Last Updated on February 14, 2025
Finding affordable houses to buy in Bolivia is easier than you might expect. You can find homes for around $20,000, or even $10,000, that have the potential to appreciate significantly in value over the coming years. The Bolivian real estate market is generally stable and profitable, so you can find numerous small apartments for these prices without excessive effort.
To buy affordable houses in Bolivia (e.g., homes for $10,000 or with discounts of up to 30%), you have the following options: 1) purchase one-bedroom apartment units; 2) buy newly developed land with a small house on it; 3) invest in multi-family building projects; 4) buy houses in foreclosure; and 5) combine these methods.
Drawing on our experience in real estate, and as Bolivians who live in this country and assist many people in this field (see our Bolivian real estate website), we can show you the best ways to purchase the most affordable properties available in the Bolivian real estate market, maximizing the potential return on your investment.
The 5 Best Ways to Buy Affordable Houses in Bolivia
Below are the five best methods we’ve found in our country for purchasing the most affordable houses and real estate properties, whether for residential or investment purposes.

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1) Buy Tiny, One-Bedroom Apartment Units
In Bolivia’s major cities, it’s common to find very small apartments for sale, ranging in size from 400 sq ft to 500 sq ft, even in the most exclusive neighborhoods. These apartments are typically located within multi-family buildings or high-rises and tend to have sale prices between $20,000 and $30,000.
They typically rent for $100-$250 per month, making them an attractive starting investment that provides consistent cash flow for both Bolivian and foreign landlords.
These apartments generally consist of one bedroom, a small kitchen, a bathroom, and a living room – that’s it. They’re designed for students or individuals living alone, but they don’t lack the amenities you’d expect in a modern high-rise located in the city center.
2) Buy Newly Developed Land and Build a Small House
Another popular way to acquire an affordable house in Bolivia is to purchase recently developed land lots on the outskirts of major cities, near rural areas, and construct a small home of around 600 sq ft for living or renting. The land lot, combined with the construction of the small house, will typically cost between $10,000 and $30,000.
These properties can be rented for $30 to $50 per month, *and the tenant is usually responsible for maintaining this often remotely located house*, which helps prevent potential illegal occupations and squatting.
Bolivians often invest in this manner, expecting the property value to increase fivefold or tenfold over the next 10 to 15 years. It’s common to see land purchased for $10,000 a decade ago now appraised at $30,000 to $40,000. However, this method carries risks. Sometimes, *squatters, or even neighboring landowners, may attempt to claim your land through illegal means*.

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This is why, whenever you purchase new land in Bolivia, you should construct a small dwelling on it *so you can rent it to a tenant who will also care for the property*. This will help you avoid potential illegal occupations and squatting.
Remember, whenever you rent a house in Bolivia, you must execute a public deed for the rental to prevent the tenant from potentially claiming ownership illegally.
3) Buy into Multi-Family Building Projects
You can also save significantly by investing in a pre-construction apartment within a condo building or high-rise project. Construction companies in Bolivia often need to raise capital for their projects, so they typically sell apartments during the project phase at substantial discounts, up to 25% or 30% off the finished value.

This means, for example, that if you purchase an apartment projected to have a sales price of $50,000 upon completion, you could buy it during the project phase, before construction, for only $35,000, securing a 30% discount.
However, you’ll need to wait one or two years for the apartment to be built. But once completed, you’ll be able to rent it for $300 to $400 per month, providing a significant return on your $35,000 investment.
4) Buy Houses Undergoing Foreclosure
Many houses in Bolivia also enter foreclosure proceedings due to the owners’ inability to pay their mortgages. These houses can be purchased by anyone, regardless of whether they are Bolivian or foreign, with a discount of up to 20%. By law, *this is the maximum discount* allowed when purchasing a house in this situation.
For instance, if you wish to buy a house at auction from a foreclosure process with an appraised value of $100,000, you could acquire it for as low as $80,000, but no less (a 20% discount).
Keep in mind that to purchase a house this way, you’ll need to pay the full price in cash; bank loans are not permitted. Additionally, to gain the right to participate in the auction, you’ll need to make an upfront payment of 20% of the property’s value. For comprehensive information on buying a house in foreclosure in Bolivia, please consult our dedicated guide written in Spanish (Translated: Link).

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5) Combine the Above Methods
The most effective approach, whenever feasible, is to combine the methods described above. For example, you could:
- Purchase a tiny, one-bedroom apartment that’s still in the pre-construction project phase. This allows you to acquire property in Bolivia with a relatively small capital investment and benefit from a discount for investing in the building project. For instance, you could purchase a one-bedroom apartment worth $25,000 upon completion for only $18,000.
- Purchase a newly developed land lot on the city’s outskirts that’s in foreclosure. You could buy this land lot without any existing structures and then construct a small house for a tenant, or you could purchase a property with an existing home. For example, if this property has a market price of $15,000, you could acquire it for just $12,000 (a 20% discount).
We have a detailed guide on finding houses for sale in Bolivia, allowing you to apply the methods described above, available here: How to find houses for sale in Bolivia? All the ways and risks.
Precautions When Buying an Affordable House in Bolivia
The process of buying affordable houses in Bolivia comes with significant risks. Purchasing inexpensive property in our country has unique dangers not present when buying standard or high-end properties. These risks include:
- Risk of squatting and illegal occupations when purchasing new land lots on the outskirts of the city. Precaution: Always construct a small dwelling on the newly acquired land so it can be occupied by a tenant, who will deter potential issues through their presence.
- The new land may be overpriced. Some real estate development companies might inflate the price of the land they’re selling, creating the illusion of a bargain when it’s actually overpriced. Precaution: Conduct thorough research on land lots in the surrounding area to determine realistic property prices. Also, engage a professional appraiser to obtain an accurate market value assessment.
- Potential for a tenant with malicious intentions to attempt to seize your property. Precaution: Always execute a public deed for the rental agreement, never solely a private contract or verbal agreement. As the landlord, you have significant assets at stake, and creating a public deed will cost you less than $50.
- Some multi-family building projects may never be completed or may experience significant delays, exceeding three or five years. Precaution: Only invest in real estate developers with a proven track record in Bolivia, who have successfully completed numerous high-rise and multi-family building projects.
- The government may retain your initial payment for the auction. Remember, this upfront payment is 20% of the house’s value in the foreclosure process. Precaution: Do not enter a house auction unless you have the funds to pay the full price in one installment. If you make the initial 20% payment and subsequently win the auction but fail to purchase the house, the government may retain the upfront payment.
- The house in foreclosure may be overvalued. Some appraisal experts might assign a higher value to the house than it warrants, due to various factors, including insufficient expertise, corruption, or conflicts of interest. Precaution: Always engage your own appraiser to determine the property’s true value and thoroughly inspect the house undergoing foreclosure with the assistance of specialists like real estate agents, architects, and similar professionals *before considering participating in the auction*. Obtain an accurate valuation of the property in foreclosure.
Affordable Houses in Bolivia as a Real Estate Investment
As you can see, purchasing affordable houses in Bolivia represents a sound investment. For example, if you buy a new piece of land with a small home built on it, located on the outskirts of the city, for, say, $18,000, and place a tenant there to care for the property, in 10 years, this house could be worth $50,000 to $70,000.
This appreciation occurs because property values in Bolivia almost always increase. The Bolivian real estate market is typically very stable and consistently gains value. This is due to Bolivia’s rapidly growing population. In 2000, there were only 8 million Bolivians; now, in 2022, there are nearly 12 million. Additionally, many people are migrating from rural areas to major Bolivian cities.
Furthermore, for just $20,000, you can acquire a small apartment that can generate $150 to $300 per month in pure cash flow, without requiring a loan. For foreigners, it’s often easier to save $20,000, which can be strategically invested in these small properties in Bolivia. This apartment will also appreciate in value, potentially doubling in price over a decade.
Also, contrary to what some outside our country might believe, once you gain ownership of a house in Bolivia, it’s very difficult for someone to fraudulently seize it from you. The legal system here provides reasonably strong protection for homeowners. If the property has all the necessary paperwork completed and correctly executed, you can be relatively confident that your property will remain secure.
We have a comprehensive guide on investing in Bolivia, *with a strong focus on real estate*, which, in our opinion, represents the best type of investment you can make here, as opposed to businesses and companies. You can find it here: How to invest in Bolivia? The best way to do it.
Conclusions:
In this guide on buying affordable houses in Bolivia, you’ve learned that there are five effective methods to achieve this and maximize your investment.
The first method is to purchase very small apartments in the best areas of major Bolivian cities. The second is to buy newly developed land lots located far from the city center to maximize potential returns after 5 or 10 years. The third is to buy into apartment projects and secure discounts of up to 30%. The fourth is to purchase houses in foreclosure, obtaining discounts of up to 20%. And the final method is to combine these approaches.

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You’ve also realized that there are significant risks associated with buying affordable houses in Bolivia, such as the possibility of purchasing overvalued properties, squatting, malicious tenants attempting to seize your land, unfinished or significantly delayed real estate projects, and the potential loss of your initial payment in a house auction. However, you’ve also learned precautions to mitigate each of these risks.
Finally, you’ve understood that purchasing affordable houses in Bolivia is an excellent investment, and many Bolivians do so to invest, save, and preserve their wealth. You can also do this with proper guidance and assistance, starting with an investment as low as $10,000.
We hope this information has been helpful. If you’d like to learn more about buying a house in Bolivia, including all the steps, risks, and regulations, please visit our dedicated guide: How to buy a house in Bolivia? All the risks and steps.
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