Estelí at a glance
- Estelí ranks 3rd of 10 priced cities in Nicaragua on cost: $578 a month in essentials, 0% above Bluefields, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $282 covers that 0.5×.
- 90 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at municipio level.
- PM2.5 averages 7.2 µg/m³ a year, 1× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 10 Nicaragua cities we track, so every row says whether Estelí is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $578 | $578 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $146 | $146 | same |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $194 | $194 | same |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $126 | $126 | same |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $162 | $162 | same |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $139 | $139 | same |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $5 | $5 | same |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $282 | $282 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $277 | $277 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $331 | $331 | same |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Estelí, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $7.48 | $7.48 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $33.00 | $33.00 | same |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $6.70 | $6.70 | same |
| Cappuccino, regular | $2.23 | $2.23 | same |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $1.26 | $1.26 | same |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $1.76 | $1.76 | same |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.76 | $0.76 | same |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.62 | $0.62 | same |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.11 | $1.11 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $2.08 | $2.08 | same |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.54 | $1.54 | same |
| Eggs, 12 | $2.07 | $2.07 | same |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $10.20 | $10.20 | same |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $5.82 | $5.82 | same |
| Apples, 1 kg | $3.26 | $3.26 | same |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $0.53 | $0.53 | same |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $1.96 | $1.96 | same |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $3.45 | $3.45 | same |
| Onions, 1 kg | $1.94 | $1.94 | same |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.92 | $0.92 | same |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.13 | $0.13 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $5.65 | $5.65 | same |
| Taxi start | $1.53 | $1.53 | same |
| Taxi, 1 km | $1.02 | $1.02 | same |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.26 | $1.26 | same |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $104.78 | $104.78 | same |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $34.66 | $34.66 | same |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $15.99 | $15.99 | same |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $31.50 | $31.50 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $7.48 | $7.48 | same |
Dating-age sex ratio
Estelí has 90 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (municipio level). That is the lowest of the 10 Nicaragua cities we track. Nicaragua's national figure is 100, so Estelí runs 10 below the country as a whole.
Every Nicaragua region by male-to-female ratio →
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Estelí ranks against every city we track
Estelí sits ahead of 93% of the 1001 cities we track on women aged 20–39. On city-centre rent it is ahead of 92% of 1010. Its weakest measure is salary against local costs, ahead of only 13% of 991.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Estelí sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Estelí on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Estelí beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Estelí in the research deskOr unlock the Nicaragua deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: Tisey, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Data updated