Managua at a glance
- Managua is the cheapest of Nicaragua's 3 priced cities: $676 a month in essentials, 31% below León at $974.
- The average net salary of $353 covers that 0.5×.
- 91.8 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at municipio level.
- PM2.5 averages 7.6 µg/m³ a year, 2× 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 3 Nicaragua cities we track, so every row says whether Managua 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 | $676 | $705 | $29 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $194 | $350 | 1.80× as much |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $258 | $329 | 1.28× as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $144 | $144 | same |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $184 | $184 | same |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $148 | $148 | same |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $6 | $6 | same |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $353 | $353 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $369 | $515 | 1.40× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $441 | $645 | 1.46× as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Managua, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $8.50 | $8.50 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $37.50 | $37.50 | same |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $7.61 | $7.61 | same |
| Cappuccino, regular | $2.53 | $2.53 | same |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $1.43 | $1.43 | same |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $2.00 | $2.00 | same |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.86 | $0.86 | same |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.70 | $0.70 | same |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.26 | $1.26 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $2.36 | $2.36 | same |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.75 | $1.43 | $0.32 |
| Eggs, 12 | $2.35 | $2.23 | $0.12 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $11.59 | $9.74 | $1.85 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $6.61 | $6.61 | same |
| Apples, 1 kg | $3.71 | $3.71 | same |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $0.60 | $0.60 | same |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $2.23 | $1.72 | 1.30× as much |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $3.92 | $2.76 | 1.42× as much |
| Onions, 1 kg | $2.21 | $2.21 | same |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $1.05 | $1.05 | same |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.14 | $0.14 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $6.01 | $6.01 | same |
| Taxi start | $1.63 | $1.63 | same |
| Taxi, 1 km | $1.09 | ||
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.34 | $1.34 | same |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $111.47 | $111.47 | same |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $36.87 | $36.67 | $0.20 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $17.01 | $17.01 | same |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $35.79 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $8.50 | $8.50 | same |
Dating-age sex ratio
Managua has 91.8 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (municipio level). That is the 8th-highest of 10 Nicaragua cities we track. Nicaragua's national figure is 100, so Managua runs 8 below the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Managua ranks against every city we track
Managua sits ahead of 89% of the 553 cities we track on city-centre rent. On women aged 20–39 it is ahead of 88% of 892. Its weakest measure is salary against local costs, ahead of only 7% of 534.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Managua sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: Renamed_user_6e0b88a454af314221db5ecfd50beda0, CC BY-SA 4.0.
