I am a usano (person from the U.S.) living in Nicaragua. This article is about how you can move to Nicaragua today, live comfortably and move yourself up the economic ladder. Don't wait until you are too old to have fun–you can move today.

What does that mean? It means you don't have to wait to retire, built a nest egg or anything else. If you are ready for what Nicaragua has to offer, there are ways you can make that transition today. I have called it Living Like a Nica which just happens to be the title of an ebook I wrote with my wife in 2007. The ebook will tell you a lot about the concept and a lot about Nicaragua in general but, if you are ready, this hub will tell you how to make that move.

Let's start with a question: why not move now? If your answer was that you don't have the money, you are reading the right hub. Having to take care of a bedridden relative is an issue, money is not.

Back in the 1980s, someone said to me, "Nicaraguans are losers. I heard the average income is $600/year." I chose to look at it a bit differently. I couldn't live in Seattle on $600/year so Nicaraguans must know something I didn't. Unfortunately, it was over twenty years later when I decided to actually head to Nicaragua and figure out what it was they could do that I couldn't.

Now, even if we double that $600/year to compensate for inflation, it is unlikely you will like the lifestyle that $100/month could get you. But, amazing as it may seem, people here can live on that $100/mo. What I have in mind is a lot more up-scale and my plan includes some suggestions on how to make the money you need to live on while in Nicaragua.

Current Expenses

The most telling thing you can do is to catagorize your current expenses. Here are some good starting categories:

• Housing—that includes rent/house payment, home insurance, maintenance, taxes, ...
• Utilities—electricity, gas, water, sewer, telephone, internet, cable TV, ...
• Food—grocery shopping, eating out, junk food
• Transportation—if you have a vehicle, include the payment, registration, insurance, fuel and maintenance. If not, just your public transportation costs.
• Clothing—when thinking about clothing expenses, try to sort out what you need to buy for work attire.
• Taxes—income tax, sales tax, luxury tax, ...

  That leaves you with the money you spend to do fun things. You will still want to have some fun money but I can assure you that fun is a whole lot cheaper in Nicaragua. If, for example, an alcoholic drink is on your fun list, be aware that you can buy a fifth of excellent Nicaraguan rum for about $6.

  Ok, you figured out what it cost you to live where you are. Now it is my turn to offer some realistic numbers for the same things in Nicaragua. In some cases I will offer a huge range but I will try to explain that range. After we talk about what you can do to secure an income in Nicaragua, you may want to change your expense choices. Or, put another way, move up the economic ladder.

  The numbers I am going to offer are for a city or town in a part of Nicragua where the climate is generally comfortable. That means you may need an extra blanket on your bed sometimes and sometimes you may think it is a hot day but, year round, you will never need heating or air conditioning.

  The biggest variable is going to be housing cost. On the absolute low end, it is likely you can find a situation where you take care of a kid or two in return for room and board. Your knowledge of English which is seen as something desirable for one's children here gives you an immediate foot in the door.

  What's room and board worth? Probably around $100-150/mo. Not a lot and, if you just want the free time, it is likely you can rent a room and meals in someone's house in this price range. That doesn't mean gourmet food but it means basic nutrition.

  There just aren't a lot of apartments available so your next step up is likely to be a private house. At the low end will be a one-room house with a latrine, if you are lucky, water available from a public well or faucet nearby for less than $50/mo. Stepping up to the $150 to $200/mo range should get you a comfortable house with utilities in a decent neighborhood. If that is starting to sound expensive, look for a housemate to share.

  If you elected for your own house, you will have your own utility bills as well. While many of those utilities will cost as much per unit as in the U.S., the quantities you need to use will be much lower. With no heating or cooling needs, energy bills tend to be very low. $5/mo for water would be on the high end.

  If you are living on your own, you will need to buy food. If you are used to "opening a can" for most of your food, you can expect to pay as much or more here. On the other hand, if the idea of cooking a pot of beans, frying an egg and such is on your agenda, prices will be ok. Fresh vegetables and fruit are available year round. For example, a dozen bananas will cost somewhere between $.20 and $.50 depending on supply and demand.

  If you plan to eat out, low-end means can cost as little as $1 with $2 being typical for a decent lunch. Fancier options will be in the $5 and up price range.

  The other big item is transportation. If you are considering a private car, talk yourself out of it. With a large percentage of Nicaraguans depending on walking, bicycles and public transportation, there are good options and good prices for each. This dependency also results in small stores selling the things you need most in virtually every block in the city and seldom far away even in rural areas.

  To put this in perspective, Estelí is a city of over 100,000 people. It has four in-city bus routes which cost about $.15. If a bus isn't convenient, shared cabs cost about $.50/person to take you anywhere in the city. Inter-city public transit is also very inexpensive. For example, a trip to Managua (about 100 miles from Estelí) on an express bus costs less than $3 and takes only a little more time than a private vehicle.

  No matter how you want to dress, clothing will cost less here because you need so much less of it. No overcoats, sweaters and such. You can find me 99% of the time in jeans and a tshirt. For the rainy season, a raincoat or umbrella is a good investment.

  For taxes, there is a 15% sales tax on most items. Unlike in the U.S., prices usually include the tax. Enforcement of taxes is rather lax and if you are asked "do you need a receipt" it is usually equivalent to "do you want to pay the tax"?

  There is also an income tax for higher levels of income and a tax on bank interest which amounts to 10% of the interest you earn on money in Nicaraguan banks.

  One item not in the list is health care. It's cost is a lot like housing--starting at $0 on up. Nicaragua has government-provided free health care. This starts at health clinics in most municipalities up through regional hospitals. While the free end is far from what you expect from an expensive doctor in the first world, it tends to get the job done. I have relatives who have had major surgery for free and all are fine.

  If you want something a bit more personal, office visits to doctors cost about $15. Expect about the same from a dentist. And hospital stays, even in major commercial hospitals here cost much less than in the U.S.

  Hopefully you have enough information to be able to come up with a basic budget for Nicaragua from this information. If it is anywhere near your current budget, go back and re-do the calculations. Something is severely wrong.

  Creating Income

  The first thing to think about is that, in general, Nicaraguans are poor. Thus, the best way to make a decent income is to get someone other than a local Nicaragua to pay you. The good news is that armed with the fact that your needed income is now much lower and that working on-line sees no national boundaries, there are lots of options.

  If, however, you just don't see yourself as working on-line, there are still some possibilities. The biggest problem with most Nicaraguan businesses is lack of capital. While we aren't talking about you making an investment to start a business, you are likely to have some assets that will allow you to start a business.

  For example, if you owned a digital camera, a computer and a color printer, you have options from wedding photographer to web developer. If you have some basic electrician's tools, you could be an electrician. Screwdrivers, socket sets and automotive knowledge and you are an auto mechanic.

  These are not exaggerations. Hobby-level skills in the U.S. generally are equal or greater than many professionals here. With no professional licensing to speak of, you are the new expert.

  Even if you have no equipment and virtually no skills, once you acquire a bit of Spanish and get to know your way around, you can be a guide for the next Gringo that is looking for some help.

  Again, remember that your income requirements have substantially changed. If, for example, you have decided you need to earn $600/mo, that only means $20/day. It's just a whole different ballgame.

  Summary

  If you are sick of the rat race, don't wait for retirement age in order to drop out. A move to a country such as Nicaragua can mean a whole new life on a budget you can afford. The biggest thing that is holding you back is your idea that it isn't possible. Well, it is. Enjoy that new life now.

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