Have you dreamt of retiring to a tropical country not too far from the United States? Nicaragua might be the best fit for you with beautiful coastlines, wonderful weather and very affordable accomodation.
The Best 5 Cities To Retire In Nicaragua are:
- Granada
- San Juan del Sur
- Leon
- Managua
- Las Penitas
Look down below to see why these cities might be a perfect destination for you after retiring.
Is Nicaragua a good place to retire?
Population: 6.7 million
Climate: 26 °C / 80 °F
Capital city: Managua
Currency: Nicaraguan Córdoba
Language: Spanish
Nicaragua is a popular retirement destination for Americans, Canadians and Europeans wanting to move somewhere warmer. It is great for retirees looking to save money for the long run thanks to an abundance of great real estate investment opportunities, low property taxes, cheap living expenses and a great quality of life. You can retire 10 to 15 years earlier than you otherwise intended to if you consider Nicaragua as somewhere to retire.
By North American standards, the expense of hiring someone to do your cleaning, gardening or even service your automobile will be extremely low in Nicaragua. A gardener, for example, costs around $16 per day. Anything made in Nicaragua will be incredibly inexpensive. Several bags of fresh, organic fruit and vegetables weighing 20 to 30 pounds can cost less than $10.
Quality health care in Nicaragua can cost less than half of what it would cost in the United States with similar quality and trained English speaking doctors and nurses making it the perfect city for you on a budget.
The flight time from the USA is about 6 ½ hours and will cost you less than $320 USD for a round trip ticket. This makes it a great get away prior to retiring and then as a full time home once you have fully retired but still being in easy and quick access to the USA. This makes it also great for friends and family to visit.
What are the best cities to live in?
Nicaragua really has it all from beautiful coastline cities with magnificent beaches to developing metropolitan areas with a rich sense of history and art. Choosing a city to retire in might be hard especially if you have not been there. So in this article we will make things easier for you by offering all of the information on our favorite places.
Is Granada a good place to retire?
Temperature: 24°C to 32°C / 74°F to 89°F
Population: 131k
On the banks of Lake Nicaragua, Granada is one of the biggest and the most historical cities in the country. It is the home to a number of Spanish colonial landmarks that have survived the many pirate raids of days gone by. The brilliant neoclassical front of the Cathedral of Granada, which dates from 1583, dominates the city’s principal plaza. Granada is a vibrant, unique town with over 1000 expats in the community.
Granada is one of Central America’s more sophisticated and elegant towns. It has a diverse range of restaurants, museums, galleries, markets, and other attractions. The major Cathedral Iglesia Guadalupe located on Calzada, the magnificent Iglesia la Merced, and the canary yellow Catedral de Granada are key architectural tourist attractions. If you only see one, go to the latter because it leads to Granada’s huge Parque Central.
Another nice thing about Granada is that it is less than an hour away from the capital Managua if you need anything the town does not provide. This could be specialist medical care or just a day in a bigger town to go shopping or to pick up someone that is flying in to visit.
What To Do in Granada:
- San Pablo Fortress
- Finca El Rayo
- Parque Central de Granada
- Cathedral of Granada
- Sor Maria Romero Birthplace
- Guadalupe Church
- Mombacho Volcano Nature Reserve
Popular Restaurants in Granada:
- Cafetín Claudia
- The Garden Cafe
- Restaurante El Garaje
- Restaurante CHOMIN
- Cocteleria El Capitán
- Leche Agria El Corralito Granada
TIP: Some of these websites are in Spanish. If you open the website in google chrome you can use the built in translation to change it to English.
Is San Juan del Sur a good place to retire?
Temperature: 25°C to 30°C / 77°F to 86°F
Population: 7,800
San Juan del Sur is a well-known small city in Nicaragua’s southwest coast. It’s famous for a line of surrounding Pacific beaches. This includes Maderas Beach which has strong-breaking waves, and Marsella Beach which is quieter. On a cliff above the bay there is a massive contemporary Christ of Mercy statue.
It’s now a famous tourist destination with a 1940s California surf town ambiance, a small town center, and a slew of developments extending outward that range in price from Social Security-level housing to multimillion-dollar homes. If you enjoy surfing and/or the beach lifestyle then San Juan del Sur is the perfect place to retire.
What To Do in San Juan del Sur:
- Cristo de La Misericordia
- Canopy Tour San Juan del Sur
- Aventura Las Nubes
- Playa San Juan del Sur
- Playa Marsella
- Playa Arenas Blancas, San Juan Del Sur, Rivas
Popular Restaurants in San Juan del Sur:
Is Leon a good place to retire?
Temperature: 24°C to 31°C / 74°F to 88°F
Population: 210k
León is a city in Nicaragua’s western region. Locals refer to Leon as a “young people’s town”. This is due to being the second largest city in the country and mainly a university town. Being a university town there is cheap accommodation, food and activities as well as a more youthful vibe. It’s a lively, vibrant, and lovely town located just a half-hour drive from Nicaragua’s west coast beaches.
The huge León Cathedral is a mix of baroque and neoclassical styles. Nearby, the Centro de Arte Fundación Ortiz-Gurdián is known for its collection of Latin American and European modern art, which is housed in two colonial-era homes.
The ruins of the medieval city of León Viejo can be found along the base of the Momotombo Volcano to the east. Overall Leon is a metropolitan city that is rich in history as well as natural beauty. If you are looking forward to retiring in a city rich in arts and history while also close to the beach then Leon is for you.
What To Do in Leon:
- The Original Free Walking Tour
- Quetzaltrekkers León
- Church The Recollection
- Ruben Dario Registry Museum
- Sutiaba Church – St. John the Baptist
- Botánico Ambiental Garden
TIP: Some of these websites are in Spanish. If you open the website in google chrome you can use the built in translation to change it to English.
Popular Restaurants in Leon:
- Tacubaya Latin Food
- Sua León Cocina Mediterránea
- Moncho’s León
- Coco Calala
- Shawarma
- Que Vaina!
- Sundance Bar & Restaurant
Is Managua a good place to retire?
Temperature: 22°C to 31°C / 71°F to 88°F
Population: 1 million
Managua is the capital city of Nicaragua. It is also the largest city in Nicaragua located on the south shore of Lake Managua. Managua is just one of the many lovely cities in Nicaragua where expats may live in a safe and welcoming environment. Managua is well-known as a great city for individuals interested in historic architecture. It is also regarded as Nicaragua’s premier healthcare city with every type of medical service available.
It also has access to the international airport Augusto Cesar Sandino which makes it very convenient to pick up or meet visitors that are coming to see you. The great shopping and access to the lake for all year round water sports make it a great city to live in.
What To Do in Managua:
- Santiago of Managua Cathedral
- Revolution Square
- Paseo de las Iglesias
- Artificial Lake – Luis Alfonso Velasquez Flores Park
- Arboretum Nacional Juan Bautista Salas
- Central Park
- Palacio Nacional
Popular Restaurants in Managua:
- Sisu
- Restaurant Don Candido
- Porterhouse Steaks
- Yuni’s Coffee and Food
- Los Ranchos
- ZacateLimon
- Peruvian Terrace
TIP: Some of these websites are in Spanish. If you open the website in google chrome you can use the built in translation to change it to English.
Is Las Penitas a good place to retire?
Temperature: 24°C to 32°C / 75°F to 89°F
Population: 5,000
Las Penitas is a fishing town and tourist beach community on Nicaragua’s northwestern coast. This is a pretty laid-back small town, which is a wonderful thing given that it is just a half-hour drive from Leon. This gives you the small town feel and being able to drive to Leon in about 25 minutes for medical care and shopping as well as transport links.
If sleepy towns with endless miles of beach are your thing then this is the perfect place for you. Keep in mind in smaller towns like this that Spanish is essential so you should start brushing up on it before you go. Also your major supermarket shopping would be done in Leon with only a few small shops and restaurants in the town.
With any small town comes the safety and friendliness of everyone knowing everyone so it makes it a great place to feel at home. There is however limited accommodation so you will have to stay in one of the hotels locally to go searching for a place.
What To Do in Las Penitas:
Popular Restaurants in Las Penitas:
NOTE: If you want to know if retiring in Nicaragua is worth it, check this article about Retire In Nicaragua: 8 Pros And Cons. And you can also see the real prices with this another article Retire To Nicaragua: The Cost of Explained. So click on them and have a look.
If you would like to know more about living in Nicaragua there is a great Youtube channel you can check out below with someone currently living there with his family.
