paying in Nicaragua

Currency of Nicaragua

The official currency of Nicaragua is the Cordoba.
The exchange rate (June 2015) is around 27 Cordobas per USD. It is helpful to not fully rely on the Cordoba though. It is common for tourist to pay the hotel, trips, taxes and entry fees of the national parks is in USD. The Cordoba is mostly used in supermarkets, shops, gas-stations, restaurants, etc. That is why it is advisable to have both currencies with you while traveling Nicaragua.

We recommend you to use the currency stated on the bill whenever possible. If that is not possible, be aware that you might get a bad exchange rate. Especially if you are paying in USD instead of Cordobas, as there is a chance that your change will be given to you in the local currency. This is often the case in supermarkets.
We would also advise you to not exchange money at the airport, as you will get a bad exchange rate.
The best way to get Cordobas or Dollars is through an ATM. They offer you both currencies. It is also very common to pay with credit card, if you do not like to have a lot of cash with you.
Getting exchange for Euros can be quiet difficult as you can only exchange it at the Bank of Managua at a rather bad rate.