Nicaragua is the most budget friendly international travel location for americans.  We would’ve spent more moneydriving to Florida for a trip.

If you want to save on travel, you’re going to have to compromise somewhere.  For this trip, that was on the airfare.  We drove 2 hours to the Atlanta airport.  We also traveled outside of the peak season for Nicaragua.  This meant lower airfare in addition to cheaper accommodations.  Neither choice did anything to take away from the trip we were able to have.  In total, we spent around $1,600.

Airfare – $640

Roundtrip tickets from Atlanta to Managua were $277 each.  We flew on Spirit airlines and didn’t pay for any additional options.  We were both able to pack enough clothes for the entire trip in the included personal item.  I also took my camera, 2 extra lenses, a mini-tripod and an extra pair of shoes.  There’s no need to pay to take more stuff.  We paid $85 for offsite parking (Peachy) at the Atlanta airport.

Accommodations – $410

Accommodations in Nicaragua were as cheap as any that I’ve seen in the Western Hemisphere.  For around $50, you could get a decent double room throughout the country.  We booked 2 traditional hotels.  There were limited Airbnb’s in Nicaragua but we booked 2 that we loved on Ometepe island and at Gigante Beach.  The Airbnb’s really added to the experience we had in these locations.

Transportation – $214

Getting around any country adds costs but the bus system helped to keep them down.  Even 1+ hour bus rides were only a couple of dollars.  We did choose to take several taxis to maximize our time and those totaled around $140.  The best way to get around Ometepe island is by renting a scooter.  That cost us $20 a day.  A ferry to and from the island is only a few dollars.

Food – $155

Food was surprisingly expensive compared to the cost of accommodations.  We were usually busy doing activities over lunch and ate convenience store snacks most days.  We went to restaurants for dinner.  Those meals ranged from $15 – $30 for 2 people.

Other – $144

The remainder of our cost came from unaccounted for cash spending.  Most of that probably went to food.  We also spent $48 visiting Mombacho Volcano Reserve.

Nicaragua is the most budget friendly international travel location for americans.  We would’ve spent more moneydriving to Florida for a trip.

If you want to save on travel, you’re going to have to compromise somewhere.  For this trip, that was on the airfare.  We drove 2 hours to the Atlanta airport.  We also traveled outside of the peak season for Nicaragua.  This meant lower airfare in addition to cheaper accommodations.  Neither choice did anything to take away from the trip we were able to have.  In total, we spent around $1,600.

Airfare – $640

Roundtrip tickets from Atlanta to Managua were $277 each.  We flew on Spirit airlines and didn’t pay for any additional options.  We were both able to pack enough clothes for the entire trip in the included personal item.  I also took my camera, 2 extra lenses, a mini-tripod and an extra pair of shoes.  There’s no need to pay to take more stuff.  We paid $85 for offsite parking (Peachy) at the Atlanta airport.

Accommodations – $410

Accommodations in Nicaragua were as cheap as any that I’ve seen in the Western Hemisphere.  For around $50, you could get a decent double room throughout the country.  We booked 2 traditional hotels.  There were limited Airbnb’s in Nicaragua but we booked 2 that we loved on Ometepe island and at Gigante Beach.  The Airbnb’s really added to the experience we had in these locations.

Transportation – $214

Getting around any country adds costs but the bus system helped to keep them down.  Even 1+ hour bus rides were only a couple of dollars.  We did choose to take several taxis to maximize our time and those totaled around $140.  The best way to get around Ometepe island is by renting a scooter.  That cost us $20 a day.  A ferry to and from the island is only a few dollars.

Food – $155

Food was surprisingly expensive compared to the cost of accommodations.  We were usually busy doing activities over lunch and ate convenience store snacks most days.  We went to restaurants for dinner.  Those meals ranged from $15 – $30 for 2 people.

Other – $144

The remainder of our cost came from unaccounted for cash spending.  Most of that probably went to food.  We also spent $48 visiting Mombacho Volcano Reserve.