Our Nicaragua Travel Cost: Is Nicaragua Cheap?

January 23, 2025

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So you’re planning a trip to Nicaragua and want to know what things cost? I got you!

We spent five weeks in Nicaragua as part of our 6-month trip around Central America and tracked every cent we spent.

So is Nicaragua cheap? Yes, it is a very affordable travel destination compared to North America or Europe, but I don’t think it’s as cheap as everyone says.

Nicaragua sits on the mid to lower end of the Central American travel budget spectrum, and it’s certainly more affordable than Costa Rica, Belize, or Panama. However, we were surprised at how much we spent in Nicaragua, and we expected it to be much cheaper, based on everything we had heard before visiting.

Our Nicaragua travel cost averaged 5,207 NIO ($141.5 USD) per day for two people, which is 2,603 NIO ($70.8 USD) per day per person.

We’re not shoestring travellers, and our ‘budget’ is loose. We don’t stay in hostels, we will pay more for quicker and more comfortable transport when it makes sense, and we never say no to experiences. If you’re a very strict budgeter, you can definitely do Nicaragua cheaper.

I’ve divided this post into two sections. The first is an overview of average costs in Nicaragua for standard travel categories like accommodation, eating out, tours, activities, and transport. I’ll share an array of random prices to give you an idea of typical costs.

The second part is our Nicaragua budget report, with our actual expenses and daily averages for each category.

A hand holding up a spread out wad of Nicaraguan Cordoba notes, with 1,000 (green), 500 (red), 200 (orange), 100 (blue) and 50 (purple).

Table of Contents

Cost of travel in Nicaragua

If you’re planning a trip to Nicaragua, you probably want to know what it’s going to cost!

I don’t like giving an exact daily budget, because it depends on a thousand factors and is completely personal to your travel style, interests, desired level of comfort etc.

Instead, what I find more helpful is to share some actual costs for common travel expenses, to help you piece together a realistic budget for your trip, based on your preferences.

These costs were accurate at the time of writing, but in a post-pandemic world, I’m sure you know how quickly prices can change, and how much costs are rising all over the world. Nicaragua is rapidly growing in popularity, and prices rise to meet demand.

Chances are some of these costs will be outdated by the time you travel to Nicaragua, but I hope it at least gives you a helpful baseline of what to expect.

💰 The official currency of Nicaragua is the Nicaraguan Córdoba – C$ or NIO. US Dollars are also official legal tender and widely used. Read more about Nicaragua’s currency and managing your money in our Nicaragua travel guide

A close up shot of different denominations of Nicaraguan Cordobas spread across a table, there is a green, red, blue and purple note.

Our Nicaragua Travel Cost: Is Nicaragua Cheap?

Accommodation

Nicaragua has all kinds of accommodations available. Overall I’d say the country does not have as many bougie/design-forward/aesthetic hostels and hotels as say Guatemala, but there are still plenty of good options at all price points.

This is a reflection on Nicaragua’s tourism industry overall, which has been sadly stunted by political instability and the pandemic, but this is changing and a new wave of high-end accommodation is popping up all over the country.

It is a very popular backpacker destination so there are a lot of hostels. You can safely expect to find a dorm bed for $10 – $15 USD all over the country. They’re not all luxe, funky hostels but they’re pretty affordable.

If you’re a couple looking for mid-range accommodation with a private room, private bathroom and access to kitchen facilities (shared or private), you can safely find something in the range of $40 – $50 USD per night.

If you’re looking for higher-end, boutique options, the prices jump quite significantly because there are not as many options available in this tier. Along the coast, expect to pay upwards of $200 USD per night for a nice, modern, stylish hotel/surf house.

🛌 TYPICAL COSTS FOR ACCOMMODATION

*Accommodation is usually quoted and paid in USD, but for cheaper stays, it may be in Cordobas (NIO)

Dorm bed at Poco a Poco Hostel in Leon: $14 USD (515 NIO)
Private apartment with shared pool at Coco Calala in Leon: $55 USD (2,059 NIO)
Private room, shared bath at Hostel Paradiso in Laguna de Apoyo: $35 USD (1,289 NIO)
Room at the highly rated Casa Bubu Guest House in Granada: $150 USD (5,520 NIO)
Dorm bed at Treehouse Hostel in Granada: $15 USD (551 NIO)
Room in the luxury Isleta El Espino in Las Isletas de Granada: $120 USD (4,415 NIO)
Private room at Nicawaves surf camp in Popoyo: $65 USD (2,392 NIO)
Room at the boutique Hide & Seek Resort in Popoyo: $145 USD (5,335 NIO)
Dorm bed at La Urraca Loca in Ometepe: $11 USD (405 NIO)
Room at the Totoco Eco Resort in Ometepe: $80 USD (2,944 NIO)
Beachfront cabin at Carlito’s Place on Little Corn Island: $35 USD (1,289 NIO)
Room at the luxury Yemaya Reefs on Little Corn Island: $400 USD (14,712 NIO)
Private room at Buena Vista Surf Camp in Playa Maderas: $90 USD (3,310 NIO)
Room in the boutique Hostel Clandestino in Playa Maderas: $70 USD (2,575 NIO)

A Canva graphic with a mix of images and text labels showcasing what things typically cost in Nicaragua, this slide is about accommodation.

Eating out

Eating out in Nicaragua can be pretty affordable if you stick to the local options and street food. If you’re on a tight budget, you’ll have to resist the temptation to eat at all the international restaurants and cafes, which are still affordable by American/European standards, but not dirt cheap.

The food in Nicaragua was typical of the region. Lots of gallo pinto (rice and beans), lots of plantains in many different forms, BBQ street stalls serving meat and other sides (known as a ‘fritanga’), and tipico breakfasts with eggs, cheese, and tortillas. Local dishes were usually around 150 – 250 NIO ($4 – $7 USD).

There are all kinds of international restaurants too, American, Italian, Indian, cafes etc. I would say overall the food scene in Nicaragua wasn’t as good as say, Antigua in Guatemala or Panama City, but we still had some really nice meals (Cafe Campestre in Ometepe I love you!). International meals were more like 300 – 450 ($8 – $12 USD) per dish.

Alcohol was generally pretty affordable, local Toña beer was usually 30 – 70 Cords ($0.8 – $2 USD). Cocktails were pretty cheap, 150 – 300 Cordoba ($4 – $8 USD) with happy hours readily available.

Thankfully (for our budget!) the coffee scene wasn’t as good as in neighbouring countries, so it was easy to resist the temptation of lattes every day. An iced coffee from a nice cafe was around 80 – 100 NIO ($2.2 – $2.8 USD).

🍛 Read more about typical food and drinks to try in Nicaragua

🌮 TYPICAL COSTS FOR FOOD

*Food was priced in Cordobas sometimes and USD sometimes, it was a mix

Tipico Nica breakfast (eggs, gallo pinto, plantain): 165 NIO ($4.50 USD)
Loaded plate from a fritanga (beef, gallo pinto, salad, plantains): 210 NIO ($5 USD)
Indian curry from Cafe Campestre in Ometepe: 290 NIO ($8 USD)
Fancy cafe breakfast dish from a cafe in San Juan del Sur: 300 NIO ($8 USD)
Iced latte from a cafe: 100 NIO ($2.8 USD)
Happy hour cocktail on Little Corn Island: 150 NIO ($5 USD)
Toña beer from a beach bar: 50 NIO ($1.35 USD)

A Canva graphic with a mix of images and text labels showcasing what things typically cost in Nicaragua, this slide is about food and drink.

Tours and activities

We found tours, activities and sightseeing in Nicaragua very affordable, for good quality experiences. Most things involving tourists are priced in USD, but you can usually pay in Cordobas.

There were quite a few occasions where tours were mandatory to complete the activity (e.g. volcano boarding, snorkelling, scuba diving etc.), but everything we paid for was worth it.

You can expect to pay $25 – $50 USD for most volcano-related tours and hikes.

We did all our water-related activities in the Corn Islands. A private fishing/snorkelling combo tour was $50 USD per person (and worth every cent!) and scuba diving was only $40 USD per tank, which is among the cheapest we paid in the region.

All the sightseeing and city activities we did in Leon and Granada, like going into cathedrals, museums, historic buildings etc. were no more than a couple of dollars.

The going rate for surfboard rentals is around $15 USD for 24 hours or $10 USD for the day, which we consistently paid all down the coast in Popoyo and Playa Maderas.

🥾 TYPICAL COSTS FOR TOURS AND ACTIVITIES

*Most tours were priced in USD unless they were very cheap, entrance fees were more likely to be priced in Cordobas but not always

Volcano boarding down Cerro Negro: $35 USD (1,260 NIO)
Snorkelling/fishing combo tour on Little Corn Island: $50 USD (1,840 NIO)
Sunset kayaking tour in Las Isletas de Granada: $25 USD (900 NIO)
Access to the rooftop of the Leon Cathedral: $3 USD (110 NIO)
Entry to Ojo de Agua in Ometepe: $10 USD ($5 consumable) (360 NIO)
Sunrise hike to Telica Volcano: $45 USD (1,620 NIO)
Single tank scuba dive on Little Corn Island: $40 USD (1,472 NIO)
Masaya Volcano tour: $20 USD (735 NIO)
24-hour surfboard rental in Popoyo: $15 USD (540 NIO)
Access to the Iglesia Merced bell tower in Granada: $1 USD (35 NIO)

A Canva graphic with a mix of images and text labels showcasing what things typically cost in Nicaragua, this slide is about tours and activities.

Transport

Most of the popular destinations in Nicaragua are concentrated on the west coast, and distances are not that far. This means transport can be pretty affordable if you’re happy to stick with local options like chicken buses and microbuses (aka colectivo vans).

They will pretty much take you anywhere, it just might require a few changes, and will definitely be hot, slow and cramped. Expect to pay around 100 NIO ($2.8 USD) for a 1 – 3 hour trip.

There is no Uber in Nicaragua but taxis and private drivers are everywhere. Tourist shuttles do exist, but they are not as popular as in neighbouring countries, and it’s not uncommon to use taxis or drivers for lengthier trips between destinations. This is particularly relevant if you’re going to Popoyo, where public transport is limited.

This is a very rough estimate, but you could use $20 USD per hour as a gauge of price for a longer trip with a taxi/driver.

Taxis within destinations were cheap and often had a fixed cost. Every taxi trip we took in Granada was 50 Cords ($1.3 USD) or 20 Cords ($0.5 USD) on Big Corn Island.

The biggest transport expense you may have is if you decide to fly to the Corn Islands. The flight from Managua – Big Corn Island is around $90 – $120 USD. For the 1-hour flight vs 16-hour (minimum) bus + ferry journey, I think it’s worth it, but it is a big cost.

🚌 TYPICAL COSTS FOR TRANSPORT

*Local transport was always charged in Cordoba. If you organise a tourist shuttle or private driver, it will most likely be in USD

Local bus from Leon – Managua – Granada: 184 NIO ($5 USD)
One-way flight from Managua – Big Corn Island: $90 – $120 USD
Taxi ride anywhere within Granada city: 50 NIO ($1.3 USD)
Ferry from San Jorge – Ometepe: 50 NIO ($1.3 USD)
Beach shuttle (return) from San Juan del Sur – Playa Maderas: 180 NIO ($5 USD)
Lancha boat from Big Corn Island – Little Corn Island: 360 NIO ($10 USD)
Taxi from Popoyo – San Jorge for Ometepe ferry: 1,200 NIO ($33 USD)

A Canva graphic with a mix of images and text labels showcasing what things typically cost in Nicaragua, this slide is about transport.