What's the overall cost of living in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua?
David Smith - Nicaragua Sotheby's International Realty
Overall cost of living in San Juan del Sur is at least less than half of what it is in North America and a fraction of what it is in Europe.
I've been living in San Juan del Sur now for about $1,000 $1,500 per month and that includes running my car. I'm also on the higher end right now as I am still in the building process of my house and there is a lot to do.
If you are prepared to be very economical and live a minimal lifestyle...
Overall cost of living in San Juan del Sur is at least less than half of what it is in North America and a fraction of what it is in Europe.
I've been living in San Juan del Sur now for about $1,000 $1,500 per month and that includes running my car. I'm also on the higher end right now as I am still in the building process of my house and there is a lot to do.
If you are prepared to be very economical and live a minimal lifestyle (which is one of the benefits of being here!) then you can live very comfortably on $800 per month. And that includes rent! I have friends who do this. I am hoping to one day!
Posted July 1, 2014
Natalie Sullivan
To rent a decent one bedroom apartment in San Juan del Sur perhaps with a view of the ocean and 2 – 3 blocks from the ocean would cost $500 / month.
Beer in San Juan del Sur is $1. You can get a nice meal (i.e., a lobster dinner) for $10, and you can eat a lot cheaper than that if you choose to.
To give you an example of the price of a house in San Juan del Sur, I just sold a relatively smaller 3-bedroom 3-bathroom house that’s going to...
Beer in San Juan del Sur is $1. You can get a nice meal (i.e., a lobster dinner) for $10, and you can eat a lot cheaper than that if you choose to.
To give you an example of the price of a house in San Juan del Sur, I just sold a relatively smaller 3-bedroom 3-bathroom house that’s going to...
To rent a decent one bedroom apartment in San Juan del Sur perhaps with a view of the ocean and 2 – 3 blocks from the ocean would cost $500 / month.
Beer in San Juan del Sur is $1. You can get a nice meal (i.e., a lobster dinner) for $10, and you can eat a lot cheaper than that if you choose to.
To give you an example of the price of a house in San Juan del Sur, I just sold a relatively smaller 3-bedroom 3-bathroom house that’s going to be built with a small terrace and a pool, on a small lot with a view of the ocean (although not on the ocean) for $250,000.
Beer in San Juan del Sur is $1. You can get a nice meal (i.e., a lobster dinner) for $10, and you can eat a lot cheaper than that if you choose to.
To give you an example of the price of a house in San Juan del Sur, I just sold a relatively smaller 3-bedroom 3-bathroom house that’s going to be built with a small terrace and a pool, on a small lot with a view of the ocean (although not on the ocean) for $250,000.
Posted July 2, 2014
George Cooper - Casa de Cooper
The overall cost of living in San Juan del Sur, 
Nicaragua, will range from under US $1,000 per month to over whatever a person would want to spend. The biggest expense is the property in which you would desire to live, either purchase or rent.
Nicaragua, will range from under US $1,000 per month to over whatever a person would want to spend. The biggest expense is the property in which you would desire to live, either purchase or rent. Some property rental can be found for as little as $350 per month to over $3,000 per month. After the property is out of the way, you would have the utilities to deal with. Electric will run...
The overall cost of living in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, will range from under US $1,000 per month to over whatever a person would want to spend. The biggest expense is the property in which you would desire to live, either purchase or rent.
Nicaragua, will range from under US $1,000 per month to over whatever a person would want to spend. The biggest expense is the property in which you would desire to live, either purchase or rent. Some property rental can be found for as little as $350 per month to over $3,000 per month. After the property is out of the way, you would have the utilities to deal with. Electric will run somewhere around $0.35 per kWh in US dollars. Using 500 kWh would cost around $175 per month. Without air-conditioning, you might expect to pay $100 to $150 per month. Just as a note, the national beer is $1 in most places. Now that this is out of the way, the rest is what you want to spend on food and other necessities.
You will find the food to be reasonably priced. Eating out at the local Nicaraguan restaurants will cost you from $2 to $10 per meal. Of course, there are the upscale restaurants that will cost as much as a meal in the US. Eating in is the way to go. Learning the national food dishes will bring health to you and at a good price.
Be conservative and you can expect to live comfortably for as little as you would want to budget. The best way to get a feel is a visit to San Juan del Sur for a week and experience the life of leisure.
Posted July 5, 2014
Lucy Valenti - Liv Nicaragua
A couple who are young retirees could live 
nicely in San Juan del Sur for $1,800 to $2,000 per month, including rent, food, electricity, and everything else in an average living situation in which a North American would be comfortable.
Rent would be around $700 - $800 per month for a small house, and food would be around $300 per month.
The cost living anywhere in Nicaragua is much less than in the US. Whereas a couple with a retiree pension of $2,000 per month...
nicely in San Juan del Sur for $1,800 to $2,000 per month, including rent, food, electricity, and everything else in an average living situation in which a North American would be comfortable.Rent would be around $700 - $800 per month for a small house, and food would be around $300 per month.
The cost living anywhere in Nicaragua is much less than in the US. Whereas a couple with a retiree pension of $2,000 per month...
A couple who are young retirees could live nicely in San Juan del Sur for $1,800 to $2,000 per month, including rent, food, electricity, and everything else in an average living situation in which a North American would be comfortable.
Rent would be around $700 - $800 per month for a small house, and food would be around $300 per month.
The cost living anywhere in Nicaragua is much less than in the US. Whereas a couple with a retiree pension of $2,000 per month would have a difficult time living in the US, they would be able to live here in Nicaragua very well, including in San Juan del Sur.
nicely in San Juan del Sur for $1,800 to $2,000 per month, including rent, food, electricity, and everything else in an average living situation in which a North American would be comfortable.Rent would be around $700 - $800 per month for a small house, and food would be around $300 per month.
The cost living anywhere in Nicaragua is much less than in the US. Whereas a couple with a retiree pension of $2,000 per month would have a difficult time living in the US, they would be able to live here in Nicaragua very well, including in San Juan del Sur.
Posted July 18, 2014
Daniel Snider - Snider's Realty Nicaragua
The cost of living per person, in San Juan Del Sur can be anywhere between US $1,000 and $2,000 per month. With $1,000 per month, you will able live a comfortable lifestyle and rent probably a 1 or 2 bedroom apartment or condo. That amount may also already include maid service, other types of amenities, and some nightlife. For $2,000 a month you could live a lavish or extravagant lifestyle.
For a married couple who are early retirees, they could live on around $2,000 plus per...
For a married couple who are early retirees, they could live on around $2,000 plus per...
The cost of living per person, in San Juan Del Sur can be anywhere between US $1,000 and $2,000 per month. With $1,000 per month, you will able live a comfortable lifestyle and rent probably a 1 or 2 bedroom apartment or condo. That amount may also already include maid service, other types of amenities, and some nightlife. For $2,000 a month you could live a lavish or extravagant lifestyle.
For a married couple who are early retirees, they could live on around $2,000 plus per month. They can rent a nice house or an apartment close to the ocean and still have some money left over for shopping or going out once or twice a month for this amount. That should also be enough for them to pay their bills.
With $3,000 per month, you can rent a very nice accommodation in front of the beach; a house with an ocean view, a maid, a gardener, and a personal driver. You can go out at night and enjoy having dinners outside the house and maybe even have some money left to go exploring around Nicaragua.
For a married couple who are early retirees, they could live on around $2,000 plus per month. They can rent a nice house or an apartment close to the ocean and still have some money left over for shopping or going out once or twice a month for this amount. That should also be enough for them to pay their bills.
With $3,000 per month, you can rent a very nice accommodation in front of the beach; a house with an ocean view, a maid, a gardener, and a personal driver. You can go out at night and enjoy having dinners outside the house and maybe even have some money left to go exploring around Nicaragua.
Posted September 11, 2014
Joe Lopes - las escadas condominiums
The cost of living in San Juan Del Sur is not dependent on how much you earn but on where you earn your money because goods here cost the same for everybody but people who earn locally may find it expensive and expats who earn their money elsewhere may find it cheap. The minimum wage here in Nicaragua is about US $1 per hour and in Canada or the US, it is $12 per hour. I lived in Canada for 25 years and if I would compare the cost of living here in...
The cost of living in San Juan Del Sur is not dependent on how much you earn but on where you earn your money because goods here cost the same for everybody but people who earn locally may find it expensive and expats who earn their money elsewhere may find it cheap. The minimum wage here in Nicaragua is about US $1 per hour and in Canada or the US, it is $12 per hour. I lived in Canada for 25 years and if I would compare the cost of living here in San Juan Del Sur to the cost of living in Canada, I can say that it is more expensive here. The cost of living depends on how much you get paid and how much your expenses are. Expats may think that it is cheaper because they usually come here with US dollars so everything tends to be cheaper because of the conversion rate. Locals may think otherwise because of how much they get paid here.
Latin America is not cheap. It only appears so for us who come here with money that we have earned elsewhere. However, for the people who earn and live here, it is not cheap at all. They cannot afford to go out and eat in restaurants.
For example, if you are a gardener here in San Juan Del Sur who earns US $10 per day, you definitely will not buy a $7 lunch, whereas if you were an American, with American dollars that you earned in America, you would probably have no problem buying a lunch for $7. The cost of living here is about the same where I lived in Canada if you would compare local wages to the local costs fo things. However, if you come here from North America and you are paying with Canadian dollars or American dollars, you will find that, compared with what you would have to pay for the same items in North America, things are really cheap here. This is one of the reasons why North Americans love to come down here to Nicaragua.
There are things that are more expensive here in San Juan Del Sur than in the US. Things like clothing, electronics, and even some foods are more expensive here than in the States. What compensates for the cost of living is the big picture. Out here, we do not have some expenses that you normally would have in North America.
If you are a Canadian who earns $1,500 per month, you can absolutely live well in San Juan Del Sur and that is even if you have to rent a house or apartment. You can rent a really decent apartment for $300 per month. Electricity, if you are a single person, would cost about $20 at the most. If you cook your own meals, you can spend about $30 per week on food. You can even go out on weekends and have a few beers. You can live well with $1,500 per month. A single person who earns $2,000 per month can live in a better place and could even finance a car with this income.
A couple who earns $1,000 per month can still live well here in San Juan Del Sur. The rent will still be around $300 and electricity will cost about the same amount, too, as it would for the single person in the example I just gave. They will just double the amount they would spend on food. A couple may spend around $60 per week on food. So a couple on $1,000 per month can still have a pretty nice life here in San Juan del Sur.
Posted October 15, 2014
Eugenio Cortez - Hacienda & Ecolodge Morgan´s Rock
I would say that the over-all cost of living in San Juan del Sur is US $800 per month for a couple, not including a car.
For that much, they can rent a small apartment with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, front terrace and a backyard that would go for about $300 a month.
A loaf of bread is $1.50. A liter of milk is 18 cordobas, which is 67 cents, A dozen eggs cost a US dollar. A six pack of beer is about $4. Fruits are very cheap; it depends on the season. A papaya is about...
For that much, they can rent a small apartment with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, front terrace and a backyard that would go for about $300 a month.
A loaf of bread is $1.50. A liter of milk is 18 cordobas, which is 67 cents, A dozen eggs cost a US dollar. A six pack of beer is about $4. Fruits are very cheap; it depends on the season. A papaya is about...
I would say that the over-all cost of living in San Juan del Sur is US $800 per month for a couple, not including a car.
For that much, they can rent a small apartment with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, front terrace and a backyard that would go for about $300 a month.
A loaf of bread is $1.50. A liter of milk is 18 cordobas, which is 67 cents, A dozen eggs cost a US dollar. A six pack of beer is about $4. Fruits are very cheap; it depends on the season. A papaya is about a $1.50, a pineapple is a dollar. They sell everything here by a dozen so 12 bananas are 80 cents, at the most. One mango is 10 cordobas, which is aboug 38 cents. A pound of chicken is about $2.50, give or take. A pound of fish is also $2.50. Fish is probably much cheaper in San Juan del Sur, though.
Going out to a really nice restaurant for a meal is $25, or if you add beer, $30. That’s for two, with an entrée and the main dish.
A meal at a standard restaurant costs 400 cordobas which is about $15 for two.
The cost for water for a month for your house for two people won’t go higher than $10, ever.
Electricity is expensive here. I’m pretty sure a retired person here will have an AC. At the higher end of the cost for electricity, you’re looking at about $200 a month for two. If you have the AC on all day long, your cost will definitely get into that range.
If a couple had $1,500 a month to spend, they would probably have around $750 extra left over so they can do whatever they want.
As a higher priced option, a couple could get a nicer apartment for $500, which would have 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a big front yard, and a big backyard. Then again, your utilities will be higher, especially the electricity, although the water’s almost free.
For that much, they can rent a small apartment with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, front terrace and a backyard that would go for about $300 a month.
A loaf of bread is $1.50. A liter of milk is 18 cordobas, which is 67 cents, A dozen eggs cost a US dollar. A six pack of beer is about $4. Fruits are very cheap; it depends on the season. A papaya is about a $1.50, a pineapple is a dollar. They sell everything here by a dozen so 12 bananas are 80 cents, at the most. One mango is 10 cordobas, which is aboug 38 cents. A pound of chicken is about $2.50, give or take. A pound of fish is also $2.50. Fish is probably much cheaper in San Juan del Sur, though.
Going out to a really nice restaurant for a meal is $25, or if you add beer, $30. That’s for two, with an entrée and the main dish.
A meal at a standard restaurant costs 400 cordobas which is about $15 for two.
The cost for water for a month for your house for two people won’t go higher than $10, ever.
Electricity is expensive here. I’m pretty sure a retired person here will have an AC. At the higher end of the cost for electricity, you’re looking at about $200 a month for two. If you have the AC on all day long, your cost will definitely get into that range.
If a couple had $1,500 a month to spend, they would probably have around $750 extra left over so they can do whatever they want.
As a higher priced option, a couple could get a nicer apartment for $500, which would have 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a big front yard, and a big backyard. Then again, your utilities will be higher, especially the electricity, although the water’s almost free.
Posted December 6, 2014
Zachary Lunin - Aurora Beachfront Realty
There are a lot of different lifestyles and ways to live in San Juan Del Sur. For a couple, assuming that you own your home and have that paid for, one of your largest expenses would be your power bill, which would be somewhere in between US $100 and $400 a month. Electricity in Nicaragua is expensive. The biggest factor there is air-conditioning. Are you someone who likes to live in air-conditioning all day? If you are that person, your electric bill is going to go up. For me, we are a...There are a lot of different lifestyles and ways to live in San Juan Del Sur. For a couple, assuming that you own your home and have that paid for, one of your largest expenses would be your power bill, which would be somewhere in between US $100 and $400 a month. Electricity in Nicaragua is expensive. The biggest factor there is air-conditioning. Are you someone who likes to live in air-conditioning all day? If you are that person, your electric bill is going to go up. For me, we are a family of four, composed of my wife, my two young children, and myself. My kids share a room. I have frequent guests in my house, family visiting from the US or family visiting nationally. My guest bedroom is full more often than not. I have a pool, which requires a pool pump. We sleep with air-conditioning almost every night. The size of our house is about 2,200 square feet and I spend around $300 a month on my electric bill. The Internet is around $50 a month. Your cable bill would be around $50 a month. You would have a maid, which would run you around $200 a month and the maid will be somebody who will cook and clean for you. Your groceries will depend on what you eat but it would be somewhere around $100 to $300 a month. You could have an entertainment budget of somewhere around $200 a month. You might want to have a vehicle if you live here in San Juan Del Sur, although it is not necessary. I assume that you would want a four-wheel drive truck to use and explore. If this is the case, you will spend another $200 on gas and maintenance on your vehicle.
A 2,200 square foot, modern style house, with three bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms, in a nice and safe location with a view and a pool would run you around $1,700 a month on rent. Buying a house with the same specs would cost around $350,000.
(Beach view of San Juan del Sur from the main house and casita available from Aurora Realty, Nicaragua, pictured.)
Posted February 24, 2016