Cost of Living Report 2021: San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

Wondering how much you need to live comfortably in Nicaragua? This detailed report is sure to help you figure that out!

We are a Canadian couple who is based in San Juan del Sur. We have been living in Nicaragua full time since December 2011. We don’t have any children or pets.

In November of 2018 we moved into our newly constructed 2 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath home. Before that we lived in various rental homes.

We own a 2006 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. We also have 2 motorcycles.

Gordon sells real estate and I help people relocate. We also manage our friend’s Airbnb.

This report is based on our expenses for June of 2021. Our total spend for the month was $1379.01 USD.

The chart below gives an overview of our total costs by category.

For a day-by-day detailed report that lists every single purchase we made in the month click here.

RENT – $0

Before becoming homeowners in Nicaragua rent was always our biggest monthly expense.

Over the last 6 months we have seen an increase in the number of foreigners moving to San Juan del Sur. With the inventory of long term rentals depleting rental rates are on the rise.

Currently in San Juan $300 – $400 USD will get you a basic “nica-style” home without air conditioning or hot water. For a modern 3-bedroom North American style home with a pool and an ocean view you can expect to pay anywhere from $1000 to $1500 USD per month and up.

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~ This three bedroom, 2.5 bathroom home with small pool & ocean view currently rents for $1100 USD + utilities.

ELECTRICITY – $78.78 USD

Electricity bills vary drastically from household to household. We know people who have electricity bills that are as low as $15 or $20 USD per month. We also know others who are spending a few hundred dollars a month.

When it comes to electricity air conditioning use is the biggest draw. Followed by electric dryers and older appliances.

$78.78 USD was our cost for electricity consumed from May 8 – June 7, 2021. We used a total of 301 kWh during this time. This is the hottest time of year which coincides with our highest energy bill.

Our home is equipped with all new appliances with inverters. We have a gas stove and a gas hot water heater. We don’t have a dryer. All the lights in our home have LED bulbs. We do 2 – 3 loads of laundry per week using cold water. We also use cold water to wash dishes.

Most months of the year we use air conditioning in our bedroom 3 to 4 hours per night with the thermostat set at 27 degrees Celsius. In the warmer months — April through August — our air conditioning use increases to 10 to 12 hours per night.

Despite the high cost of electricity in Nicaragua we are continually impressed with how low our monthly bills are. Especially with regular air conditioning use. In the last year our bills ranged from $38.67 – $78.78 USD per month. Average per month was $57.57 USD.

INTERNET – $65.98 USD

We live in town and have internet service with Claro. It is a fiber connection and we get unlimited data at a speed of 50 Mbps. Our monthly plan costs $65.98 USD. Fiber is fairly new in San Juan and availability is limited.

Claro also offers 4G service. You can get 250 gigs of data at 5 Mbps. This package costs $27 USD per month. To connect this service you have pay $69 USD for the router.

Wifinic is an internet provider that is used in many homes outside of the city center. Their plans are on the pricier side. For 25 Mbps the monthly plan costs $184 USD.

TV – $0

We don’t have a TV in our home. Claro is one company that provides cable and satellite TV service here in San Juan. Netflix is also readily available in Nicaragua.

WATER – $9.07 USD

Water comes to our home via the city. We pay $0.45 USD per cubic meter. For homes located within a development water costs $2 – $3 USD per cubic meter and in some cases even more.

Depending on the time of year our monthly water bill averages between $10 and $20 USD. During dry season (December to May) we have to top up the water in the pool once a week. We also water our plants more often so bills end up being twice as much as they are during rainy season (June – November).

CELL PHONE – $23.12 USD

Cell phone service is incredibly inexpensive in Nicaragua. We have Pay-As-You-Go service with Tigo. We are on a plan that automatically renews weekly.

It costs $2.89 USD per week and includes the following:

• 3.5 GB of data
• Unlimited Tigo to Tigo calling minutes
• 30 text messages
• 30 multi-use minutes (Canada, US & Costa Rica)
• Free use of social media networks (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Twitter).

Aside from the low cost — what’s great about this plan — is that as long as you keep sufficient credit on your account the plan automatically renews. All data, minutes and text messages you did not use roll over and continue to accumulate.

VEHICLE & TRANSPORTATION – $83.24 USD

Except for $7.23 USD for a ticket for an expired emissions test all of our costs for vehicle and transportation this month was spent on gas.

Fuel prices have gone up over the last year. The price of gas $1.14 USD per litre. The price of diesel is $0.96 USD per litre, which is $3.63 USD per gallon.

Fare in a collectivo taxis is $0.87 USD per person. A 10 minute ride in a private taxi costs between $3 – $5 USD.

HOUSEHOLD – $25.88 USD

Our monthly household expenses are always low. The $25.88 USD we spent this month was for miscellaneous things like garden garbage bags, pool chemicals, batteries and a rosemary plant. We also tipped the garbage truck drivers to remove some bougainvillea cuttings.

GROCERIES & SNACKS – $224.88 USD

We typically spend around $320 – $350 USD per month on groceries. But since we ate a lot of meals out this month our total for groceries was less than it normally is.

Buying what’s available locally helps keep the cost of groceries down.

Fruits and vegetables that are grown here are very affordable. Those that are imported are not.

For example 1 Granny smith apple often costs more than a watermelon or pineapple. A small container of fresh strawberries (when you can find them) costs $4.33 USD.

A 400 gram bag of good coffee costs $6.65 USD. 12 eggs rings in at $2.08 USD. And a loaf of bread costs $1.82 USD.

Boneless skinless chicken breast sells for $2.66 USD per lb. Premium ground beef costs a little less at $2.54 per lb. A tenderloin filet costs $5.49 USD per lb.

Examples of items on the pricier side are:

• Almond milk (1 litre) $4.57 USD
• Whole almonds (2 lbs) $19 USD
• Natural peanut butter (8 oz) $4.20 USD

We buy most of our groceries in town at produce markets and pulperias. There are a few items (olive oil, ground beef, dry cereal, cheese, dates and almonds) that we like to buy from Pricesmart in the capital city of Managua.

For a complete guide to grocery shopping in San Juan go here.

RESTAURANT – $284.24 USD

We really enjoy cooking and eating at home when we have time. But work and socializing kept us busy this month and we found ourselves eating out more than we normally do.

Hierbabuena Restaurant & Bistro is the newest addition to San Juan’s restaurant scene. It’s the type of place we’d go for date night and to celebrate special occasions.

Here entrees range in price from $13.50 USD for a beef burger and go up as high as $40 USD for lamb chops. Churrasco steak is $17.00 USD. Bottles of wine are priced from $30 – $60 USD.

In comparison you can get a typical buffet meal (meat, beans, rice, maduro, vegetables and tajadas) with a drink at La Reina del Sur for $3.50 USD. Memo’s is still our favorite place to go for fritanga. A large plate of grilled meat (chicken, pork or beef) with gallo pinto, cabbage salad and tajadas is around $4 USD.

At the type of restaurants we usual frequent — a sit down dinner for two with a couple of drinks — costs between $15 to $25 USD.

ALCOHOL – $218.17 USD

We were out celebrating birthdays, meeting with clients and enjoying sunset happy hours with friends a lot this month. And so the amount we spent on alcohol was a bit higher than usual.

We rarely pay more than $1.50 USD for a beer at a bar or restaurant. A 5-year Flor de Caña drink costs the same. Cocktails range from $3 – $5 USD. Top shelf imported alcohol is more.

Currently at a local convenience store a 12-pack of cans of Toña costs $12.13 USD. A 750 ml bottle of 7-Year Flor de Caña will set you back $14.16 USD. Trapiche 2018 Malbec is one of our go-to wines. For a 750 ml bottle we pay $12.72 USD.

HEALTH & BEAUTY – $10.73 USD

We are fairly low maintenance when it comes to health and beauty. And so our monthly expenses in this category are generally very low. Except for the one or two times per year I splurge on a haircut and color with an expat stylist. For this service I pay just as much as I would if I were in Canada.

Pedicures in a local salon cost anywhere between $10 – $15 USD. A one-hour massage can be had for as little as $25 USD. A 10-pack of classes at Zen Yoga is $60 USD. A membership (with all classes included) at Fight Club Gym costs $30 USD.

Over the counter drugs are cheap. A 10-pack of 400 mg ibuprofen is just $1.45 USD. Loratadine allergy pills cost less than $1 USD for 10.

CLOTHING – $0

When it comes to clothing there is no shortage of tank tops and knock off Havaiana flip flops sold in San Juan. But for me finding good quality inexpensive clothing here (that fits well) is difficult. I buy 95% of my clothing outside of Nicaragua.

Gordon on the other hand is less particular than me. He has a closet full of t-shirts that he bought from Fachento, San Juan Surf and We Are Roam. And he can usually find decent quality flip flops at Good Times Surf Shop.

Most months we don’t spend anything on clothing. But when we take trips back to Canada every 1 or 2 years we can easily spend $1000 – $1200 USD or replenishing our wardrobes and footwear.

GIFTS – $67.65 USD

Our recurring monthly expenses for gifts include dog food and vet care (when needed) for our neighbor’s 4 dogs. We also pay for English classes for a 10-year old girl who used to be our neighbor.

We buy birthday and Christmas gifts for our nephews who live in Canada. And sometimes we buy an inexpensive birthday gift for friends here. Every Christmas we make gift baskets (canastas básicas) for two of our neighbors.

If you plan to help out your neighbors, support local causes and/or buy special occasion gifts don’t forget to add gifts into your budget.

ENTERTAINMENT – $26.11 USD

Beach days, sunset happy hours and evenings out for live music are some of the activities that keep us entertained. Gordon took up surfing a year ago. Once in awhile I’ll take in an art classes at The Art Warehouse. Classes including materials range in price from $8 – $15 USD. Our monthly recurring charges in this category include our premium Spotify membership and a subscription to Adobe Lightroom.

TRAVEL – $261.16 USD

Every couple of months we try to get away on a little trip somewhere in country. This month we traveled 1.5 hours North of San Juan to the area of Popoyo. We stayed two nights at Aloha Bungalows. The nightly rate for our air conditioned room was $50 USD.

On occasion when we’re craving some city life and luxury we’ll plan an overnight stay at the InterContinental Hotel in Managua. Weekend stays here are just $115 USD per night with breakfast buffet and taxes included.

The hotel restaurant has cheap and delicious sushi. We can stuff ourselves full for less than $20 USD. The VIP movie theatre is just a 10 minute drive away from the hotel. Tickets are around $10 USD.

DAY TO DAY SPENDING VS. TOTAL COST OF LIVING

Besides day to day expenses it’s also important to consider and budget for the following:

Out of Country Trips

If you plan to do any traveling after moving to Nicaragua – whether it be to your home country or elsewhere – don’t forget to add this expense into your budget.

Health Care

Gordon and I have been living in Nicaragua for almost 10 years without health insurance. To date we’ve been lucky and haven’t had any major medical emergencies.

While treatment in public hospitals — for both locals and foreigners is free — it is not to the quality standard we are accustomed to in North America. If you’re not in a position to cover the cost of emergency medical treatment at a private hospital insurance is recommended.

There are two excellent private hospitals in the capital city of Managua.

The Vivian Pellas Metropolitan Hospital and the Nicaragua Military Hospital.

Both hospitals offer discount plans that you can pay into monthly. At Vivian Pellas plans start as low as $30 USD per month with 80% discounts for various medical procedures and doctor’s visits.

A client of ours recently had surgery at the Vivian Pellas to remove 4 kidney stones. Total cost including her 1.5 day hospital stay, 2 MRIs and the surgery was $5800 USD. If she was a monthly plan member the bill would have been closer to $1200 USD.

A few months ago I had my eyes tested at Optica Matamoros. Cost of the examine was less than $3 USD. The reading glasses I bought (frames and lenses included) cost just under $100 USD. The cheapest frames they had available were $25 USD. They also had some designer frames in stock that went up in price as high as $300 USD.

Dental Care

We have an excellent dentist a 30 minute drive away in the town of Rivas. A couple months ago Gordon had a difficult impacted wisdom tooth extraction with bone graft done. Total cost for the procedure was $325 USD ($100 for the extraction and $225 USD for 3 grams of bone graft). A cleaning and dental examine here costs just $15 USD.

Vehicle Maintenance & Insurance

Vehicles are one of the things that are very expensive in Nicaragua. They do hold their value well though.

When we bought our 2006 Toyota Prado 3 1/2 years ago and paid $12 600 USD.

Insurance on the other hand is very cheap. For third party liability for our SUV we pay just $55 USD per year. Motorcycle insurance is even less at $35 USD per year.

A few months ago we had a very long list of work done to our truck. It was the first real service in nearly 4 years.

The following was some — not all of the work — that was done:

– changing of the timing belt, power steering belt & alternator belt, AC belt, etc.
– ball joint & bushings replacement
– multiple replacement parts for the suspension
– front & rear brake service
– air conditioning service & leak repair
– oil change.

Total including parts and labour was $1500 USD.

Domestic Help

Despite the fact that domestic help is very inexpensive we do our own house cleaning, gardening and pool care. Now and again we hire a cleaner to come in. A top to bottom clean of the house costs a mere $15 USD.

Current minimum monthly salary for a full time domestic worker (nanny, housekeeper, gardener, etc.) is $178 USD.

In addition to this base salary employers are required to pay a percentage to the government for the employee’s social security and health insurance plans. They are also required to pay aguinaldo (an extra month’s pay) and 4 weeks of vacation pay.

All said and done you’re looking at a total expense of around $275 USD per month per employee.

Pets

If you’re bringing four legged family member(s) with you’ll need to budget for their expenses. Regular heartworm plus flea & tick preventative is very important.

Veterinary care is incredibly inexpensive compared to what you pay in North America. A consultation with one of the top vets in the country costs less than $15 USD. A dental exam and cleaning under anesthesia starts at $75 USD.

Tourist Visa Renewal

If you are living in Nicaragua as a non-resident you have to renew your tourist visa every 90 days. Prior to COVID the cheapest and easiest way to do this is by crossing the border to Costa Rica. Cost per person for the 90 day tourist visa renewal is $24 USD.

Right now — since a negative RT PCR COVID test required to enter Nicaragua — most non-tourists are keeping their tourist visas up- to-date with monthly visits to the nearest immigration office. A one month extension costs $27 USD. After your initial 90 days and 3 subsequent 30 day extensions you will have to leave the country and return to start a new tourist visa. This turn around can be completed at the Costa Rican border in one long tedious day.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The low cost of living was one of the many reasons we chose to relocate to Nicaragua. But the reality is you can spend a little or a lot here.

There are many ways to save but at the end of the day it all comes down to what you can and can’t live without. And how you choose to live day to day.

For us we are unquestionably living a comfortable quality life here for a fraction of what we expended in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.