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davis2536
  6/28/2017 14:23 EST

Hi...I have been researching a permanent move to Nicaragua. I am an American, unhappy living in the USA, 61, seperated, not wealthy but have funds saved up.

So, to get the ball rolling, Taking a trip to Nicaragua in the next month or so to check it out.

The forums and information I have been reading is mostly 2-3 years old so trying to get a feel for what it's like now....cost of living, city vs. living near the ocean, if there is any employment opportunities in Nicaragua (in sales currently).

From what I have read, it is relatively easy to move there...but any info you can offer is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

elduendegrande
  6/29/2017 10:07 EST

Come visit.
the first priority is to realign your basic definitions. Your previous life has lead you to make certain definitions of things, like "house", "city", "road". "food", "women". You need a reality check that can only be made on the ground in Spanish.

Second, do a search on this site and others. Take everything with a grain of salt, and be especially wary of people who have things to sell, a political agenda, or are just new here and blowing newby smoke.

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iguanalover
  6/29/2017 10:58 EST

Good advice on the visit, but before you visit, take stock of your life. After the excitement of the move, then what? This is the most important question. Time has to be filled. We are watching many people struggle with this and lots of folks have left in the last year. Boredom is a real factor. Too many people are filling their time with booze, other substances and gossip. It is not a good combo.
We are also seeing many people who cannot leave and they are not great folks to be around.

Successful expats remake their lives and find things to do that they have always wanted to do. They are easy going and accept life as it comes. They learn to navigate around in Spanish.

When you visit, go the grocery stores, the hardware stores, the churches, the parks. Get a feel for everyday life and how you would fit in. Expats live all over the country, see as much as you can. Nicaragua is a small country that is being rapidly developed. The development is pretty ferocious, look carefully at what will be here in a few years.

novato1953
  6/29/2017 11:04 EST

Check in and check it out. Nowadays there aren't nearly as many serial killers as there were only a few short years ago. If you like it you are good to stay, while if you don't like it, well, it's not like Nicaragua is the only foreign haven available.

atz111
  6/29/2017 11:20 EST

Good advice...I have a lot to do and still get bored time to time. You have to come down and cruise around and see how you fit in...on the sites like this you have 5-6 types of people (and a very small sample of each) and you are but one type but will after here a bit on a exploration visit know how it affects you when you see for yourself. I gotta admit it is different after the the thrill of moving wears off and you get stuff half way figured out. Do not count on work...or a "vibrant" expat community to carry the day. I'd come, rent, and be ready to move on in a year or so.....you stay and that is great but be able to beat it. And this which may sound negative is from a guy who like it OK here...

cedelune
  6/29/2017 14:37 EST

This forum is only one source of information. I suggest you also join some of the Facebook groups for different parts of the country and Expats in Nicaragua. Not all of them are called "expats in" or "expats of" so you could also search FB by location. San Juan Del Sur has 5 or 6 FB groups, if not more. Also check out two blogs: Rewired and Retired on Ometepe Island, and InNicaNow. Both are written by expats who are making it work for them here.

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johnchip
  7/3/2017 12:36 EST

Being 'unhappy'or 'seperated' (ie, lonely)' living in the US, is not a very good reason to move here. Being over 60 may be reason, if you like getting in the short line for the 'aged, incapacitated or pregnant' at banks and offices. "Employment' unless by a foreign registered company is not allowed by law to a gringo unless you employ yourself in your own business. Getting your residency is relatively quick, 6-12 months average but the paperwork is specific in time sensitive 30-90 days. And most has to be certified in the US Nicaraguan consulate. This issue you can read up on specifically. I would personally suggest you use an immigration attorney here. Bring with you and keep originals and copies of any and all legal, medical, business paperwork/receipts as no one here keeps records. Most wood suggest coming and exploring the departments and cities. Rent rooms , apts or houses . A good place to look at the market availability and price ranges is Encuentra24,com. This is not a 'retirement community' of happy gringos and most of us live isolated from other expats, but rather live in the community with families and special interest.

atz111
  7/3/2017 15:56 EST

Amen. You are lonely, sad, need to change your "life"...not the place to change for the better. Over 60...might be OK if in good health and have an adventurous spirit. Save enough to go home. Working here or starting a business....tough...do not count on it. I realize those have been said in previous posts...but they keep coming up in questions and posters need to believe that stuff.

shermanwc
  7/28/2017 10:11 EST

The first advice generally is to take a few trips to Nicaragua, to different locations and at different times of the year (e.g., dry season vs rainy season). Make a list of what features are important to you and categorize as "must have, would be nice to have, and what to avoid". When visiting, rent a house or condo and go grocery shopping as you would when living there.

I would avoid Managua. Ocean living is typically more expensive than city living, especially if it is an area popular with gringos. Don't count on finding local employment and consider temporary residency restrictions.

Come with a sense of adventure and plan to adapt to local customs rather than fight against things that are done differently. Not everyone can adapt.

I retired in 2012 at age 60, and my wife and I moved to Costa Rica in 2013. We enjoy Costa Rica but plan to move to Nicaragua next year to be closer to our daughter, son-in-law, and two granddaughters that live in a gated community by the beach. We have visited Nicaragua many times since 2009, and the infrastructure has improved considerably during that time. Costa Rica is more developed but also higher cost of living.

Edgenaples
  10/5/2017 15:48 EST

If I was going alone and did not know anyone there...I'd take a Spanish class first to at least learn basic Spanish. I'd move to Grenada, because there is a good size expat group there, plus it's a cool city. I'd take 6-12 months to travel around and figure out if Nicaragua is for you. Have you lived outside of the US before ?
You did not mention if you are male or female. Be careful in Managua.

waltermboyleses
  10/6/2017 08:52 EST

You say Granada is a "cool city."
I agree it is groovy, but few places in NI have cool temperature. Some of us think Granada is HOT.
H2O 212F

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Dlee1154
  10/6/2017 18:25 EST

It really depends on what type of experience you're looking for. If you want authentic Nicaragua, try Leon. If you want more gringo and the ability to speak a lot of English, Granada or the beach town of San Juan del Sur would fit. These cities are HOT. For cooler, there are mountain towns, Esteli, Matagalpa, Jinotega, but less developed than the big 4. The more gringos the city has, the more expensive it is to rent and eat.

atz111
  10/6/2017 18:48 EST

Leon is also hot. If you speak no Spanish, have no link/contacts here and are not used to living in a different culture living in a small town here is very challenging. Can it be done? Yes. Do you want to....likely not. living in a bigger city can help ease the transition but $800 a month will be barely enough to subsist on As has been said on here several times there is little safety net here and the expat community is not really vibrant ....even in the cities.

trippinbilly
  10/8/2017 09:46 EST

We are also considering Nicaragua. Visiting Panama and Mexico (again) in the next few months and then decide which is next. Early 50s, retirement in 2-4 years. Will have comfortable income and won’t need to work, unless we want to (online consulting not working in Nicaragua). I’ve been working on Spanish for a few years. Definitely need to improve but it’s getting better. Hope to find volunteer work wherever we end up (both work with students with disabilities).

iguanalover
  10/8/2017 10:35 EST

Speaking Spanish is the easy part, you can generally make yourself understood. It is understanding what the other person says that is the trick. Good luck.

trippinbilly23
  10/8/2017 10:56 EST

I am fortunate that I work in a school with a large population of Hispanic students. We have a liaison in the office who works with the Hispanic families. She knows we've been doing a lot of traveling to places that speak Spanish (Spain, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Panama) and she helps me practice. I am involved in many meetings where we have parents that speak no English and have someone interpret. Its always a good opportunity for me to listen and learn.

wickedlady08
  2/18/2018 10:04 EST

I agree with this poster. I am vacationing here for two months and after doing all the tourist stuff I am now getting very bored. If I was to retire down here I would have to get involved in volunteering or start a small business where I can employ locals. I’m from Canada and life is very different here. The hardest thing I find is to ajust to the slow pace. Nothing gets done on time. If you request something you must continuously ask in a polite manner. The service is not like what we are used to. Learn to speak Spanish. It will prevent frustrations and misunderstandings. I also miss my family. Nicaragua is still considered a 3rd world country but it is developing quickly. I see signs for condos and gated communities going up along the highways we have traveled. Nicaraguans are nice people. They like to please. The country is beautiful. My husband is very easy going and I’m not so much. I’m learning to adjust to this kind of life. We have traveled to other countries in Central America In the last few years. Even though we have done a lot of reading and read these boards you have to actually experience living here. It’s a real eye opener. Good luck.

wickedlady08
  2/18/2018 10:32 EST

I agree with this poster. I am vacationing here for two months and after doing all the tourist stuff I am now getting very bored. If I was to retire down here I would have to get involved in volunteering or start a small business where I can employ locals. I’m from Canada and life is very different here. The hardest thing I find is to ajust to the slow pace. Nothing gets done on time. If you request something you must continuously ask in a polite manner. The service is not like what we are used to. Learn to speak Spanish. It will prevent frustrations and misunderstandings. I also miss my family. Nicaragua is still considered a 3rd world country but it is developing quickly. I see signs for condos and gated communities going up along the highways we have traveled. Nicaraguans are nice people. They like to please. The country is beautiful. My husband is very easy going and I’m not so much. I’m learning to adjust to this kind of life. We have traveled to other countries in Central America In the last few years. Even though we have done a lot of reading and read these boards you have to actually experience living here. It’s a real eye opener. Good luck.

novato1953
  2/18/2018 13:01 EST

Outnumbered as you are by about 6 million to one, getting in a culture war will likely end badly. Between you and Nicaragua, the only one who you have a hope of changing is you. But if it grates on you like it seems, maybe it's just not your kind of place, Of the Latin American countries I've visited and/or lived in, it's entirely accurate to say no two are the same. Where have you been that you enjoyed being?

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