Costs Nicaragua: this is what we spend on average per day on hotels, food and transport

Nicaragua is the cheapest country in Central America to backpack through. We ended up spending an average of €59 per day, a lot less than in Costa Rica and Panama. Hotels, food and tours in particular are a lot cheaper here. Curious how we arrived at that amount and what costs we made? Read on to find out!

Currency

In Nicaragua they pay with cordobas. 1 córdoba is approximately equal to €0.026. In other words, €1 equals about C$36. The currency doesn't fluctuate much, but has become worth more in recent years. You can often also pay with USD in Nicaragua, but this is never cheaper than paying in cordobas.

Costs for hotels in Nicaragua

The costs for accommodations in Nicaragua are also a lot lower than in the neighboring countries. You can find a great hotel for somewhere between €20 and €30 per night. Booking last minute doesn't make much difference. In some places, like San Juan del Sur, hotels were actually a bit more expensive last minute.

The only catch is that you have to adjust your expectations slightly. For this price you usually get no air conditioning and no hot shower. But this is quite normal for a hotel in Nicaragua. If you do want this, you have to pay a lot more for it. So you'll soon pay around €50 for a room.

Restaurants

The price for a good meal in Nicaragua can vary from €5 to €15. Local dishes are often only a few euros. But Western meals are also very affordable in Nicaragua. A fish meal along the beach of San Juan del Sur can cost between €10 and €20. But grab a delicious burger at The Best Burger, a street further on, and you can be done for €6 per person.

TIPWhen the prices on the menu are in USD, they are always higher. So it's better to just eat at a restaurant, where the prices are listed in Cordobas.

Transport

The local buses in Nicaragua are really cheap. For a bus ride you pay between €0.75 and €2.50 per person. €0.75 is for just an hour, €2.50 if you're on the road for a few hours.

A taxi costs between €2 and €3 for short rides. For longer distances they ask for more, of course, but even then it stays affordable.

Renting a car in Nicaragua, on the other hand, is pricey. These prices are comparable to those in Costa Rica. Especially if you book last minute, you can easily pay more than €1000 for a week. It's also quite a hassle to rent a car if you're crossing to or from another country. Read more about this in our backpacking tips for Nicaragua..

Renting a scooter or motorbike in Nicaragua isn't extremely expensive, but it is compared to the other costs. You pay about €20 for 24 hours. So this is roughly equivalent to a night in a hotel or a good meal for two. 

Activities and tours

Activities and tours in Nicaragua are affordable. An activity will often cost you between €0.75 and €2.50. This can be access to a church, statue or beach. For a full tour you'll spend about €30 to €35. Think of volcano boarding on the Cerro Negro or a full day tour in and around Granada and the Masaya volcanoWhen you book through a tour operator, you get a free city walk tour in almost all cities. 

Our costs in Nicaragua

Below you can see our average costs per day in Nicaragua per person. Only the price for a private room remains the same for two.

Curious how this compares to other countries in Central America? Check out our cost overviews for Costa Rica, Guatemala and Panama.