main course, dessert and possibly coffee. Almuerzos generally cost US$1.5-2.0
although you can find them for as little as US$0.5. After eating such a
full lunch, you may find yourself not needing to eat much in the evening
and in fact lunch is the main meal for many Bolivians. Salteñas,
mid-morning snacks of lightly spiced beef, chicken or vegetarian filling
in a pastry ball, are also a delight. Anticuchos are a La Paz night-time
specialty and consist of beef heart shish kebabs which non-vegetarians
simply should not miss.
Getting
Around
Transport inside
Bolivian cities is cheap and surprisingly efficient. Taxi rides in central
La Paz cost US$1.0. Shared taxis cost around US$0.5 and buses about half
that. Minibuses add greatly to the city’s bustling atmosphere with young
boys leaning out of the windows to shout the buses’ routes to non-readers.
Bolivia
has only a limited railway system but travelling between cities by bus
can be ludicrously cheap although fairly slow. Travel by lorry is even
cheaper although much slower and less certain regarding timings. Internal
flights are inexpensive and reliable. A single fare from La Paz to Cochabamba
costs US$40, to Santa Cruz US$90 and to Rurrenabaque (Amazon rainforest
area) US$49.
Getting
There
American Airlines
flies daily to La Paz from Miami. Return fares from Miami start from US$733
economy class and US$3,591 business class, including airport taxes. Reservations
can be made in the USA on 1 800 433 7300 and at www.aa.com.
Metropolis
Property Agent
La Paz office:
Julio Patiño (junction with calle 21), San Miguel, La Paz, Bolivia.
Telephone 591 2 772 568.
Cochabamba
office: Av. Libertador 1493, Cochabamba, Bolivia. Telephone 591 42 403
334. |
