Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan del Sur and Chinandega

For one person, living is cheaper in Chinandega: $769 a month against $1,058 in San Juan del Sur, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in San Juan del Sur outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

51

Cost of Living Index in San Juan del Sur
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San Juan del Sur Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Chinandega
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Chinandega Living Index

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San Juan del Sur

🇳🇮 Nicaragua

$1,058

/mo nomad

Chinandega

🇳🇮 Nicaragua

$769

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Juan del Sur and in Chinandega

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

A single person spends $1,058 per month in San Juan del Sur vs $769 in Chinandega, rent included.

San Juan del Sur $1,058
Chinandega $769

A couple spends around $1,682 per month in San Juan del Sur vs $1,229 in Chinandega, rent included.

San Juan del Sur $1,682
Chinandega $1,229

A family of three spends $2,307 per month in San Juan del Sur vs $1,690 in Chinandega, rent included.

San Juan del Sur $2,307
Chinandega $1,690

San Juan del Sur costs about 38% more than Chinandega, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Juan del Sur and Chinandega are more affordable than the global median – San Juan del Sur 22% lower, Chinandega 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.17 NIO 153

$9.81 NIO 359

-57.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.08 NIO 1,248

$34.53 NIO 1,265

-1.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.57 NIO 204

$7.75 NIO 284

-28.13%

Cappuccino

$2.56 NIO 93.7

$2.64 NIO 96.6

-3.03%

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

$0.86 NIO 31.37

$0.90 NIO 32.81

-4.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 NIO 25.02

$0.72 NIO 26.55

-5.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 NIO 53.8

$1.52 NIO 55.5

-3.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 NIO 81.8

$2.28 NIO 83.4

-2.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 NIO 45.36

$1.27 NIO 46.40

-2.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 NIO 55.9

$2.42 NIO 88.5

-36.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 NIO 43.56

$1.87 NIO 68.4

-36.36%

Eggs

$2.44 NIO 89.2

$2.34 NIO 85.8

4.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.71 NIO 283

$11.63 NIO 426

-33.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.15 NIO 225

$6.30 NIO 231

-2.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.84 NIO 287

$7.67 NIO 281

2.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 NIO 150

$4.12 NIO 151

-0.49%

Banana (1kg)

$0.62 NIO 22.71

$0.62 NIO 22.78

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 NIO 67.3

$1.75 NIO 64.0

5.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 NIO 89.9

$2.43 NIO 89.2

0.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.11 NIO 114

$3.99 NIO 146

-22.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 NIO 79.9

$2.16 NIO 79.2

0.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 NIO 38.54

$1.10 NIO 40.19

-4.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 NIO 38.52

$1.00 NIO 36.79

5.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.76 NIO 101

$2.77 NIO 102

-0.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.76 NIO 357

$14.74 NIO 540

-33.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 NIO 51.9

$1.48 NIO 54.3

-4.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 NIO 79.7

$2.16 NIO 79.0

0.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 NIO 58.0

$1.64 NIO 60.1

-3.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 NIO 60.3

$1.67 NIO 61.3

-1.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.87 NIO 252

$6.92 NIO 254

-0.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 NIO 49.13

$1.37 NIO 50.4

-2.19%

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

$22.8K NIO 836.8K

$22.9K NIO 839.1K

-0.27%

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

$26.7K NIO 977.1K

$26.4K NIO 966.9K

1.05%

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

$60.8 NIO 2,225

$101 NIO 3,693

-39.75%

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

$10.32 NIO 378

$19.49 NIO 714

-47.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.01 NIO 1,209

$32.15 NIO 1,178

2.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.51 NIO 1,118

Cinema Ticket

$9.23 NIO 338

$9.12 NIO 334

1.21%

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

$233 NIO 8,530

$234 NIO 8,556

-0.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,128 NIO 224.4K

$5,994 NIO 219.5K

2.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.1 NIO 2,237

$60.7 NIO 2,223

0.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.1 NIO 2,421

$63.8 NIO 2,336

3.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 NIO 4,500

$121 NIO 4,431

1.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 NIO 5,331

$145 NIO 5,293

0.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 NIO 15.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 NIO 14.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$930 NIO 34.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$797 NIO 29.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 NIO 12.7K

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 San Juan del Sur: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chinandega: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Juan del Sur

$393 37.2%

Chinandega

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

San Juan del Sur

$225 21.3%

Chinandega

$260 33.9% 15.8% $36

Clothing & Footwear

San Juan del Sur

$178 16.8%

Chinandega

$175 22.8% 1.4% $2.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Juan del Sur

$104 9.8%

Chinandega

$152 19.8% 46.5% $48

Eating Out

San Juan del Sur

$99 9.3%

Chinandega

$152 19.8% 54% $53

Sport & Entertainment

San Juan del Sur

$49 4.6%

Chinandega

$18 * 2.4% 62.8% $31

Getting Around

San Juan del Sur

$9.8 * 0.9%

Chinandega

$10 * 1.3% 2% $0.2

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 $34.00 in San Juan del Sur versus $35.00 in Chinandega. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $260 – making San Juan del Sur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇮 San Juan del Sur

🇳🇮 Chinandega

🕒 Local time

22:32 10:32 PM

Same time as San Juan del Sur

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,741

135,578

💱 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

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Between locations

San Juan del Sur Chinandega 210 km

From you

San Juan del Sur
Chinandega

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

San Juan del Sur vs Chinandega: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,058 in San Juan del Sur, $769 in Chinandega – roughly 38% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,586 per month in San Juan del Sur and $1,153 in Chinandega. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in San Juan del Sur and $35.00 in Chinandega. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 16% cheaper in San Juan del Sur – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Chinandega, where all-in costs run around $769, than in San Juan del Sur at $1,058. In Chinandega it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Juan del Sur it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. San Juan del Sur has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $769 in Chinandega to $1,058 in San Juan del Sur. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chinandega. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Juan del Sur makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.