How walkable is Cochabamba?
By Oscar Higson-Spence. Updated
Cochabamba has a walkability score of 48 out of 100 across the 5 km around its centre, which makes it car-dependent: most errands require a car. Its centre scores 98, and open map data lists fewer everyday places away from the centre here, so the score is likely an underestimate. It is the 2nd most walkable of the 3 cities ranked in Bolivia.
What's within walking distance of the centre
1,243 shops, restaurants, parks and other everyday places are mapped within a 30 minute walk of central Cochabamba. The nearest grocery is about 4 minutes away on foot. It earns full or nearly full points for groceries, restaurants & bars, shopping, coffee, parks, schools, books & libraries and culture & entertainment.
Groceries
- Multicarnes, 7 min
- Hipermaxi, 11 min
Restaurants & bars
- Montenegro Restaurante, 1 min
- Mikuna, 2 min
Shopping
- Oros.SantaCruz, 1 min
- Eterna Primavera Creacion Floristeria y Arte, 1 min
Coffee
- asturia cafe, 3 min
- Toc Toc Cafe, 3 min
Banks
- Banco Mercantil Santa Cruz, 12 min
- Banco Union, 12 min
Parks
- Parque Queru Queru, 5 min
- Plaza Nataniel Aguirre, 5 min
Schools
- La Barcarola Preschool, 10 min
- Nanitas Centro de Cuidados Infantiles, 14 min
Books & libraries
- Biblioteca Facultad de Teología UCB Cochabamba, 8 min
- Librería Galindo, 14 min
Culture & entertainment
- Karaoke Applause, 7 min
- Night Song Karaoke, 9 min
Measured from the centre at -17.3781, -66.1576, the point near Cochabamba's middle with the most places in walking range. Walking times assume 80 m per minute along an estimated street route.
Street layout
Within 800 m of the centre there are about 137 street intersections per km², and blocks average 86 m long. That is a well-connected street grid, so the score is not reduced.
How far walkability reaches
Cochabamba's score of 48 is the average across the 5 km around its centre, the point with the most everyday places within a walk. Walkability averages 92 within 1 km of the centre, 62 from 1 to 3 km out and 32 from 3 to 5 km out. 11 of the 91 points within 5 km fall on water or on land without streets, such as hillsides, forest or farmland, and are left out, so the score describes only the built-up part. 25% of the sampled area scores 70 or more, where most errands can be done on foot. Walkability falls off steeply away from the centre, so check a specific address on the map.
- 90+
- 70–89
- 50–69
- 25–49
- 0–24
Each hexagon is the score at a point, 1 km from its neighbours, across the 5 km around central Cochabamba. Rings mark 1, 3 and 5 km from the centre. Gaps are water or land without streets.
| Area | Score | Scoring 70+ |
|---|---|---|
| Centre | 98 | 100% |
| Within 1 km | 92 | 100% |
| 1 to 3 km out | 62 | 45% |
| 3 to 5 km out | 32 | 0% |
Nearby cities
| City | Distance | Score |
|---|---|---|
| La Paz, Bolivia | 234 km | 43 |
| Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia | 319 km | 68 |
| Arequipa, Peru | 583 km | 53 |
| Cusco, Peru | 756 km | 28 |
Questions about walking in Cochabamba
Is Cochabamba a walkable city?
Its centre is, but most of the area around it is not. Cochabamba has a walkability score of 48 out of 100 across the 5 km around its centre, which makes it car-dependent: most errands require a car. Its centre scores 98. Open map data lists fewer everyday places away from the centre in some cities, so scores there may be underestimates. The score covers about 80 km² around the busiest point rather than the whole city, and suburbs further out are usually less walkable, so check a specific address on the map. It ranks 2nd of 3 cities in Bolivia and joint 617th of 690 worldwide on How Walkable.
What is the most walkable city in Bolivia?
Santa Cruz de la Sierra is the most walkable of the 3 cities ranked in Bolivia, with a score of 68. Cochabamba ranks 2nd with 48.
How does Cochabamba compare with nearby cities?
Cochabamba sits between its nearest ranked neighbours: it scores 48, against La Paz (43, 234 km away), Santa Cruz de la Sierra (68, 319 km away) and Arequipa (53, 583 km away).
Which part of Cochabamba is most walkable?
Cochabamba's most walkable area is its centre, the point near the middle of the city with the most places in walking range, which scores 98. Walkability averages 92 within 1 km of it. Beyond 2.5 km, it holds up best to the south (averaging 60) and falls most to the north-east (15).
How is Cochabamba's walkability score calculated?
For Cochabamba it is the average of 80 points spaced 1 km apart within 5 km of its busiest point, leaving out water and land without streets; 20 of them score 70 or more. Each point counts groceries, restaurants, shops, cafés, banks, parks, schools, libraries and cultural venues within a 30 minute walk, gives nearer places more weight, and loses up to 20% where streets are sparse or blocks are long, using open map data from Overture Maps (release 2026-09-23.1) and OpenStreetMap. It measures what is within a walk, not what the walk is like: pavements, traffic, safety, hills and heat are not part of the score.
This page is generated from open map data with a published walkability method, explained in the methodology. Places from Overture Maps release 2026-09-23.1. City position and population from GeoNames.
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