How much does food cost in Managua, Nicaragua?

Food in general, as in grocery shopping is pretty cheap in Nicaragua. The best thing about Nicaragua is that you can find a range of really cheap things and places, to the most expensive ones.  Let's start with the cheapest and move up from there.

 

The Market: In the local markets you can find absolutely everything you might need, starting from meats - chicken, beef, pork, fish - vegetables, seasonings, fruits, grains, dairy, and so on. By buying all your...

Food in general, as in grocery shopping is pretty cheap in Nicaragua. The best thing about Nicaragua is that you can find a range of really cheap things and places, to the most expensive ones.  Let's start with the cheapest and move up from there.

 

The Market: In the local markets you can find absolutely everything you might need, starting from meats - chicken, beef, pork, fish - vegetables, seasonings, fruits, grains, dairy, and so on. By buying all your essentials in the market you can spend around US $100 to $150 for fifteen days worth of food.

 

The Grocery Store: Same as in the market you can find all the essentials you need for your food provisions, plus obviously those special treats you only find at the supermarket. We have obviously different kinds of grocery stores, from the ones which sell simple and essential stuff and more eco-friendly, bigger with different options, and the ones that have besides the essentials American products, directly shipped from U.S.

 

Pali is eco-friendly, doesn't have air conditioning and does not give you plastic bags to pack, but you can pack your stuff in boxes to take home, or you can use your own shopping bag. 15 days worth of food for US $150.

 

La Union and La Colonia (one is slightly more expensive than the other) are your regular grocery stores, with everything you need like essentials as mentioned above, treats, frozen foods, American and other foreign products. 15 days worth of food for US $200 - $250.

 

Stop and Go, is the smallest of them all (a mini-market), offers you only specially shipped products from the U.S, so if you want or feel like cooking at home in another country, this would be your choice, although national grocery stores do offer you the best. Also, Stop and Go offers you seasonings, sauces, packaged food, drinks, and all kinds of sweets and of course it has dairy, grains, and personal products. 15 days worth of food US $250 - $300.

 

You can also do your shopping at the wholesale store - Pricesmart - This place is just like a Costco or Walmart, and sells absolutely everything you may need. If you tend to buy your food for longer periods I certainly advise for you to buy at Pricesmart. 2 months worth of food can cost from US $300 to $400. 

 

All the budgets above are from a range from 4 to 6 people. 

 

I will give more details on eating outside the home in the question about how much do restaurants cost in Managua, but for now, if you plan on eating outside you can spend from $4 to $20 on breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It all depends on where you eat. 

 

Hope this works for you!

The cost of food in Nicaragua is cheap. I feed a family of four plus two more people who help me in the house and once a week a gardener. I go grocery shopping once a week and spend an average of US $90 (which works out to slightly over $2 / day / person). This includes meats, poultry, laundry detergent, milk all sorts of fruits and vegetables (which are incredibly cheap)-- the works! 

The cost of food in Nicaragua is cheap. I feed a family of four plus two more people who help me in the house and once a week a gardener. I go grocery shopping once a week and spend an average of US $90 (which works out to slightly over $2 / day / person). This includes meats, poultry, laundry detergent, milk all sorts of fruits and vegetables (which are incredibly cheap)-- the works!