Minimal One Person Budget Living in Nicaragua 🇳🇮

Low Cost of Living Challenge. A viewer asked me to put together a sample budget for a single person minimal cost of living so that he could see what it would require.
#nicaragua #budget #costofliving #expat
31 May 2023
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[@enough1494]

Excellent info….🙌🙏 💃

[@ScottBrooker-oh5ym]

I got my foot in the door by enrolling in a Spanish language school. For the price I got lessons 5 days a week including room and board. When school was completed I continued the home stay program. The school was an open door into private homes that I could rotate through every few weeks. I developed many connections and contacts with the locals virtually eliminating the middle man. Once you have handle on what the score is you can upgrade.

[@bernardsebranek1963]

I moved to Nicaragua from the USA in 2014. Live in a small city south of Granada. I rent a 2600 SQ ft, 2 bedroom 2 bathroom colonial home. I live very comfortable on $800 a month. I don't drink alcohol, I pretty much eat what I want and eat out a couple times a month. I don't drive much, about 3000 miles a year. My bedrooms have AC but I never use it, only use ceiling fan and floor fan. $60 monthly electric. $32 internet and cable. $3 a month for water. $20 monthly for gas for cooking and clothes dryer. $20 monthly gas for car. $50 a year for basic car insurance. $25 a month for maid to clean house once a week. I love Nicaragua.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

We're talking about this on the show the day after tomorrow!

[@beaulong]

2600 sw ft? 800 a month total cost of living? I'm guessing the home is perhaps 200 a month? Sounds like a super great deal.. if so.

[@OurLadyFatima402]

Nicaragua is clean, affordable, blue us water, I love Nicaragua I wish all of these English speakers embrace with Nicaraguan community.

[@jeffbateman3620]

You can find a lot of furnished rooms for rent for around $100/month that include water/electricity/internet in the price. For a single traveler, these are a great option. Eating meals prepared by someone else (at or near local markets) is so inexpensive that it would be difficult to save any money cooking for yourself (if you're on your own). I rarely ever cooked for myself in all the years that I've spent in Nicaragua. Most meals are between $1-$3 cooked and served to me. If you walk and take local transport, and do your own laundry (both reasonable things to do in Nicaragua), then your only critical expenses are rent and food: somewhere between $200-$400/month.

[@solojourneyer]

Thank you so much for taking the time to consider the request I made in the comments. It really means a lot to me. I appreciate you taking the time out of your day to listen to me and understand my perspective. Your willingness to listen and take my request into account is truly appreciated. I just subscribed and gave a thumbs up! Thanks again!

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

You're very welcome!

[@edmourgagnon1504]

Ah.Ah. Ah. As if he had time to answer everyone...

[@latierradelossuenos-landof9450]

The free health care in Govt hospitals and clinics is free for all. I have taken even tourists there. Just needed to show passport. Thats sad some think $200 a month is doable here.Maybe only a room yes. Restaurant and food prices are not as low as they used to be unless tradicional food . To have a nice time min $800. a month with wifi...air cond..sights.. .food emergencies

[@henrysteppel2031]

Thanks Scott, I needed this information 😊

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Free even for tourists? That's amazing. I've not known anyone that has tried it as private is so cheap it has never come up. That's so great that they extend it to everyone.

[@latierradelossuenos-landof9450]

@@ScottAlanMillerVlog Yes I have taken 2 tourists to the public Hospitals in Matagalpa. Fast fast check in with only passport. 5 min A Ekg was hooked up, bloos test, THEN analysis, pills shot and took 45 minitos. No cahier in hospital. Free. Nicaragua deels all have a human right to MEDICAL and as well Education incl te are schools, tech schools and Universities, Free. Thank you Scott. Doing a Great service to many with your videos! Land of Dreams extended a spec invite you, 1 free Night stay, 2 free breakfasts and 2 dinners, all Homemade..We are close to Cascada Blanca, Matagalpa! 😀

[@jeffbateman3620]

@@ScottAlanMillerVlog I've used the free health care in clinics and hospitals as a tourist many many times. They don't charge you for a doctor to see you, and they even give some basic medicines for free, but most medicines have to be purchased at a farmacia. The down sides to free clinics are likely long wait times and the lack of specialist knowledge. They shine when it comes to common ailments.

[@therehastobesomethingmoore]

One thing that has always fascinated me are young people building with natural alternative building practices, like adobe, cob, etc. I guess in Nicaragua that could be done ? Buy land or a lot, and construct a cob house, put in solar, a water collection system. Seems like you could construct something very artistic, and maybe do it in the mountains where the weather is cool. Not sure how adobe or cob might do in rainy season….but it is pretty wild seeing cob homes in the UK, that have been there a few hundred years. Great video, Scott !

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Adobe isn't alternative here, it's normal. Elsewhere is copied from here. Cob lessso but i think is traditional here to some degree too.

[@edwardsnowden366]

Scott, my wife and I lived in Nicaragua for 3.5 years recently, so we achieved our residency after about 18 months. Once you become a resident of Nicaragua you have free healthcare throughout the country. The quality of that care varies widely. However, if you spend some money at Vivian Pellas Hospital in Managua, you can receive healthcare that puts the US to shame. We had a health insurance policy at Vivian Pellas,, and it only cost us about $1200 USD annually - for both of us!

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Tourists receive free healthcare too. We're looking into Vivian Pellas, though. But we have AMOCSA in this part of the country so I'm not sure how useful VP is when our local hospitals are based out of Leon.

[@boink800]

However, 'free' healthcare is just that 'free' (or lesser quality). Ideally, you want the best of both worlds: the private and the public sectors.

[@jillianfreyman6325]

Thanks Scott! Very helpful. I've been recommending you in my FB groups😊

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Awesome, thank you so much!

[@gersonestrada4805]

Scott thank you for your videos. I'm definitely moving to nicaragua within one yr from now. I traveled to nicaragua in 2022, 4 times and loved it. I'm currently in Miami one way plane ticket to nicaragua can be $137. I like masaya I had everything in my fingertips. Walking distant. Movie theaters, super markets, park, gym, shops, and restaurants. And if I was lazy to walk I would pay less than 30 cordobas 😂

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Awesome, time to start prepping then!!

[@gersonestrada4805]

@@ScottAlanMillerVlog how to prep should be your next video lol

[@MrJrweir]

A salesman extraordinaire, great info, can it be realistic, hmmm. Leon, a great city by your estimate, why not show the city, places to live, entertainment etc.....this place would be high on my list based on parameters of a much higher budget. Overall, damn good exposure on Nicaragua 🎉

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

You should watch more of the show, I show Leon constantly. Nearly every barrio, beach, reparto, colonia, communidad, etc. Even the rural areas. :) I show lots of houses from top end down to that $150/mo.

[@gigigabrielle21]

Great vid!

[@brettsouza6650]

I've been living here (single) for almost four years now and I couldn't imagine living on that kind of budget. That really isn't living, it's surviving. I have friends living on double that amount and they live frugally. Thankfully I dont have to. Not until you're over the $2K/month does living here become really comfortable. Want a boyfriend or a girlfriend? Your cost will go up significantly. Plan accordingly.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

I have friends on the beach living on less. It's definitely frugal but very doable. Of course if you are paying for other people, costs explode quickly.

[@brettsouza6650]

@@ScottAlanMillerVlog I don't doubt you know people living on the beach for less, as well some living on ten times that amount, but is that really living? Isn't the residency requirement $1K/month? Non Spanish speakers will find it even more challenging to survive on that. Someone arriving here from a first world country expecting to live on that little money will be in for a rude awakening. I like your channel and don't mean to be argumentative but sometime I feel like you exaggerate how inexpensive the cost of living is here.

[@wilfredobermudez1181]

@@brettsouza6650 I was living in Fatima with my wife for $1000 per month, AC only at night in two bedrooms, from 7 PM to 6 AM, mostly we cooked at home.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Residency INCOME requirement is only $1K/mo. You are allowed to live for free if you can figure out how. The person I know barely speaks Spanish now and has been here a long time. You can EASILY live for under $1K/mo. Remember that even that is 500% minimum wage. You're aren't rich. He doesn't own a car, but buses from the beach are $.15! (that's fifteen CENTS) to the city. He cooks at home, he built his house himself for $13K including the land. And that was before things got so cheap. With that tiny budget he still hangs out at the bars (mostly just beers) and travels extensively (by public transporation.) I'm definitely not exaggerating the cost of living. There are people on the channel talking about how they live at $800/mo. When you live in the SJDS area, for example, it can be really misleading how cheap Nicaragua is. And if people only want to eat American food, it'll make food seem expensive. The challenge is is that some people look at all they want is to cook simple food, have some beers and watch TV or walk the beach or go dancing. All essentially free. Other people want to fly, be driven around, eat at fancy restauranst. What one person considers a very livable cost, another sees as untenable. I know people living here under $1K even on the beach. And I know people who arrived and refused to do anything like a Nicaraguan and demanded air conditioned gyms, Casa del Cafe coffee and postres every morning, AC around the clock at crazy levels, not to take any public transportation, to only eat food imported from the US and they couldn't live under $1K at all even though they had no activities that would cost them anything much. They wanted very specific luxuries that aren't realistic.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

@wilfredobermudez1181 that's awesome, that's FATIMA, the most expenisve non-center real estate in all of Leon departmento! That means you could have shaved 10% or more off just be having a cheaper address if you had wanted to (but Fatima is fantastic.)

[@VagabondJohnBowler]

Scott, I am a senior who is solo/slow-traveling Central And South America. I am anticipating arriving in late December 2023. I plan on staying 2 - 3 months. .I am looking for advice on finding a house or apartment, ideally on or near the beach for $600 per month or less. I know sites near the ocean may be hard to find so Leon or somewhere similar would make a good alternative. I was hoping you might put me in touch with realtors or similar knowledgable individuals who might be able to assist me in finding such an accaomodation?

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Sorry for the late response. It's hard to keep up with so many posts. But if you watch my show, you know that realtors are the #1 thing I recommend against. For a rental, mostly they are just a waste of time, but it's a whole situation you don't want to be involved with. There's no system for 2-3 month rentals. I have a show coming out about this in a couple days. What most people do is work with hotels or AirBnB places and just work out a deal for longer stays. The short term market doesn't really exist here in any fashion.

[@kevinadams9468]

Your videos are like a god-send. Thank you so much. Just a friendly question (since I haven't yet watched all of your videos!), could you talk about, or have you talked about insurance for homes . That is, is it something that is similar to real estate practice in US/CAN/ UK or, as you wonderfully pointed out with so-called 'real estate agents' in Nicaragua, it is not a common or regulated service. Thank you for all your work. You are one of my favorite KZbinrs.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Thank you so much! I need to do some research on home insurance. I don't know what the offerings are like here. I know it is far less common, and far less needed. Repairs are easy and cheap and things are built to last so the issues are very different. But now that there is an insurance problem in the US, it's a great chance to discuss!

[@judybiedenharn5758]

Hi Scott. Thank you so much for this video. I am considering both Ecuador and Nicaragua to move to, but your information about buying or building a home for less than $20,000 surprised me. I would have to settle in a spot that's cooler than where you are, like Matagalpa in particular. Can you give me some idea of what a budget of $25,000 would buy in terms of new construction? Any information you can provide is much appreciated!

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Obviously a $25K house will be pretty conservative. You'll either be looking at an upgraded two bed, one bath or a starter three bed, one bath in one of these communities. New construction on private city lots would likely cost more than $25K and be uncommon. If you check out my pink house episode, that's a $16K new construction house. So $25k in the same location would be a nice upgrade for sure. Mostly in square footage. I have a friend who bought a lot for $1-2K and built for something like $11K. Super conservative "studio" style house. But if you added $14K to that build, you'd obviously get SO much more. He's near the beach and on a back street. Just blends in with the neighbors, but has a nice wall, small front yard and quite ample back garden. Location matters a LOT. Beach and desirable city will cost a lot more. Country lot on a non-prime road will stretch your dollars.

[@judybiedenharn5758]

@@ScottAlanMillerVlog Thank you Scott. Your detailed response is much appreciated!

[@tommyranger9228]

How big is the lot?

[@ComicJee]

@@ScottAlanMillerVlog Hi Scott, many thanks for sharing that info. is there a good website to search those under 20K property? I just get the expensive results on google. Really appreciate it. Cheers from Canada.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

@ComicJee there is not. Nicaragua does not put property online as a rule. Anything you see online is only for foreigners so is going to be expensive property at inflated prices. All deals are in person only.

[@bpw3465]

thanks Scott! always informative and thoughtful

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

My pleasure!

[@EvralTatum-Mcfield-ov2mi]

Man, less than $800 a month and you would be living good in that place, not bad at all, if you consider the traveling and visa condition in those asian countries, you are better of retiring in Nicaragua, for $800 a month, and you are closer to the U.S, if you are planning to visit relatives and friends, not bad a bad deal!!

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Yes, if you do any flights back to the EEUU, Nicaragua gets to be really, really hard to beat.

[@ajusa2024]

Your garden is beautiful Scott! Are you growing any food?

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Avocados, mangos, limes and a few other fruit. but that's it.

[@ajusa2024]

@@ScottAlanMillerVlog can't wait to grow so much tropical fruit down there (somewhere!)!

[@ajusa2024]

@@ScottAlanMillerVlog kzbin.info/www/bejne/nYbXpWyDacp-gdE this home is stunning!!!

[@Thenewgards]

Hello how do I use your service, I am coming next month with my husband and we are looking to purchase and I am so happy I found your video because we got quote to build a small house of upwards of 140,000 us . We saw a lot that we also want to purchase and build on it can you assist us, because we believe we got the gringo price.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Thanks! Just shoot an email, the email address is in the video and in the description. I can't write it normally here but it's info at relocate Nicaragua dot com.

[@selena2250]

Hi Scott:-) Which areas are least affected by hurricanes & earthquakes (safer to live in) because "Nicaragua is prone to seismic and volcanic activity, hurricanes, severe storms and flooding." Thanks!

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

I'll do a video about that (adding to notes....) but while all these statements are true, they also aren't things that you actually worry about here. I'll make a video covering it as I've been meaning to anyway, but those things are presented from other governments to try to make it sound scary as if all of those things aren't worse in the country you'd be coming from. Nicaraguans don't sit around worrying about or planning around those things because they don't cause problems or risk like people think. Hurricanes hitting unpopulated jungle, for example, aren't scary like they are hitting New Orleans or Houston.

[@selena2250]

@@ScottAlanMillerVlog thanks so much! Looking forward to it:-)

[@user-mt7kg7ti6u]

Thanks for the best information video Would only speaking English be impossible for Nicaragua.? Willng to learn

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Definitely. Loads of people do that. Learning Spanish will make your experience better, but don't delay because of that. Best to get here and learn SPanish as you go than to delay thinking tha tyou need to learn it first.

[@beaulong]

Hey Scott been watching alot of your videos. I think i saw one awhile back about your place. I think you bought your place. Can't remember. But if i wanted to rent a place like yours yard and such how much could i expect to pay?

[@Macsimus75]

Is a budget of 1,000 USD / month enough to live comfortably? Say, in San Juan del Sur?

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Yes, you can live on $1,000, but not in SJDS. SJDS is, by no small margin, the most expensive single village in the entire country. Most restaurants are 300% the cost of the same (or better) food anywhere else. $1,000 is tight anywhere, you can do it. Even in Granada, although that too would be foolish. Consider that $120/mo is your absolute rock bottom comfortable rental price. Then you need electric, water, cell service, transportation as living expenses. Those things have to eat up at least $200-$300 of your total budget leaving let's say $750/mo for clothes, entertainment, FOOD, and other incidentals. Totally doable, but very tight. $750/mo is $25/day. Can you eat street food or shop at the local market with $25 and eat for the day? For sure. But at $25 the difference between a single restaurant meal being $8 and it being $25 is literally the difference between having enough money to live or not being able to do it. SJDS's food prices alone would make it all but impossible. You could never call it comfortable. One assumes to be "comfortable" you need to at least have the option of going to a restaurant or doing activities. Nowhere will $1K/mo make you rich. But in Nicaragua (we refer to that as the area NOT in SJDS) that's enough to rent an apartment or small house, buy all the things that you need, go out to eat at least once a week, keep up on clothes and other items, have beer, go to shows, etc. SJDS it would be a "hopefully I don't starve this week" existence.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

I made this the subject of TOMORROW's video (coming out on Friday afternoon.)

[@Macsimus75]

@@ScottAlanMillerVlog Thank you so much Scott! That is a lot of valuable information. However please note, I would not need budget for rent, because I plan to buy a property (if in SJDS or elsewhere, let's see).

[@Macsimus75]

@@ScottAlanMillerVlog Amazing, thank you so much. I will make sure to watch it carefully.

[@elisabethroman8437]

banking ? how would direct deposits work.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Same as always, to your existing bank. You don't change any banking at all.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

kzbin.infoNIERfkACUss Just for you :)

[@sergeantram1205]

Any agency you recommend to buy a house? Great videos, I enjoy them. Thank you.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

This isn't the US, you never use an agency to buy a house here. There's no real estate structure like in North America. Using an agent as a buyer will raise the cost and create a lot of risk. Huge risk, no benefit.

[@user-nl3up5rj4k]

I'm coming in August this year for an unlimited period.. What kind of services can I rent from you?

[@patriciaflaherty]

The no medical insurance scares me. What if I had a heart attack or cancer or something? 😳

[@douglassolomon5888]

This older man, who mostly resides in Granada, had 3 stents, about a year ago. He used the Military Hospital, in Managua. The hospital has a "membership" plan, at about $90/month. Still, it cost him (reportedly) about $13,000 USD. Here's one of his two videos, describing his experience. kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZzVqImMp5xoi7M&pp=ygUXbmljYXJhZ3VhIHBhdWwgaG9zcGl0YWw%3D

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

I have a video about to come out about that. I think once you get away from the US, the mindset flips and becomes "I can't risk having insurance, what if I have a heart attack!" Insurance starts to be a risk itself, rather than a protection against risk.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

$13K for three stents from Militar seems reasonable. That's a major operation and using a top hospital in the big city (which you should probably do for that operation, for sure.) When I lived in Texas, my insurance was $35,000/year and covered almost nothing. Had I had a heart attack I'd have paid more than $13K out of pocket ON TOP of paying the $35K/annually for the insurance and probably much more still. But $13K is in line with other prices. It's not free healthcare, just super affordable and rarely is insurance needed when out of pocket gives so much control and is so cheap.

[@edmourgagnon1504]

Why worry if your dead?

[@marcellosapienza1755]

What about just buying a chip for the phone

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

I mentioned that. That's the $3 fee to get the SIM card.

[@kathieleece]

​@@ScottAlanMillerVlog, Greetings from Ontario Canada . I will be moving to Nicaragua in October of this year. I will be staying in Airbnbs in Managua for two months and Granada for at least three months . I'm looking at staying full time in Granada. Is it possible to get a finished studio or one bedroom apartment for $400 to $500 USD per month?

[@marcellosapienza1755]

Your a wealth of knowledge, you need to hook me up with contact info . 16 thousand for a house wow......

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Thanks, and for sure!

[@WadeVanValkenburgh]

Is starting a business or finding employment difficult as a foreigner?