Making a Budget to Live in Nicaragua 2023

Vlog 26 May 2023 | Digital Nomads, Retirees, Investors and those just looking to escape are wondering what it will cost to relocate to Nicaragua in 2023.
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[@bernardsebranek1963]

I've been living in Nicaragua since 2014. I live South of Granada. I rent a 2600 SQ ft 2 bedroom 2 bathroom colonial home for $250 a month. I live extremely well on just under $1000 a month. I eat well, have hot water in the bathrooms and AC in the bedrooms (I never use the AC). I bought a brand new car in 2017, paid cash. I pay average $60 a month for electric. Water average $3 per month. Trash pickup twice a week for $1 a month. Gas for cooking and clothes dryer $20 - $30 a month. Gas for car $20 a month (I don't drive much). Cable/wifi $32 a month. Maid comes in once a week for cleaning $30 a month. I love Nicaragua! Beautiful country and loving people. Because my mother was born and raised in Nicaragua, I had immediate citizenship when I moved here.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

That's great detailed budgeting info! Thank you so much for sharing all of that.

[@spark_6710]

Wow !! I'm jealous !! Lol. Very very nice !! Unbelievable rates !! I'm Japanese who's been living in the States for over 3 decades, almost 4 !!& living in L.A.for more than 2 decades now ,the rent / cost of living are cray cray here !! 😍👍👍💜🥁🐉🎤🎶💞

[@Avacadofrommexicoyeah]

Great details! Question: I am from the suburbs on the east coast of USA. It’s very clean here. It is common for there to be trash in the street and what is the noise level in let’s say, Granada? When I was in Cambodia, the rooster woke me up at 4:30-5 o’clock most days.

[@MrJrweir]

Great info, would also be helpful showing homes within that 250 - 450 range, furnished/unfurnished, much info to process.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

I show them whenever I can. It's super hard to get people to let you show, but I've got one coming really soon.

[@bryangriggs9558]

Great wrap-up of costs,with what sounds like a lealisic lower end to a lealistic top end for most. There are always the odd ones spending at the extremes but that's the same in any country. I love content like this, and i'm eagerly working on plans to see "the whole Nicaraguan experience" soon :-)

[@javierapichardo]

Barbecue at home is my Restaurant!!

[@enough1494]

Hola! New follower from Puerto Rico via Lafayette, La! Puerto Rico is too expensive after the storms and the US has gone nuts! Greetings from Cajun Land!

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Thanks for subbing! Welcome to our little community.

[@julianb5413]

This was a really great video thanks I been looking at Nicaragua for awhile and wanted to learn this

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jkiker7918]

Very informative. I really like the wall covering quilts in your office. Everyone from Texas has something Texas in their house, so the Texas quilt is awesome! For internet services, do you or anyone in your house do on-line stock trading?

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

No stock trading from here. But no reason that it wouldn't work.

[@mathieutallard6328]

Well, you live like a king and you have a family. Thats great. I travel solo and after a while, in SJDS, i got the opportunity to move to an appartment on second floor with private patio and all included for $5 a day. I only eat one meal a day and don t drink beer nor water. I eat my water and buy simili apple juice at the market. I eat streefood and sometime, i went to the fish market and have fish cook for me at the restaurant below my room. the cooking was more expensive than the fish !! Only downside of the place was the street noise and the tin roof. As a solo traveler, i don t see myself alone in a house even if it was in a better location. Alone with people around is something much better than alone with nobody around. A house in a better location would be an option only if i could put in a couple of hot girls to take good care of me. The expats i encounter that were living solo in a house, the house was on street floor with all the traffic noise and no real privaty and in comparaison, my rented appartment was way better and cheaper because all was included. In all the countries i have traveled, all the places i found to sleep were advertize on the road i was driving. It most take time to explore surrounding areas to find the perfect location !

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

SJDS is SO much more expensive than Nicaragua (we consider it a separate place, it's an expat enclave wholly different than Nicaragua itself.) It's not a bad place, but not an example of Nica living. $5/day for a room ... the same money in any other Nica city would have gotten you a private two bedroom HOUSE in a gated community - but without everything included! You can easily get ones in quiet areas or loud areas. Food is much cheaper elsewhere, as is domestic help. Nothing wrong with SJDS, I like it. But it's a tiny village that doesn't represent anything of Nicaragua. It's more Costa Rica than it is Nicaraguan.

[@mathieutallard6328]

@@ScottAlanMillerVlog i ve spent a few weeks in Apocentillo. Great beach, mangoes everywhere and i went back to SJDS because I had the same there.I'm gonna end up in hell because I am a nudist and a racist!! I see differences between people and it's fun to be with my kind. Being with people not brainwashed by religion and education is like breathing fresh air and I appreciate. There's this guy on KZbin, Paul Dilla who explore remote places in Nicaragua. Ok, people are not miserable but why would i go live there? Waking up at 3 in the morning to go milk cows? I went to Bluefield to catch a speed boat to Corn Islands. Came back on a fishing boat after 3 days.Great adventure i will always remember. But it's far from being the Blue Lagoon with fit and slim naked people swimming in the sea eating fresh fish and eating mangoes and coco!! There's this couple The Simple Guest who bought a farm without checking it first! I'm curious to see if they will be as enthusiastic after a year...Maybe they will....everyone is different. Some will choose to retire in Colombia because they have realized that in most parts of the world, the fucken medical system will keep you agonizing as long as possible and as long as they can get money out of it while in Colombia, you can die on demands, when you choose to. That's very important. Having your life in your own hands. Some will choose Thailand because erotic satisfaction is important as well. Nicaragua is great for short term vacations but it offers nothing regarding important issues like living life with max pleasure or having the control on your destiny .

[@RickOShay4u]

Dump the bump, it's a waste of time

[@ajusa2024]

It's a short, maybe 20 second intro. Man people are ridiculous. It's content.

[@christopherhouse7937]

I really enjoyed your video! Thanks for breaking down expenses. It gives me a clear understanding of what I will spend living in Nicaragua, and how to budget.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

My pleasure!

[@mikedenham5882]

Good one Scott

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Thanks!

[@Seadawg719]

My future budget for Nicaragua is 2,500… in Managua .. probably renting don’t want to buy..

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

$2500/mo? That's a great budget. Enough to get a nice place and go out quite a bit and enjoy yourself.

[@spark_6710]

Very good ,well detailed video !! Thank you so much for this upload !! 👍👍💜🥁🐉🎤🎶✈️🇳🇮💕💞

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

You are so welcome!

[@jillianfreyman6325]

Excellent video! Thank you. Will adjust my calculations a bit. Are their part-time positions too for cook/maid/gardener etc?

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Definitely part time is possible and normal.

[@patriciaflaherty]

Wow! That's a lot of staff! I know you said your cook lives in another house on your property. Does the maid and house manager live at your house, or do they go home at the end of the day? I remember in one of your videos you mentioned you're in a gated community with security personnel...do you have your own security person besides that? You've spoken extensively about how safe Nicaragua is. I never considered needing a personal security guard. I don't even have an alarm system in my house in the USA 🤔.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

No one NEEDS a security guard. Or a maid. Or a cook. But when you can have them, it's amazing. We are considering another guard just because it pays for itself in saving me from interruptions opening the gate for staff to come and go or getting food delivered. Sounds ridiculous, but interrupting a single call that I'm doing per month would pay for a full time guard to eliminate that problem. Having a guard means getting to have things wide open, even in the middle of the night. It means not being alone when no one else is home. It means the kids have someone watching over them if no one else is there. It means the dogs have someone to catch them if they escape. Americans think of the world as scary and all aspects of "security" as being to eliminate fear of violent threats. But the ultra rich in the US don't have gate security people because they are worried about intruders. They have them for convenience.

[@patriciaflaherty]

@@ScottAlanMillerVlog just make your kids do that stuff. Put those freeloaders on gate duty! 😂😂

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

I do sometimes. jaja

[@holuwashegunabatan2664]

Are Africans really welcomed in Nicaragua to start life there?

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

So keep in mind that you are asking a super white European guy his opinion here, so that's my context, lol, BUT my impression is that they are absolutely welcomed here. You have to remember that this is a heavily mixed race country so the idea of seeing people by race or origin isn't the same as it is in North American countries or Europe. And the eastern side of Nicaragua is essentially an African enclave. I asked Nicaraguans about this and they said that oh yes, Africans are definitely accepted and welcomes the same as gringos or whoever and that racism is not really a thing here. That's overstating it a little, racism is everywhere for sure, but racism here is trivial compared to places like the US where it practically defines everything in life.

[@LuisMartinez-ms9zs]

​@@ScottAlanMillerVlog has un esfuerzo por subtitular en idioma español, muchas más personas verán tus videos.

[@jillianfreyman6325]

Ok. You just answered my question😂

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

I do my best ;)

[@rosaalcala5914]

Not to realistic. My best friend lives in Nicaragua and she said, food is about $150 per a couple, if you cook like latin american people, means you cook beans, vegies, local dishes, etc, local fish, etc. You eat meat and chicken too. Thanks God we latin american dont need expensive meats or seafood to survive. A couple can live a good life with $750 a month.

[@lifewith9cats153]

Rents sound great but $1,000 for the best in food seems outrageous to me but I'm a bit of a cheapo. 😂

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

It's hard to eat at $33/day in the US even if you cook yourself! lol. I just did a super fancy dinner for four at Dragonfly (high end Asian fusion in Chinandega) with sushi, tuna, two desserts, etc and it came to $53 after tip and tax. But we didn't have alcohol (I was driving tonight.) That was splurging. But that's just one meal. Eat two other meals, maybe a snack out, ice cream trip or something and $33 is high, but you could hit it. Averaging it would be hard.

[@universalsuccess3776]

What websites or resources do you suggest with finding the housing that you were referencing to? Sounds great

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Definitely no websites. There's currently no legit website in the country. In fact, if you see real estate on a website, it's almost guaranteed that they are trying to trick you. The only way is being where you want to get a house yourself or hiring someone to go around looking for you locally. There's no doing it remotely.

[@paulwickey1688]

Enjoying the videos! Thanks. What do you use to make your video thumbnails? they look great!

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

I use a full time staff designer, lol. Her name is Valentina and she works in my Merida, Mexico office. She does all by thumbnails, logos, banners, and other graphics. She's using Adobe suite on Mac.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

You can see Valentina here... kzbin.info/www/bejne/jmHFhmuuarZ9apo

[@paulwickey1688]

@@ScottAlanMillerVlog ahh i see. Nice. Thanks for the reply.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

My pleasure.

[@kevinadams9468]

I love your videos, but i feel this video is really directed at wealthy people. My belief is if you are moving to Nicaragua to live like an American, please just stay in the US. $100 dollars a day for food? ( I know you prefaced it, but really?) I had to turn this one off because it was like explaining Downton Abbey to a homeless person. I still love your work, just don't feel like this one is realistic for the average person who actually lives on a BUDGET.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

That's why I gave a range. Someone rich would say $3 a day for food? I didn't budget $100/day, I put it as the maximum.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

A lot of people aren't moving to Nicaragua because they are financially strapped but because they love the country, the freedom, the health benefits, the weather, the ocean and so forth. We get viewers from all ranges. Nicaragua has a tendancy to attract those that can't afford other locations (read: Costa Rica) and so end up here because they aren't where they want to be and honestly, that's the worst. It's great that Nicaragua is so affordable, but what we really want as a country is to attract those that love Nicaragua for the culture and experience and want to be here, want the country to succeed, and are happy rather than those that are here only because they can afford it. We hope that being budget friendly is primarily a bonus, not the cause, of people moving. Maybe it tips the balance versus another option, but you don't want people coming because other places weren't options. That's how you get unhappy people who are feel trapped because it is all that they can afford. The happiest people are those that are here because they love it but have options. Financially I could return to the US, but I don't want to. Nicaragua for me, and most of the people who end up staying, is purely because they love it. And if they want to spend loads of money for top end housing, loads of great food, that's great. If they want to do the continuous Nicaragua steak house circuit more power to them. Spend those dollars here! :)

[@joemar9234]

@@ScottAlanMillerVlog I had a chance to watch you on TV last couple of weeks, I wish they could’ve given you more time on it, your insight about Nicaragua is just spot on What you just said here proves that A country such as Nicaragua gives you several options, just like in the US And just as California, I’ll use that as an example based on this gentleman’s response to your blog, we are now seeing people here that really don’t want to be here, they are here because of what they can get, it sad😢😮, and it shows… I know for a fact, the more you get to know Nicaragua, cities such as Jinotega, places such as Corn Island, Rama, Bluefield etc with a diverse culture and or cuisine It’s such an amazing country with so many options to visit But it is Nicaragua’s people and it’s culture that makes it worth for someone thinking about moving here, to stay, and make it your own place❤😊

[@edmourgagnon1504]

I can live on 2 dollars a day for food in Guatemala... 5$ is like a luxury... ;)

[@user-el4bj7mh3f]

great video, we have a home in Leon that we are remodeling, and plan to retire there, and this really helps me plan. Do you know if there are many expats n Leon right now, hoping to connect with some

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Yeah, tons. We haven't taken over the town like in Granada, but Leon has a huge expat community, just sprinkled all over the city rather than in big clumps. But go out in the evenings and you'll always see a few.

[@rodphillips9501]

Las Penitas has many of us from elsewhere

[@gcn7589]

Hi Scott you mentioned sports on a entertainment budget...is NFL and College football easy to find or possibly offered on cable or dish over there in Nica??? Thanks!

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Yes, that stuff is available on INternet services and some cable and definitely satellite. I don't know too many details but most of that is available globally. I know some American sports bars have a lot of that stuff.

[@gcn7589]

@@ScottAlanMillerVlog 👍 thanks for the info!

[@mqmx2059]

Very good channel! Can you get by only with English and Italian?

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

For sure. And Italian and Spanish are mutually intelligible to a minor degree. If you are fluent in Italian, you'll be able to read just about everything and speak quite a bit. Learning Spanish will be fast. Obviously getting to conversational Spanish is best, you just get more options in life. But Italian is the closest thing to Spanish (other than obviously Catalan / Provencial which is a blend of the too... Italanish) and Spanish can be classified as a dialect of Italian in some cases. I moved here only speaking English and learned Italian before Spanish myself (because we're Italians and lived in Italy previously) and it will make life more challenging, but probably the average person moves here not speaking Spanish at first. Really not an issue.

[@mqmx2059]

Are there a lot of Italians in Nicaragua? Where do they settled down?

[@solojourneyer]

Please narrow down an essentials-only budget for singles?

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

So like... a budget for a single adult moving to Nicaragua with only "what it really takes to live?"

[@kathieleece]

Hi Scott, Great video again. I'm looking at living in Granada. Can I realisically rent a furnished studio apartment or one bedroom for $400 to $500 USD per month?

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Furnished is hard. That takes the price up dramatically. I think you can, but it'll be a difficult search.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Your price range is sufficient no problem, it's finding a place at all that's the question. Likely you will end up with a three bedroom and just squeak into the budget.

[@antawnjs9147]

Im interested in moving to nicaragua

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

It's a wonderful place.

[@antawnjs9147]

​@ScottAlanMillerVlog do your company assist with relocation and guidance

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

@antawnjs9147 absolutely! our email is in the show notes. that's the best way to reach out.

[@antawnjs9147]

@@ScottAlanMillerVlog ok I definitely will be reaching out

[@spark_6710]

I know ,I'm late here ,but I've been wanting to know for a while ...if you really see scorpios in your house !!?? I saw that in one video ( sadly they were killing it !! ) of an Australian? couple . Also ,do you get attacked by alligators there in Nicaragua 🇳🇮!? Thank you ! 💜🥁🐉🎤🎶✈️🇳🇮💕💞

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Getting answered on the show on the 9th.

[@spark_6710]

@@ScottAlanMillerVlog Oh ,yay ! Cool !! Thanks so much !!🙏👍👍💜🥁🐉🎤🎶✈️💞

[@johndutcher6409]

You kinda glossed past immagration costs wnd the pain in the ass it is

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

What immigration costs? What pain? It's like $14 and no effort at all, lol.

[@doctork1708]

Get to the point already.