Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Managua and Masaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Masaya: $817 a month against $1,040 in Managua, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Managua
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Managua Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Masaya
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Masaya Living Index

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Managua

🇳🇮 Nicaragua

$1,040

/mo nomad

Masaya

🇳🇮 Nicaragua

$817

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Managua and in Masaya

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Managua and in Masaya actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,040 per month in Managua vs $817 in Masaya, rent included.

Managua $1,040
Masaya $817

A couple spends around $1,626 per month in Managua vs $1,279 in Masaya, rent included.

Managua $1,626
Masaya $1,279

A family of three spends $2,211 per month in Managua vs $1,741 in Masaya, rent included.

Managua $2,211
Masaya $1,741

Managua costs about 27% more than Masaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Managua and Masaya are more affordable than the global median – Managua 23% lower, Masaya 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.95 NIO 365

$9.83 NIO 360

1.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.70 NIO 1,271

$35.52 NIO 1,301

-2.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 NIO 272

$7.71 NIO 282

-3.63%

Cappuccino

$2.55 NIO 93.5

$2.63 NIO 96.4

-3.04%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 NIO 33.08

$0.90 NIO 32.83

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 NIO 27.10

$0.74 NIO 27.23

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 NIO 54.2

$1.49 NIO 54.6

-0.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 NIO 84.6

$2.27 NIO 83.0

1.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 NIO 45.98

$1.23 NIO 44.90

2.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 NIO 85.6

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 NIO 66.6

$1.86 NIO 68.2

-2.15%

Eggs

$2.33 NIO 85.3

$2.35 NIO 86.1

-0.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.78 NIO 431

$11.48 NIO 421

2.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.26 NIO 229

$6.22 NIO 228

0.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.97 NIO 292

$7.92 NIO 290

0.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.11 NIO 151

$4.10 NIO 150

0.24%

Banana (1kg)

$0.59 NIO 21.43

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 NIO 64.6

$1.82 NIO 66.5

-3.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.44 NIO 89.3

$2.39 NIO 87.6

2.09%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 NIO 141

$3.92 NIO 143

-1.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 NIO 81.9

$2.19 NIO 80.3

2.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 NIO 39.95

$1.05 NIO 38.64

3.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 NIO 36.97

$1.00 NIO 36.71

1.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.70 NIO 99.1

$2.79 NIO 102

-3.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.76 NIO 541

$14.84 NIO 544

-0.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 NIO 54.0

$1.44 NIO 52.6

2.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 NIO 80.6

$2.28 NIO 83.3

-3.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.13 NIO 4.78

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.93 NIO 217

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 NIO 58.6

$1.67 NIO 61.3

-4.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 NIO 58.9

$1.59 NIO 58.2

1.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.67 NIO 244

$6.96 NIO 255

-4.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 NIO 48.07

$1.29 NIO 47.34

1.55%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$23.1K NIO 845.7K

$23.2K NIO 850.6K

-0.58%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.1K NIO 955.5K

$26.8K NIO 979.9K

-2.49%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$149 NIO 5,446

$151 NIO 5,535

-1.61%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$19.74 NIO 723

$19.52 NIO 715

1.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.89 NIO 1,204

$32.79 NIO 1,201

0.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.51 NIO 1,264

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.93 NIO 547

Cinema Ticket

$9.24 NIO 338

$9.13 NIO 334

1.20%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$239 NIO 8,739

$239 NIO 8,762

-0.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K NIO 438.2K

$11.9K NIO 435.1K

0.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 NIO 2,172

$59.1 NIO 2,163

0.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.6 NIO 2,366

$64.0 NIO 2,344

0.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 NIO 4,504

$124 NIO 4,534

-0.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 NIO 5,366

$143 NIO 5,220

2.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$256 NIO 9,363

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$181 NIO 6,646

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$446 NIO 16.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 NIO 13.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,172 NIO 42.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$672 NIO 24.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$428 NIO 15.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.92

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Managua: November 1, 2026

Last update for Masaya: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Managua

$260 25%

Masaya

$259 31.7% 0.5% $1.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Managua

$201 19.4%

Masaya

$203 24.9% 1.1% $2.1

Accommodation & Living

Managua

$181 17.4%

Masaya

- * 0% 100%

Clothing & Footwear

Managua

$177 17%

Masaya

$175 21.4% 1% $1.8

Eating Out

Managua

$151 14.5%

Masaya

$152 18.6% 0.5% $0.7

Sport & Entertainment

Managua

$53 5.1%

Masaya

$18 * 2.2% 65.5% $35

Getting Around

Managua

$16 1.6%

Masaya

$9.6 * 1.2% 40.2% $6.5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Managua versus $36 in Masaya. Groceries tell a different story – $260 in Managua vs $259 in Masaya – so Masaya wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇮 Managua

🇳🇮 Masaya

🕒 Local time

22:19 10:19 PM

Same time as Managua

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,039,290 Capital

178,835

💱 Currency

Nicaraguan Córdoba NIO C$

📈 Exchange rate

100 NIO = 2.73 USD

100 NIO = 2.43 EUR

100 NIO = 2.73 USD

100 NIO = 2.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Managua Masaya 28 km

From you

Managua
Masaya

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Managua vs Masaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,040 in Managua, $817 in Masaya – Masaya comes out roughly 21% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,560 per month in Managua and $1,226 in Masaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Kindergarten costs $239 per month in Managua and $239 in Masaya. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,040 in Managua and $817 in Masaya. That makes Masaya about 21% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Masaya, where all-in costs run around $817, than in Managua at $1,040. In Masaya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Managua it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Managua has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $817 in Masaya to $1,040 in Managua. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.