Thanks so much for your comment! Also thanks for the confirmation regarding the hospital care, so great to hear from a medical practitioner in the USA.
It's amazing how Nicaragua has gone from being a place that NO ONE would consider, to being a great option for retirement. This country is now a better option than Costa Rica.
Well, tbh for many it was a secret or held very close to chest. Ages ago, say 20-25 years Costa Rican, Spaniards, Europeans were identified as buying up commercial/residential Colonials and renting out. If you see the prices, they've doubled since just Covid. What remains are beach sites or farm type land, many veering away from Managua due to less desirable conditions.
My wife was born Leon Nicaragua when we visited 2 years ago I loved the country and felt safe and wish we can do what you are planning. We are planning a return trip once travel opens up. Congratulations! On your decision and I will follow.
Wonderful video.Iam so happy I found you guys because Iam also thinking to move from Canada to Nicaragua(San Juan del Sour).I also love your house.All the best!.I start watching everything from all your video👍😃😃😃
A todos los turista del mundo les digo q conozcan Nicaragua un país com mucha riqueza cultural historia ciudades únicas y propias comida exquisita con variedad de sabores y olores riqueza cultural paisajes hermosos y su gente con un gran corazón q espera ven y alista tus maleta y prepárate para dejarte q este país te atrape por completo desde ya eres vienvenidos a nicaragua tierra de lagos volcanes y mucha historia y riqueza cultural arriba Nicaragua
Muchas gracias, amamos a Nicaragua. Un país con mucha riqueza cultural, historia única y hermosas ciudades. La gente tiene un corazón muy grande. Este país es capturado nuestros corazones. Te invitamos a que te unas a nosotros en Nicaragua, tierra de volcanes, lagos e historia. Arriba Nicaragua.
Hi there , I'm from Nicaragua in California , I discovered your channel today and subscribed and I look forward to your new adventures in my country , you're going to love life in SJDS , hope you visit sometime my hometown in the north (Esteli ) where the finest tobacco factories are, also in Condega , and also you gotta visit the Altantic coast amazing tropical beauty , little Corn and Big Corn islands 🏖️ the 2 best hospital in Managua are the Vivian Pellas and the Military Hospital , Doctors also go to your home , enjoy life in Nic and take care !
Thanks so much. We do plan to visit all the great places you listed...and many more. There are so many great places to explore in Nicaragua, since we will be retired we will have loads of time to travel.
@@ChrisTovahsAmazingAdventures that's great . . I'll be arriving Nov the 10th due to a relative emergency situacion and I gotta stay a couple of months , I gotta explore as well some places I haven't visited yet , have fun and take care .
Good on you guys for pursuing the dream of retiring early! Nicaragua is definitely the place to do it. Cost of living is so cheap. I did high school French as well and my Spanish has now overtaken my French too! Make sure you have lobster on the beach at Playa Marsella when you get here. Their lobster in garlic butter sauce is the best! 😋
Thanks so much Jon and Jay for the encouraging words. Pursuing our dreams is fun, scary and a lot of work all rolled into one...but we can't wait! We have been to Playa Marsella but we did not eat at the restaurant. We both love seafood, so we will be having the lobster next time, thanks for the tip.
Thanks so much for the wonderful comment. We are really new to RUclips and just getting started with our adventure. That said what you see is what you get, we are pretty max relaxed, low maintenance people and we want share our travels with the world.
Thanks (again)!!! We are really trying to share the information we are learning about becoming expats and trying to answer all the questions that we ourselves were looking for.
As a Nicaraguan-born American citizen, I am ready to go back to my homeland and contribute to society. I am so proud of the commitment and support the Sandinista Government shows towards its public healthcare system (33 public hospitals, the most in Central America) and providing the infrastructure to handle a pandemic. Thank you all for reaffirming my decision.
The health care there is a big plus for us. We also have a few friends that are looking at coming down to have surgery instead of being on a year plus wait list in Canada. We also have a few friends that plan to come for a visit and get some dental work done (crows are like 2K in Canada and most dental plans will only cover 1 a year or a life time maximum of several thousand dollars and many people require multiple crowns).
Retired from Las Vegas, USA Just heard about Nicaragua a week ago. Just started investigating it. I'm currently in Puerto Escondido, MX. I was on my way to the Philippines when pandemic hit Gave up the idea (Philippines) a couple months ago. So I may meet up with you in SJDS. I'll take a 2 week looksey in a couple of months Thks for additional info. It may turn out better thsn the PI You know what they say " If 1 door closes, another better door opens "
Best of luck. We would love to hear how you like Nicaragua when you go for a visit. We had been researching it for a few years as a retirement spot, when we went for our first visit we fell in love.
Personalmente no conozco Canadá pero veo videos y que belleza su naturaleza, montañas, miré un lago de lo mas lindo, realmente es un constraste con Nicaragua. Dicen que el frio es intenso, y por eso entiendo que busquen un país con clima diferente. Bienvenidos a Nicaragua. Esos perritos están preciosos, ellos será que aguanten el calor de Nicaragua? Bendiciones, que Dios les guarde en el Nombre del Señor Jesucristo, amén.
great video I'm really interested to duplicate it in Nicaragua to see how the culture is different and how across cultures the most important things still stand
We have moved to Nicaragua (since this video was released) and love it there. All of our research had really paid off and the experience was "as advertised". Since moving we have also been travelling through Central America and truly love the whole area, the culture and the more laid back vibes of these countries.
Loving your channel guys! Subscribed! Quick couple of questions: 1) What's the quickest way for a couple in mid thirtees to gain a Residency? 2) How much is an average 2 bed house to rent per month? Thanks so much!
To become a resident you either need to start a business in Nicaragua (become an investor) or you need to be a retiree with a pension (or show that you have a suitable monthly income from investments). Otherwise you could still come and live in Nicaragua long term, you just need to do boarder runs to keep your visa current. For average rent it can really depend on what kind of 2 bedroom you are looking for, and it is cheaper if you find a long term rental. You could rent a 2 bedroom for as little as $300, or be closer to $1200 - it depends on the standard of living you want. If you are looking for a really nice house, with air conditioning, pool and in a gated community it would be on the higher end. Even in a nice location the rent will be your highest cost (other than electricity) pretty much everything else is much cheaper. Where we live in Canada, you would pay about $2500 to rent a similar house in Nicaragua for $1200. You should check out our video on our Nicaragua budget, it lays out all costs.
@@ChrisTovahsAmazingAdventures Absolute legends, thanks so much for taking the time to provide such a detailed answer to my questions! All the best and hope to see you guys in Nicaragua!
Informative, engaging and educational. So well done your video. The comparison budget specifics in US dollars and Canadian dollars is so helpful. I just subbed and encourage others to do so. You have saved me a ton of time and research, Thank You so much, I just found you. This is my second video of yours I am watching.
Thank you for tour video. My husband and I are planning the move about the same time. We are going to visit in September! I might need to pick your brain on some things!
@@ChrisTovahsAmazingAdventures we would like to be close to the Pacific. We are going down there to explore in January :) we will live there half of the year. I will be traveling back to the U.S. to work for 3 months. I am concerned about the travel, getting there. I kerp hearing conflicting things about it being difficult.
We have been several times (pre covid) and had no issues with travel. Of course there are some hoops to jump through right now with covid, however international travelling is slowly reopening and once things are back to normal it should be easy. What issues with traveling back and forth have you heard about?
@@ChrisTovahsAmazingAdventures i hear that people have items taken from the airport security. Also that certain certain airlines are better to fly into Managua from the U.S.? We have flown to Mexico and China, not central america so this is a first. Can i ask why you guys disnt choose Belize, Coata Rica, or Panama? They seem like popular destinations?
Great video I'm from Nicaragua last time I was there was in 2003 ,yep you guest it as a tourist LOL ever since I left at the age of 6 years old alot as changed. I can imagine what it looks like today. Enjoy your new paradise being one of the safest countries in central America with beautiful people. One of this days I'll go back for vacation. I just subscribe to your channel please keep us updated on your progress love you furbabies🐶🐶
Thanks so much for subscribing. Watch for future videos, we will be showing of the town and surrounding areas (once we are able to travel again) and we will be documenting the whole drive from Canada to Nicaragua. OMG thanks for the puppy love, they are two cuties.
It's amazing that counties like Canada are no longer great places to live, work and retire. I have a household income way higher than twice the national average (with just 2 people) and can't even buy an apartment in Toronto easily. Government has allowed investors to buy up the housing stock and it has created run away prices. It's because they gave away manufacturing to get around organized labour. Now there's no real production. Just house flipping. So many better places to live and work now. I would like to know specifically why you chose Nicaragua. Many places in the world have what you describe.
The housing crisis in Toronto and surrounding areas is crazy!!! Nicaragua has one of the lowest costs of living in Central America, we can drive there and we fell in love with the town of San Juan del Sur, that is why we decided to move there. As well the health care system is very good in Nicaragua, many of the hospitals provide American standard of care, with no wait times.
Thank you Chris and Tovar, I've heard that if i have a vehicle from outside of NICO, that i can't have it in the country for longer than 30 days. I also have dogs so want to drive them both over the border with me from Mexico. Thank you for your help!
That is correct. You will need to do boarder runs, unless you apply for residency (then boarder runs are not required while you are waiting for your paper work to go through). You may be able to get an extension for 90 days. You should check out our video on exporting a vehicle to Nicaragua, there is lots of great info in there.
Thanks Matt. One of the aims of our channel is to share all the info we can, easy and in one place. Most of our videos are the result of us doing loads of research and our experiences - and answering questions that we would want to know.
We plan to move to Central America also. Haven't decided which yet. Been to several but not Nicaragua but you gave some interesting info. We live on North Vancouver Island and 2025 is our goal. Thanks and good luck
Hi Chris and Tova! Thanks for the information video. I'm planning to move to Costa Rica or Nicaragua in December. I would like to bring my dog with. How did you bring your dogs with you? Any help would be much appreciated :). Keep up the good work!
We will be moving to Nica full time in about a year. We are driving down from Canada, for us we feel this is the best way to bring our dogs. Since we have 2 English bulldogs, we are more nervous to have them fly due to the heat (and some airlines restrict flying snub nose dog breeds). Also we plan to take our time on the drive and make it a whole family adventure.
@@ChrisTovahsAmazingAdventures Hi I don’t know if you will see this charter private plane for you dogs luggage kids about $20,000. Note when you take animals to Central America you can’t come back into the USA due to disease exposure . Driving might be dangerous with bordered crossings . You would need armored vehicles , security . Not trying to be scary but please be careful look into options carefully . Also by boat as I am doing . Blessing !
Thanks Carlos! Which area in the West are you living? Any tips on places we must visit are always appreciated. Once we move down we plan to do a time of travel all around Nicaragua to explore your beautiful country.
I agree and have made move down here. Big problem in San Jaun is there is not enough nice housing. I found some nice spots for $800 a month or so, so hard to find
We bought our places a few years back when the housing market was really slow. We know currently there is a shortage of homes for sale and rent depending on what price range you are looking for.
Found your channel. We just reserved a 2 bed 2 bath tiny house new construction in Nica. We will probably be visiting twice a year and doing rental pool the rest of the year.
@@jonweber98 That is a really nice area. We have not been there but have checked out the resort. They offer some great housing options, very well planned community.
Hi Chris and Tovah, greetings from China! We planned to move to Nicaragua in two years and we loved the video you made here! All the points we are concerned about you already highlighted! Just want to say thank you and we will travel to Nica next March to San Juan for surfing for 3 months~ We look forward to exploring all the things around~
@@ChrisTovahsAmazingAdventures haha, yes indeed big MOVE. We love the house you bought!!! So cute~ We already sent our inquiries to the real estate agent to look for similar ones. Hopefully, everything will be smooth and we can own our own home like you do in San Juan Del Sur next year! hahaha.
@@ChrisTovahsAmazingAdventures The procedures seem quite smooth so far. We have signed paid earnest deposit and signed the offer. Now we are connected with a real estate lawyer for Escrow account setup. The next step is to pay 10%. Then we will arrange a flight to Nica by Jan 2023. The seller has been so kind as to accept our offer with a closing date in Jan 2023. We are both super excited!
We are close to the same time line & Nicaragua is on our radar as well. As a comparison, I just had a dental check up & the X rays & exam were $114. the follow up cleaning was $225. & I am scheduled for 2 fillings. In total about $800. cdn. No wonder people are retiring elsewhere,
There are way too many rentals to consider buying a house. I lived in town for about 5 years. Had a killer spot up a very steep hill in la planta , with a bay view and lots of green a few cabanas. I am moving out of town to playa Marsella. Not buying a house, but starting a electric kayak rental business.. pontoons, awning.. view window in hull to see what’s below.. $10/ hour. Dirt cheap 14’ ocean kayak I had so much fun, I started a business. You can even troll fish in the ocean. Hook into a tuna with light tackle, and you will learn what fun fish can be as a mighty mo drags you around until he runs out of gas.
David your kayak business sounds really cool. We will have to come and check it out sometime. Buying a property is not for everyone and there are plenty of rental options in Nicaragua, though we have been hearing that recently long term rentals are becoming more limited in some areas due to an increase in expats coming to Nicaragua. For us buying a house was a great investment opportunity.
How long does it take to drive there? And are there any cities that you avoid driving into? What would be the best route? We are thinking of going there from California.
We have not driven to Nicaragua yet. We have rented a car and driven all around Managua, SJDS and Rivas. We are planning a 10 day route from Canada. We might stretch it out to 30+ days, but that all depends on dogs and how well they travel.
Our general route is: Home-San Antonio, TX 33hrs(5days) To Tapachula, MEX 30hrs(5days) Guatemala border crossing(1day) Through Guatemala 6hrs(1day) El Salvador border crossing(1day) Through El Salvador 6hrs(1day) Through Honduras+Nicaragua border crossing(1day) Northern Nicaragua to SJDS(1day) Total 16 comfortable fast pace days.
San Juan Del Sur Remanso and Hermosa beach are your beginner beaches there for surfing. Food is great there too. Fresher food with less chemicals/preservatives that they load us up with in the states/canada. I enjoyed the food there more than I did in Costa Rica. Costa Rica is also close by which is nice. Nicaragua is dryer/dusty and and not lush green like most of Costa Rica. Nicaragua is probably the best financial deal for retirees that you can drive to. Lots of good people there too.
We love playa Remanso and Hermosa! These are our 2 favorite beaches. We do love Costa Rica as well, but like you said, Nicaragua is less expensive and a major reason we decided on Nicaragua. Our house in Nica is about 45 minutes from the Costa Rica boarder, so we do plan to visit Costa Rica often.
@@ChrisTovahsAmazingAdventures yeah having access to Costa Rican amenities is nice. The Nicoya Peninsula there is really amazing as well. Often times when your inside the wind sounds intense but then You walk outside and it’s not so bad. The Volcanos in Nicaragua help protect the area from getting direct hits by hurricanes which is nice. But yeah that place is wild and we loved it (took off-road motorcycles to Costa Rica and up around Ometepe :) ) . I’d say Nicaragua is Vietnam as Costa Rica is to Thailand… love the wildness of Nicaragua , while still being quite pretty safe. Enjoy your retirement maybe see you there sometime !
My wife is from Corinto. Ww used to live in Costa Rica. We both HATE heat and humidity. We are heading to Mexico in 2024. Queretaro, Guanajuato, Oaxaca, Puebla, Morelia, or San Cristobal de las casas....we may do a few months in each first. We’ll be 62 and 57.
Amazing!!! Those all sound like great places to travel and to live. As we make our drive from Canada to Nicaragua we hope to take our time and spend about a month on the road and explore many places. Maybe we will pass through some of those Mexican cities.
Just discovered your channel and thank you so much for all your videos! I’m in Canada right now and looking at coming to Nicaragua for 3 month as a digital nomad so I’m going to look at your videos one by one 😅 and maybe we can meet later this year ☺️
What is the visa process there? I am currently in the planning phase for me and my wife to retire early. Hopefully in the next year and half. Our budget will be around $3500ish a month. I may do more research into Nic.
Congrats on retiring early!!! You should check out our Lester’s video, we detail our budget for living in Nicaragua and show all our expenses. $3500 in Nicaragua, you will have a pretty lavish life. Our budget is $2400 CND.
We really hope that we don't have any close encounters LOL. There are also alligators or crocodiles that live in the river at the edge of town, so we always keep an eye out when we take the path across the river and along the beach into town.
What a nice optimistic video. What does it mean that hot water is a luxury? What about the other parts of everyday infrastructure such as water, plumbing, electricity, blackouts, streets, sidewalks? Can you live in San Juan del Sur without a car? Any insights for Canadians over 65, especially in healthcare? What about the heat and humidity?
Great questions Dovy! You will find hot water in all the "American standard homes", but not likely in most local rental apartments or hostels. Don't let this scare you off, the "cold water showers" are really room temperature. In fact we have hot showers at our house and almost never use them, it's hot so we prefer to use our cool outdoor shower (the water is warmed by the sun). Same goes for plumbing, if is is newer construction or older. There are frequent power outages (pretty standard all over Central America). They are usually brief or a few hours at most. The sidewalks are crap (or non existant) and this is all over Central America. You don't need a car in San Juan, it is only a few block radius. Cabs are very affordable and could take you around town for cheap and there are delivery service, so you could have pretty much anything delivered to your door (of course for a small fee). So in terms of someone who is 65 it really depends on your lifestyle. But I would tell you that if you need to pay for a driver and deli ery services in Can or USA it is much cheaper in Nica. Health care is cheap and we think the biggest bonus is that you can see a doctor right away and that includes seeing any specialists or surgeons...no waiting months just to be seen and then months for surgery. Yes you pay for this but we do "pay for it" in Canada through health plans and taxes. If you have more questions we are happy to help.
@@ChrisTovahsAmazingAdventures Everything you touch on connects with one's ability to adapt and the extent of one's willingness to trade lifelong convenience for other things, much of which cannot be quantified. Alot to think through to be sure. I like what I've seen about Granada, and realize how San Juan is affected by rain (flooding and mold). Did you know that Tovah means Good in Hebrew?
I found out the meaning g of my name when I was 16. My parents heard the name and like it and it was not till later we found the meaning. You are totally right, it is a different World "down here". You just need to decide what you need to be happy, giving some things up to gain others. We have yet to visit Granada but it seems very nice. The beat advice would be to come and visit for a longer stay 3 weeks or up to a few months to see if you like it. We fell in love with this kind of lifestyle, so it is more gains than sacrifices. Also it is important to flow with the way of life in a new town, not try to make Canada or the USA.
@@ChrisTovahsAmazingAdventures I admire thoroughly those people, younger and older who don't worry about the adaptations....but who can't even foresee living in mountains to escape the hellish temperatures. How the people survived before airconditioning is a huge mystery to me. I guess that's why there are bigger cooler areas in places like Colombia. Tovah is a nice name. Your mother must have had some Jewish or Israeli friends.
Thank you for your EXCELENTE Information! Nicaragua is Very nice to live in small towns. But the hospitals in Nicaragua are not good at all. ! the private ones if they are very good.
Muchas gracias! The private hospitals are where we would go for anything serious. However it is nice to know that there is a hospital in SJDS that can manage most needs (and it is very affordable). In The town we live in in Canada it is much the same, for major medical issues we need to travel to the city hospital.
What do experts and expats think Nicaragua's future will be after Orttrgs is no longer in power? And how do Canadians handle the high humidity and heat in Managua?
We don't spend much time in Managua but find in San Juan the humidity is not too bad. We find there is a breeze most of the time and staying in the shade verse the suns makes a huge difference. When we do get hot we go for swim in pool. We do have air-conditioning and use it in the bedrooms at night.
@@ChrisTovahsAmazingAdventures Yes, i guess that's how things are on the beach area.... people from Texas and Florida don't seem to mind the humidity and heat in places like Managua, San José, San Salvador etc. But "the rest of us".....(??)
Great, informative video you two. My question for you is have you looked into expat communities and know of any areas where expats have already located so you're around people from the same area? My family would like to up and move to nicaragua as well from Canada but aren't sure where to look.
Great question! Yes, we did a lot of research to narrow down our retirement town. San Juan del Sur has a large expat community (both Canadian and American) and that is one reason we chose there. Also we loved the town itself, that the vibe and amenities we were looking for.
There are several other cities in Nica that hace expat communities, such as Granada, Leon and several of the mountain towns...but we liked SJDS small town beach vibe.
Hi Dean, not sure on the cost of gym memberships in San Juan. There are several gyms in town but we are not planning on becoming members. We prefer to take out fitness outside, hiking, swimming, surfing, biking, doing some beach circuit training and of course yoga. If there is anyone in San Juan that knows the gym membership prices we would love to hear from you. PS the fruit and vegetables prices are very, very affordable here and the produce is so fresh.
As far as we know you need to show the ability to have monthly income. So we believe that having money invested you could qualify for residency. We will be starting to get our ducks (and paperwork in order for our residences application) soon and will be showing all the details in our channel. We will have a pension that meets the monthly income criteria.
Our place is open now for reservations. Nica is pretty much business as usual and open for travel. Currently the only hiccup is flying in, most take a charter flight but hopefully the major airlines will be flying back there soon. We do have a discount price for friends.
Wow! I'm coming to San Juan Del Sur next year. I'm 60, retired and my pensions and small investments gives me 4K Cdn. per month. Do you think I could live on that? Judging by your numbers, it looks pretty good. Thanks so much for the info. By the way, I'm from Valemount, BC, just west of Jasper.
Totally you can live well on 4k Cnd per month. You can easily live for less than that with 2 people. We have been to Valemount several times while traveling on out motorcycle. Where in San Juan are you looking to move?
A question about rentals. I want to come to Nicaragua but I won't be able to stay more than few months. Is it possible to rent on a monthly basis? Would that make rent higher than if one has a contract for one year rental??? I am thinking of Granada.
You can rent places monthly. Typically you would pay a bit more (per month) if you are renting just one month, compared to to longer term rental. Usually longer term rentals 6 or 12 months will give you a better price. If you are looking at air B & B if they don't list a monthly rate you should contact them to ask if they will give a monthly rate. There are some great Facebook groups that share rentals, several real-estate offices do rentals also.
Great video, just wondering, guys like you that been working hard, do you really believe you will be able to slow down, after a couple of months in the sun you may become restless, thats my experience anyway and new projects will come
We will be ready to slow down a little...but we also have lots of plans to keep ourselves busy, it will just be different “work” and on our own schedules. We plan to be really active with fitness and recreational outdoor activities, volunteer work with some of the beach clean up and animal rescues...and Tovah plans to teach some yoga 🧘♀️. We also plan to travel, taking several trips each year that are a few weeks long and many weekend or week long getaways exploring Nicaragua and surrounding countries.
Hi. I am from canada and I am thinking to move to manauga Nicaragua because of the cost of living and the opportunities. How is the situation there now?
Depending on where you might be renting, it could be similar to USA. This would be living in a very very nice place. Other than electricity, all your other costs are considerably cheaper. We bought a house in Nicaragua and is was about half the price of our Canadian home. Our budget of all costs to live in Nicaragua will be about half of what we pay (all included) in Canada for the same standard of living. You should check out our video on Nicaragua cost of living, it breaks down all the costs ruclips.net/video/BVWAMznaTB8/видео.html
Most medication is very cheap. Typically meds are cheaper (paying out of pocket with no Nicaraguan insurance plan) than what you pay in Canada/USA for your insurance co-pay portion. Your should check with a pharmacy for the price and availability of the specific drugs needed for copd to be sure.
What about the political climate? People who oppose the government, peacefully, are in jail. My parents retired, after living in the United States for 50 years, and moved to Rivas, and then Ometepe. We had them evacuated about three years ago and they now live in Palm Springs, California.
Politically things are pretty quite, much more so than the civil unrest that took place a few years ago. We don't plan to get involved with the countries politics. As the country is rebuilding it's economy they know that tourism is important for economic growth and are very welcoming to foreigners.
We plan to drive to Nicaragua, we are not leaving Canada for about a year and a half. Check the current border restrictions, with COVID everything is changing daily and more international travel should be opening up and easing restrictions as vaccination rates increase.
We don’t have a business so we are not the best people to ask. Although we do know that business real estate has dropped in price, so if may be an opportunity to buy. Be aware that, like many places are struggling right now with the economic down turn due to covid. Likely as the covid situation eases and more travel and tourism resume business should pick up.
We have not been to Leon yet...it is on the list! As far as safety Nicaragua is he safest country in Central America and it is safer than most USA or Canadian cities. There is very little violent crimes, but there is some petty theft.
Health care is great on the basic level, I have talked to many doctors and there training is way way below the USA, and Canada. I would not trust them for something serious
Fo anything serious you will want to go into Managua and see a doctor or a specialist at either the Military hospital or Vivian Pellas hospital. The doctors there are American trained, and the equipment is top notch (even compared to America) ...but way less expensive than USA
Hey I came across your video. So Ive only been there like 3 times my family is from there I have my dual citizenship but my grandma's house is in Masaya. Can you guide me to people in that area that can help guide me to move there? If you can't it's ok I'm trying to find ways to connect with locals there. Can we connect privately?
We don't have any connections in Masaya but we would be happy to help answer questions (if we are able). You can reach us on our Instagram @amazingadventures_chris.tovah. There is also a company in San Juan del Sur Nicaragua that do relocates to Nicaragua, called in Nica Now (google them for contact info), they can be a great resource.
You can totally get by without it. Google translate is a great tool and many vendors/local people use it to communicate when needed. Being in a Spanish speaking community is also a great way to learn Spanish and you will pick up key phrases quickly. In San Juan it is about 50-50 in terms of who speaks English. Many businesses speak some English, however some places only speak Spanish but everyone is very helpful with finding a way to communicate.
Love your prestation. Very informative. I am seriously considering emigrating to Nic. I am a Canadian and what you did not touch base on was crime...is this just a hear say?
Nicaragua is the safest country in Central America and is safer than any major city in US or Canada, there is petty crime like theft and drugs but extremely low on violent crimes.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 So true@@ChrisTovahsAmazingAdventuresit's sad that great countries in LatAm as well as major cities in the US and Canada have to deal with such high rates of violent crime (murder, rape, kidnapping, etc) that are pretty much not an issue in Nicaragua... Now, don't let those expensive sunglasses behind or wear gold jewelry to the crowded markets 👍🏻🤠
Of course we love our home country of Canada...but there are many places that have so much to offer. The more chill, slower pace of life is one thing we are really looking forward to.
You're going to drive your own car with all your stuff from Canada to Nicaragua? That route will take you through some pretty challenging (politically correct word choice here) places? Are you ready for that?
We will be driving with minimal stuff, just a few suitcases and our dogs. We will be ready for the trip down. There are several routes that people travel from USA all the way to the bottom of South America. There are several great travel sites, Facebook groups and other RUclipsrs and we are following their journeys and staying update date on current conditions. Taking your time and not traveling at night are the biggest recommendations.
@@ChrisTovahsAmazingAdventures Ok good for you. Successfully driving through Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, not to mention parts of the USA ;-), is an ambitious feat. Good luck and God be with you. Have you checked the border regulations in these countries as far as crossing borders in your own car? Also have you done any posts on the political situation in Nicaragua? I never know whether the negative things I hear about it are just propaganda. Thank you.
We have been doing loads of research on boarder crossings. Once we hit the road we will be documenting all the steps to crossing each board. We have not posted about the political situation, generally speaking this is not something that we plan to be involved with. That is a good general rule for expats and travellers. Nicaragua is the safest Central American country, there is very minimal violent crime, much less than most USA and Canadian cities.
@@ChrisTovahsAmazingAdventures That is a good idea and a good observation; it is just that sometimes the political situation decides that it wants to be involved with you. But I wish you well. Thanks for the info.
We want over there brunch of canadiens and americans so all never left Nicaragua and they did bought properities and built houses and business is safety and peaceful also freedom you can do whatever you want as long don't hurt no body between foreingners people they help each others too is cool and sociolizing
Hi Anndy, no you don't need to renounce your citizenship. If you are planning to move full time you would likely want to look into applying for residency (but not becoming a Nicaragua citizen). There are many people who stay a "tourist" for a long time but this does entail you to do boarder runs to re-start your tourist visa. Not cure about having dual citizenship, most people go the residence route. There is a big Canadian and American expat community in Nicaragua, expats are welcome and its a great place to live. Stay tuned to future videos as we will be detailing our road to residency.
We did not have this town on our radar, thanks for sharing. It looks like a wonderful place and we will be adding it to our list of places within Nicaragua to visit. We hear the beach's are Amazing and there is a great swimming hole.
Hi Ken, in San Juan Del Sur you can get by will little to no Spanish. The town is one of the more popular tourist areas so many people do speak English and those that don't will try very hard to help you. Many other areas won't have as many English speakers, but don't let that deter you from travelling their, people always find a way to communicate. Google translate is used widely there and is a very helpful App for travelling. If you were looking to move there you would pick up Spanish more quickly being immersed in the language. We also love the Duolingo App, if has really helped us work on our Spanish.
Thanks!!! We are not getting out of USA, we are Canadians. But the USA has very similar cost of living to Canada and the same kind of health care issues.
I have been going to Nica since 2010. I bought a lot at the beach . the country could do better. If I had my way, Nica would legalize marijuana . take advantage of hemp as a construction material. and cut importation tax by 75%. legalize abortion and make alcohol less affordable. the schools need help. get the church out of the schools. The nuns are ill equipped to mentor modern education.
There is not a war. The country, like many other countries around the globe have some ongoing political instability. With this being an election year (Nov 2021) this is in the news more often.
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Wow, excellent video.... such great info condensed into
Thanks so much for your comment! Also thanks for the confirmation regarding the hospital care, so great to hear from a medical practitioner in the USA.
It's amazing how Nicaragua has gone from being a place that NO ONE would consider, to being a great option for retirement. This country is now a better option than Costa Rica.
Absolutely 💯 we chose Nicaragua over Costa Rica.
I agree. I'm considering a move to there myself and it's becoming more likely.
Nicaragua has always been a better option than Cosa Rica.
Well, tbh for many it was a secret or held very close to chest. Ages ago, say 20-25 years Costa Rican, Spaniards, Europeans were identified as buying up commercial/residential Colonials and renting out. If you see the prices, they've doubled since just Covid. What remains are beach sites or farm type land, many veering away from Managua due to less desirable conditions.
My wife was born Leon Nicaragua when we visited 2 years ago I loved the country and felt safe and wish we can do what you are planning. We are planning a return trip once travel opens up. Congratulations! On your decision and I will follow.
Thanks for following our journey! Enjoy your trip down once travel re-opens.
It’s amazing what can happen when both people are on the same page! Brilliant! Cheers m!!
Thanks so much. We have been planning our early retirement and this adventure for a long time.
Dreams becoming a reality💖 I can't wait to be doing yoga in the Nicaragua paradise 🌴
❤️❤️❤️🧘♀️
That sounds dope, and I dont even do Yoga
Fun fact, places that people choose to become EXPATS make a great affordable vacation spot.
👍
Wonderful video.Iam so happy I found you guys because Iam also thinking to move from Canada to Nicaragua(San Juan del Sour).I also love your house.All the best!.I start watching everything from all your video👍😃😃😃
Anna thanks for joining our adventure!!! If you have any questions be sure to ask, we are happy to help.
Wow what another great vid, I didn’t realize how affordable it can be down there. Thanks again, certainly something to think about for the future
Yes the cost of living is a big factor in our choice to move there. You can live very comfortably with less money than we have budgeted.
Great video, welcome to Nicaragua, see you in SJDS
Thanks, we love it there and can’t wait to move down full time.
Qué pasa? Getting excited for you two! Keep up the informed videos!
So excited, this move is going to be our biggest travel adventure yet!
Nicaragua is beautiful country 🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮
Muy bonito!
Cheers 🥂 on your journey. I’m moving to Colombia in 6 weeks from the US.
Colombia sounds amazing. We have never been but it is on out "to do list".
A todos los turista del mundo les digo q conozcan Nicaragua un país com mucha riqueza cultural historia ciudades únicas y propias comida exquisita con variedad de sabores y olores riqueza cultural paisajes hermosos y su gente con un gran corazón q espera ven y alista tus maleta y prepárate para dejarte q este país te atrape por completo desde ya eres vienvenidos a nicaragua tierra de lagos volcanes y mucha historia y riqueza cultural arriba Nicaragua
Muchas gracias, amamos a Nicaragua. Un país con mucha riqueza cultural, historia única y hermosas ciudades. La gente tiene un corazón muy grande. Este país es capturado nuestros corazones. Te invitamos a que te unas a nosotros en Nicaragua, tierra de volcanes, lagos e historia. Arriba Nicaragua.
Wow @@ChrisTovahsAmazingAdventures Qué lindo mensaje, muy bien dicho! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
¡Viva Nicaragua! 🔵⚪🔵
@@ejnava01 gracias 🙏
Thanks for sharing such helpful info! My family and I would love to live abroad again.
Your most welcome. There are so many Amazing places to live abroad!
Hi there , I'm from Nicaragua in California , I discovered your channel today and subscribed and I look forward to your new adventures in my country , you're going to love life in SJDS , hope you visit sometime my hometown in the north (Esteli ) where the finest tobacco factories are, also in Condega , and also you gotta visit the Altantic coast amazing tropical beauty , little Corn and Big Corn islands 🏖️ the 2 best hospital in Managua are the Vivian Pellas and the Military Hospital , Doctors also go to your home , enjoy life in Nic and take care !
Thanks so much. We do plan to visit all the great places you listed...and many more. There are so many great places to explore in Nicaragua, since we will be retired we will have loads of time to travel.
@@ChrisTovahsAmazingAdventures that's great . . I'll be arriving Nov the 10th due to a relative emergency situacion and I gotta stay a couple of months , I gotta explore as well some places I haven't visited yet , have fun and take care .
Good on you guys for pursuing the dream of retiring early! Nicaragua is definitely the place to do it. Cost of living is so cheap.
I did high school French as well and my Spanish has now overtaken my French too!
Make sure you have lobster on the beach at Playa Marsella when you get here. Their lobster in garlic butter sauce is the best! 😋
Thanks so much Jon and Jay for the encouraging words. Pursuing our dreams is fun, scary and a lot of work all rolled into one...but we can't wait! We have been to Playa Marsella but we did not eat at the restaurant. We both love seafood, so we will be having the lobster next time, thanks for the tip.
Marsella is home.. Bosques Del Mar housing development, on the beach. You can walk across the beach to go to the restaurant .
Good for you.... I want to do the same... Nicaragua is fairly cheap and safe..
One of the safest countries in Central America, hope to see you around in Nica.
@@ChrisTovahsAmazingAdventures I will be going on vacation September 15th....
Have fun! We hope to go in November for vacation.
SAFE???????? JAJAJAJAAJAJUJIJJOJOJJUJU WATCH YOUR S.....!!!!!!
@@will2graham585 yeah..... it totally changed in a couple of months.... I canceled my trip
Great to find your channel!👍👍👍
Welcome friend😀
I like how you guys are so down-to-earth even if you aren't so polished and slick as so many expat youtubers.
You strike me as being credible and honest
Thanks so much for the wonderful comment. We are really new to RUclips and just getting started with our adventure. That said what you see is what you get, we are pretty max relaxed, low maintenance people and we want share our travels with the world.
Thanks (again)!!! We are really trying to share the information we are learning about becoming expats and trying to answer all the questions that we ourselves were looking for.
Great video guys. Very informative
Glad it was helpful!
As a Nicaraguan-born American citizen, I am ready to go back to my homeland and contribute to society. I am so proud of the commitment and support the Sandinista Government shows towards its public healthcare system (33 public hospitals, the most in Central America) and providing the infrastructure to handle a pandemic.
Thank you all for reaffirming my decision.
The health care there is a big plus for us. We also have a few friends that are looking at coming down to have surgery instead of being on a year plus wait list in Canada. We also have a few friends that plan to come for a visit and get some dental work done (crows are like 2K in Canada and most dental plans will only cover 1 a year or a life time maximum of several thousand dollars and many people require multiple crowns).
Retired from Las Vegas, USA
Just heard about Nicaragua a week ago.
Just started investigating it.
I'm currently in Puerto Escondido, MX.
I was on my way to the Philippines when pandemic hit
Gave up the idea (Philippines) a couple months ago.
So I may meet up with you in SJDS.
I'll take a 2 week looksey in a couple of months
Thks for additional info.
It may turn out better thsn the PI
You know what they say " If 1 door closes, another better door opens "
Best of luck. We would love to hear how you like Nicaragua when you go for a visit. We had been researching it for a few years as a retirement spot, when we went for our first visit we fell in love.
Congratulations! You both are very young. Enjoy it. Nicaragua is a beautiful country and one of the best for retirement.
Thank you so much!
Personalmente no conozco Canadá pero veo videos y que belleza su naturaleza, montañas, miré un lago de lo mas lindo, realmente es un constraste con Nicaragua.
Dicen que el frio es intenso, y por eso entiendo que busquen un país con clima diferente.
Bienvenidos a Nicaragua.
Esos perritos están preciosos, ellos será que aguanten el calor de Nicaragua?
Bendiciones, que Dios les guarde en el Nombre del Señor Jesucristo, amén.
Mucho gusto y gracias. Nosotros perros son bien con la clima en Nicaragua. Normalmente ellos dumermon el sol. Pero tenemos A/C con mucho calor.
great video I'm really interested to duplicate it in Nicaragua to see how the culture is different and how across cultures the most important things still stand
We have moved to Nicaragua (since this video was released) and love it there. All of our research had really paid off and the experience was "as advertised". Since moving we have also been travelling through Central America and truly love the whole area, the culture and the more laid back vibes of these countries.
Loving your channel guys! Subscribed! Quick couple of questions:
1) What's the quickest way for a couple in mid thirtees to gain a Residency?
2) How much is an average 2 bed house to rent per month?
Thanks so much!
To become a resident you either need to start a business in Nicaragua (become an investor) or you need to be a retiree with a pension (or show that you have a suitable monthly income from investments). Otherwise you could still come and live in Nicaragua long term, you just need to do boarder runs to keep your visa current.
For average rent it can really depend on what kind of 2 bedroom you are looking for, and it is cheaper if you find a long term rental. You could rent a 2 bedroom for as little as $300, or be closer to $1200 - it depends on the standard of living you want. If you are looking for a really nice house, with air conditioning, pool and in a gated community it would be on the higher end. Even in a nice location the rent will be your highest cost (other than electricity) pretty much everything else is much cheaper. Where we live in Canada, you would pay about $2500 to rent a similar house in Nicaragua for $1200. You should check out our video on our Nicaragua budget, it lays out all costs.
@@ChrisTovahsAmazingAdventures Absolute legends, thanks so much for taking the time to provide such a detailed answer to my questions! All the best and hope to see you guys in Nicaragua!
@@mrmonkles9836 excellent!
Informative, engaging and educational. So well done your video. The comparison budget specifics in US dollars and Canadian dollars is so helpful. I just subbed and encourage others to do so. You have saved me a ton of time and research, Thank You so much, I just found you. This is my second video of yours I am watching.
Thanks so much! We are glad you are finding our videos helpful. Welcome to our Adventure.
Thank you for tour video. My husband and I are planning the move about the same time. We are going to visit in September! I might need to pick your brain on some things!
Good luck!! Absolutely we would love to chat anytime. Are you planning to move full time? What city are you planning on living in?
@@ChrisTovahsAmazingAdventures we would like to be close to the Pacific. We are going down there to explore in January :) we will live there half of the year. I will be traveling back to the U.S. to work for 3 months. I am concerned about the travel, getting there. I kerp hearing conflicting things about it being difficult.
We have been several times (pre covid) and had no issues with travel. Of course there are some hoops to jump through right now with covid, however international travelling is slowly reopening and once things are back to normal it should be easy. What issues with traveling back and forth have you heard about?
@@ChrisTovahsAmazingAdventures i hear that people have items taken from the airport security. Also that certain certain airlines are better to fly into Managua from the U.S.? We have flown to Mexico and China, not central america so this is a first. Can i ask why you guys disnt choose Belize, Coata Rica, or Panama? They seem like popular destinations?
I am excited to get there and hit the waves 🏄♂️🏄♂️🏄♂️
🤙
Great video I'm from Nicaragua last time I was there was in 2003 ,yep you guest it as a tourist LOL ever since I left at the age of 6 years old alot as changed. I can imagine what it looks like today. Enjoy your new paradise being one of the safest countries in central America with beautiful people. One of this days I'll go back for vacation. I just subscribe to your channel please keep us updated on your progress love you furbabies🐶🐶
Thanks so much for subscribing. Watch for future videos, we will be showing of the town and surrounding areas (once we are able to travel again) and we will be documenting the whole drive from Canada to Nicaragua. OMG thanks for the puppy love, they are two cuties.
It's amazing that counties like Canada are no longer great places to live, work and retire. I have a household income way higher than twice the national average (with just 2 people) and can't even buy an apartment in Toronto easily. Government has allowed investors to buy up the housing stock and it has created run away prices. It's because they gave away manufacturing to get around organized labour. Now there's no real production. Just house flipping. So many better places to live and work now. I would like to know specifically why you chose Nicaragua. Many places in the world have what you describe.
The housing crisis in Toronto and surrounding areas is crazy!!! Nicaragua has one of the lowest costs of living in Central America, we can drive there and we fell in love with the town of San Juan del Sur, that is why we decided to move there. As well the health care system is very good in Nicaragua, many of the hospitals provide American standard of care, with no wait times.
Boy did you just state the absolute truth!
I think there is a beach down in Nicaragua that is perfect for surfing, it is called El Remanso beach in Rivas.
El Remanso Beach is a great spot for surfing, one of our favorites. It is a great surf beach for beginners.
Thank you Chris and Tovar, I've heard that if i have a vehicle from outside of NICO, that i can't have it in the country for longer than 30 days. I also have dogs so want to drive them both over the border with me from Mexico. Thank you for your help!
That is correct. You will need to do boarder runs, unless you apply for residency (then boarder runs are not required while you are waiting for your paper work to go through). You may be able to get an extension for 90 days. You should check out our video on exporting a vehicle to Nicaragua, there is lots of great info in there.
Great video and very informative, thank you!
Thanks Matt. One of the aims of our channel is to share all the info we can, easy and in one place. Most of our videos are the result of us doing loads of research and our experiences - and answering questions that we would want to know.
We plan to move to Central America also. Haven't decided which yet. Been to several but not Nicaragua but you gave some interesting info. We live on North Vancouver Island and 2025 is our goal. Thanks and good luck
Keep working towards your goal friends! 2025 is right around the corner.
I really hope this amazing decision works out. Best wishes!!!!
Thanks Chris, we are super pumped and ready for Adventure!
Hi Chris and Tova! Thanks for the information video. I'm planning to move to Costa Rica or Nicaragua in December. I would like to bring my dog with. How did you bring your dogs with you? Any help would be much appreciated :). Keep up the good work!
We will be moving to Nica full time in about a year. We are driving down from Canada, for us we feel this is the best way to bring our dogs. Since we have 2 English bulldogs, we are more nervous to have them fly due to the heat (and some airlines restrict flying snub nose dog breeds). Also we plan to take our time on the drive and make it a whole family adventure.
@@ChrisTovahsAmazingAdventures Hi I don’t know if you will see this charter private plane for you dogs luggage kids about $20,000. Note when you take animals to Central America you can’t come back into the USA due to disease exposure . Driving might be dangerous with bordered crossings . You would need armored vehicles , security . Not trying to be scary but please be careful look into options carefully . Also by boat as I am doing . Blessing !
Awesome video guys I'm interested in doing the same thing years from now. Thanks for the info.
Thanks Josh! Stay tuned for more info.
I am a nicaraguan and enjoyed your video. I'm living in the west.
Thanks Carlos! Which area in the West are you living? Any tips on places we must visit are always appreciated. Once we move down we plan to do a time of travel all around Nicaragua to explore your beautiful country.
@@ChrisTovahsAmazingAdventures I will write you by instagram
Any time we would love to chat
I agree and have made move down here. Big problem in San Jaun is there is not enough nice housing. I found some nice spots for $800 a month or so, so hard to find
We bought our places a few years back when the housing market was really slow. We know currently there is a shortage of homes for sale and rent depending on what price range you are looking for.
Found your channel. We just reserved a 2 bed 2 bath tiny house new construction in Nica. We will probably be visiting twice a year and doing rental pool the rest of the year.
Sounds Amazing! What area of Nicaragua is you place?
@@ChrisTovahsAmazingAdventures Gran Pacifica resort 100 yds from the beach. 45 mins from Managua. We are excited for this fun early retirement.
@@jonweber98 That is a really nice area. We have not been there but have checked out the resort. They offer some great housing options, very well planned community.
Hi Chris and Tovah, greetings from China! We planned to move to Nicaragua in two years and we loved the video you made here! All the points we are concerned about you already highlighted! Just want to say thank you and we will travel to Nica next March to San Juan for surfing for 3 months~ We look forward to exploring all the things around~
WOW that is a big move. Welcome to our channel and our journey, you should check out some of our other videos, lots of great info for fellow expats.
@@ChrisTovahsAmazingAdventures haha, yes indeed big MOVE. We love the house you bought!!! So cute~ We already sent our inquiries to the real estate agent to look for similar ones. Hopefully, everything will be smooth and we can own our own home like you do in San Juan Del Sur next year! hahaha.
Good luck and keep us posted!
@@ChrisTovahsAmazingAdventures The procedures seem quite smooth so far. We have signed paid earnest deposit and signed the offer. Now we are connected with a real estate lawyer for Escrow account setup. The next step is to pay 10%. Then we will arrange a flight to Nica by Jan 2023. The seller has been so kind as to accept our offer with a closing date in Jan 2023. We are both super excited!
Congrats!!! That is excellent. What area did you buy in.
Looking forward to watching your journey! My wife and I are in the discussion stages of this as well. Where are your coming from?
We are from Cold Lake, Alberta Canada 🇨🇦
@@ChrisTovahsAmazingAdventures I see that now :) I’m from Ontario 🇨🇦
Thank you for sharing this video. We are looking to retire in the Caribbean. I like what I see and interested. I would like to connect with you.
Sounds great! You can send us a DM through our Instagram or Facebook and we would be happy to chat more.
There are links to both in the video description at the bottom of the page or from the home screen of our RUclips channel.
We are close to the same time line & Nicaragua is on our radar as well. As a comparison, I just had a dental check up & the X rays & exam were $114. the follow up cleaning was $225. & I am scheduled for 2 fillings. In total about $800. cdn. No wonder people are retiring elsewhere,
Dental work is so expensive in Canada. And your was pretty routine cleaning and filling...if it was a crown or a root canal it is insane.
Congratulations on your retirement 🤗
Thank you so much 😀 We have been working really hard at our goal of early retirement and it is exciting to be reaching that goal.
There are way too many rentals to consider buying a house. I lived in town for about 5 years. Had a killer spot up a very steep hill in la planta , with a bay view and lots of green a few cabanas. I am moving out of town to playa Marsella. Not buying a house, but starting a electric kayak rental business.. pontoons, awning.. view window in hull to see what’s below.. $10/ hour. Dirt cheap 14’ ocean kayak
I had so much fun, I started a business. You can even troll fish in the ocean. Hook into a tuna with light tackle, and you will learn what fun fish can be as a mighty mo drags you around until he runs out of gas.
David your kayak business sounds really cool. We will have to come and check it out sometime. Buying a property is not for everyone and there are plenty of rental options in Nicaragua, though we have been hearing that recently long term rentals are becoming more limited in some areas due to an increase in expats coming to Nicaragua. For us buying a house was a great investment opportunity.
Not crazy!!! We got the same thing when we were leaving. Brave, adventurous, but not crazy!! :)
Right?!
I will be retiring to Managua Nicaragua 🇳🇮 soon. ❤
Congratulations! Enjoy your retirement.
How long does it take to drive there? And are there any cities that you avoid driving into? What would be the best route? We are thinking of going there from California.
We have not driven to Nicaragua yet. We have rented a car and driven all around Managua, SJDS and Rivas. We are planning a 10 day route from Canada. We might stretch it out to 30+ days, but that all depends on dogs and how well they travel.
Our general route is:
Home-San Antonio, TX 33hrs(5days)
To Tapachula, MEX 30hrs(5days)
Guatemala border crossing(1day)
Through Guatemala 6hrs(1day)
El Salvador border crossing(1day)
Through El Salvador 6hrs(1day)
Through Honduras+Nicaragua border crossing(1day)
Northern Nicaragua to SJDS(1day)
Total 16 comfortable fast pace days.
We will be making videos of our “planned” route and then documenting the real route and travels in future videos.
Main reason exchange rate to Nicaragua Cordoba national coin making more Affordable for different type of wallet.
Yes. We are fortunate that the Canadian dollar goes a little further in Nicaragua.
San Juan Del Sur Remanso and Hermosa beach are your beginner beaches there for surfing. Food is great there too. Fresher food with less chemicals/preservatives that they load us up with in the states/canada. I enjoyed the food there more than I did in Costa Rica. Costa Rica is also close by which is nice. Nicaragua is dryer/dusty and and not lush green like most of Costa Rica. Nicaragua is probably the best financial deal for retirees that you can drive to. Lots of good people there too.
We love playa Remanso and Hermosa! These are our 2 favorite beaches. We do love Costa Rica as well, but like you said, Nicaragua is less expensive and a major reason we decided on Nicaragua. Our house in Nica is about 45 minutes from the Costa Rica boarder, so we do plan to visit Costa Rica often.
@@ChrisTovahsAmazingAdventures yeah having access to Costa Rican amenities is nice. The Nicoya Peninsula there is really amazing as well. Often times when your inside the wind sounds intense but then You walk outside and it’s not so bad. The Volcanos in Nicaragua help protect the area from getting direct hits by hurricanes which is nice. But yeah that place is wild and we loved it (took off-road motorcycles to Costa Rica and up around Ometepe :) ) . I’d say Nicaragua is Vietnam as Costa Rica is to Thailand… love the wildness of Nicaragua , while still being quite pretty safe. Enjoy your retirement maybe see you there sometime !
Great insight and comparison of Nica vs Costa Rica. Maybe our paths will cross one day.
My wife is from Corinto. Ww used to live in Costa Rica. We both HATE heat and humidity.
We are heading to Mexico in 2024.
Queretaro, Guanajuato, Oaxaca, Puebla, Morelia, or San Cristobal de las casas....we may do a few months in each first. We’ll be 62 and 57.
Amazing!!! Those all sound like great places to travel and to live. As we make our drive from Canada to Nicaragua we hope to take our time and spend about a month on the road and explore many places. Maybe we will pass through some of those Mexican cities.
Just discovered your channel and thank you so much for all your videos! I’m in Canada right now and looking at coming to Nicaragua for 3 month as a digital nomad so I’m going to look at your videos one by one 😅 and maybe we can meet later this year ☺️
Glad you found our channe! If you have any questions let us know, we also answer questions in the comments. Meeting up would be cool.
What is the visa process there? I am currently in the planning phase for me and my wife to retire early. Hopefully in the next year and half.
Our budget will be around $3500ish a month.
I may do more research into Nic.
Congrats on retiring early!!! You should check out our Lester’s video, we detail our budget for living in Nicaragua and show all our expenses. $3500 in Nicaragua, you will have a pretty lavish life. Our budget is $2400 CND.
You can live very well in most countries in the world on that amount.
The fresh water sharks 🦈 Nicaragua amazing love it
We really hope that we don't have any close encounters LOL. There are also alligators or crocodiles that live in the river at the edge of town, so we always keep an eye out when we take the path across the river and along the beach into town.
What a nice optimistic video. What does it mean that hot water is a luxury? What about the other parts of everyday infrastructure such as water, plumbing, electricity, blackouts, streets, sidewalks? Can you live in San Juan del Sur without a car? Any insights for Canadians over 65, especially in healthcare? What about the heat and humidity?
Great questions Dovy! You will find hot water in all the "American standard homes", but not likely in most local rental apartments or hostels. Don't let this scare you off, the "cold water showers" are really room temperature. In fact we have hot showers at our house and almost never use them, it's hot so we prefer to use our cool outdoor shower (the water is warmed by the sun). Same goes for plumbing, if is is newer construction or older. There are frequent power outages (pretty standard all over Central America). They are usually brief or a few hours at most. The sidewalks are crap (or non existant) and this is all over Central America. You don't need a car in San Juan, it is only a few block radius. Cabs are very affordable and could take you around town for cheap and there are delivery service, so you could have pretty much anything delivered to your door (of course for a small fee). So in terms of someone who is 65 it really depends on your lifestyle. But I would tell you that if you need to pay for a driver and deli ery services in Can or USA it is much cheaper in Nica. Health care is cheap and we think the biggest bonus is that you can see a doctor right away and that includes seeing any specialists or surgeons...no waiting months just to be seen and then months for surgery. Yes you pay for this but we do "pay for it" in Canada through health plans and taxes. If you have more questions we are happy to help.
@@ChrisTovahsAmazingAdventures Everything you touch on connects with one's ability to adapt and the extent of one's willingness to trade lifelong convenience for other things, much of which cannot be quantified. Alot to think through to be sure. I like what I've seen about Granada, and realize how San Juan is affected by rain (flooding and mold). Did you know that Tovah means Good in Hebrew?
I found out the meaning g of my name when I was 16. My parents heard the name and like it and it was not till later we found the meaning. You are totally right, it is a different World "down here". You just need to decide what you need to be happy, giving some things up to gain others. We have yet to visit Granada but it seems very nice. The beat advice would be to come and visit for a longer stay 3 weeks or up to a few months to see if you like it. We fell in love with this kind of lifestyle, so it is more gains than sacrifices. Also it is important to flow with the way of life in a new town, not try to make Canada or the USA.
@@ChrisTovahsAmazingAdventures I admire thoroughly those people, younger and older who don't worry about the adaptations....but who can't even foresee living in mountains to escape the hellish temperatures. How the people survived before airconditioning is a huge mystery to me. I guess that's why there are bigger cooler areas in places like Colombia. Tovah is a nice name. Your mother must have had some Jewish or Israeli friends.
Thank you for your EXCELENTE Information! Nicaragua is Very nice to live in small towns. But the hospitals in Nicaragua are not good at all. ! the private ones if they are very good.
Muchas gracias! The private hospitals are where we would go for anything serious. However it is nice to know that there is a hospital in SJDS that can manage most needs (and it is very affordable). In The town we live in in Canada it is much the same, for major medical issues we need to travel to the city hospital.
What do experts and expats think Nicaragua's future will be after Orttrgs is no longer in power? And how do Canadians handle the high humidity and heat in Managua?
We don't spend much time in Managua but find in San Juan the humidity is not too bad. We find there is a breeze most of the time and staying in the shade verse the suns makes a huge difference. When we do get hot we go for swim in pool. We do have air-conditioning and use it in the bedrooms at night.
@@ChrisTovahsAmazingAdventures Yes, i guess that's how things are on the beach area.... people from Texas and Florida don't seem to mind the humidity and heat in places like Managua, San José, San Salvador etc. But "the rest of us".....(??)
There is something wrong with your audio. I have trouble hearing parts. It's muffled and kind of comes and goes.
Great, informative video you two. My question for you is have you looked into expat communities and know of any areas where expats have already located so you're around people from the same area? My family would like to up and move to nicaragua as well from Canada but aren't sure where to look.
Great question! Yes, we did a lot of research to narrow down our retirement town. San Juan del Sur has a large expat community (both Canadian and American) and that is one reason we chose there. Also we loved the town itself, that the vibe and amenities we were looking for.
There are several other cities in Nica that hace expat communities, such as Granada, Leon and several of the mountain towns...but we liked SJDS small town beach vibe.
Tip music is too lound.....but great data. Say hi to Tommy from ottawa
Thanks. Our first few videos we realize the music is too loud, our newer videos are better.
Loads of comments about fatty seafood burgers, fries, beers rums etc. I missed the comment about how much gym membership is every month..... 😳
Hi Dean, not sure on the cost of gym memberships in San Juan. There are several gyms in town but we are not planning on becoming members. We prefer to take out fitness outside, hiking, swimming, surfing, biking, doing some beach circuit training and of course yoga. If there is anyone in San Juan that knows the gym membership prices we would love to hear from you. PS the fruit and vegetables prices are very, very affordable here and the produce is so fresh.
@@ChrisTovahsAmazingAdventures These are fabulous free ideas. Esp. the hiking, biking and swimming. "Free" always sounds good to me!
Can you qualify for residence there on a lump sum in the bank or do you need to show a monthly income? Thanks for your great video
As far as we know you need to show the ability to have monthly income. So we believe that having money invested you could qualify for residency. We will be starting to get our ducks (and paperwork in order for our residences application) soon and will be showing all the details in our channel. We will have a pension that meets the monthly income criteria.
Let me know when you are available for Air bnb reservations
Our place is open now for reservations. Nica is pretty much business as usual and open for travel. Currently the only hiccup is flying in, most take a charter flight but hopefully the major airlines will be flying back there soon. We do have a discount price for friends.
Nice informative video ,
Poor sound quality with loud music makes it difficult to hear.
Yes, you are right. This was our very first video, you should check out our newer content, we have really improved.
Thank you very much information
Our pleasure!
I'm wanting wanting move to Nicaragua as well. Are you nervous about Ortegas reelection?
We don’t really get involved in the local politics. The country is very friendly to foreigners.
Wow! I'm coming to San Juan Del Sur next year. I'm 60, retired and my pensions and small investments gives me 4K Cdn. per month. Do you think I could live on that? Judging by your numbers, it looks pretty good. Thanks so much for the info. By the way, I'm from Valemount, BC, just west of Jasper.
Totally you can live well on 4k Cnd per month. You can easily live for less than that with 2 people. We have been to Valemount several times while traveling on out motorcycle. Where in San Juan are you looking to move?
A question about rentals. I want to come to Nicaragua but I won't be able to stay more than few months. Is it possible to rent on a monthly basis? Would that make rent higher than if one has a contract for one year rental??? I am thinking of Granada.
You can rent places monthly. Typically you would pay a bit more (per month) if you are renting just one month, compared to to longer term rental. Usually longer term rentals 6 or 12 months will give you a better price. If you are looking at air B & B if they don't list a monthly rate you should contact them to ask if they will give a monthly rate. There are some great Facebook groups that share rentals, several real-estate offices do rentals also.
Great video, just wondering, guys like you that been working hard, do you really believe you will be able to slow down, after a couple of months in the sun you may become restless, thats my experience anyway and new projects will come
We will be ready to slow down a little...but we also have lots of plans to keep ourselves busy, it will just be different “work” and on our own schedules. We plan to be really active with fitness and recreational outdoor activities, volunteer work with some of the beach clean up and animal rescues...and Tovah plans to teach some yoga 🧘♀️. We also plan to travel, taking several trips each year that are a few weeks long and many weekend or week long getaways exploring Nicaragua and surrounding countries.
Enjoy the vaho dish there. There is plenty of good food there
What kind of dish is vaho? We would love to try it.
It is a mix of meat(brisket) green plantains and yuca cooked in banana leaves. It is a traditional Sunday Nicaraguan dish.
Hi. I am from canada and I am thinking to move to manauga Nicaragua because of the cost of living and the opportunities. How is the situation there now?
We love it! San Juan del Sur has a really chill vibe. The country is very safe and no issues if you don't get involved in politics.
Are the prices shows for rent, etc. in CAD?
All the prices are listed in USD.
So the cost of living seems to be about the same as living in America after seeing the lists @4:04
Depending on where you might be renting, it could be similar to USA. This would be living in a very very nice place. Other than electricity, all your other costs are considerably cheaper. We bought a house in Nicaragua and is was about half the price of our Canadian home. Our budget of all costs to live in Nicaragua will be about half of what we pay (all included) in Canada for the same standard of living. You should check out our video on Nicaragua cost of living, it breaks down all the costs ruclips.net/video/BVWAMznaTB8/видео.html
Arriba Nicaragua hermoso
Si, muy bonitos
Succes in Nicaragua! 🙋🏻♀️🇳🇮🇳🇱!
We are so happy with our decision to make Nicaragua our new home.
How much is medications. My mom takes meds for copd. Hoping pretty cheap.
Most medication is very cheap. Typically meds are cheaper (paying out of pocket with no Nicaraguan insurance plan) than what you pay in Canada/USA for your insurance co-pay portion. Your should check with a pharmacy for the price and availability of the specific drugs needed for copd to be sure.
I’m planning to relocate to Nicaragua 2022 so I need all the info
Excellent, welcome to our channel. Where in Nica are you planning to move?
What about the political climate? People who oppose the government, peacefully, are in jail. My parents retired, after living in the United States for 50 years, and moved to Rivas, and then Ometepe. We had them evacuated about three years ago and they now live in Palm Springs, California.
Politically things are pretty quite, much more so than the civil unrest that took place a few years ago. We don't plan to get involved with the countries politics. As the country is rebuilding it's economy they know that tourism is important for economic growth and are very welcoming to foreigners.
Great informative video
Thanks so much!
Thanks enjoyed your video, but I am confused you said you drove to nica and I am being told that I cant drive thru the border??
We plan to drive to Nicaragua, we are not leaving Canada for about a year and a half. Check the current border restrictions, with COVID everything is changing daily and more international travel should be opening up and easing restrictions as vaccination rates increase.
Hi,do you think right idea to open a restaurant for tourism there?
We don’t have a business so we are not the best people to ask. Although we do know that business real estate has dropped in price, so if may be an opportunity to buy. Be aware that, like many places are struggling right now with the economic down turn due to covid. Likely as the covid situation eases and more travel and tourism resume business should pick up.
If you've been to Leon, what do you think? Is it safe?
Yes it is ,hot weather but beautiful Town
@@simply_diecast_3349 Thanks. A native neighbor with me here in the U.S. is encouraging me to retire with him there.
We have not been to Leon yet...it is on the list! As far as safety Nicaragua is he safest country in Central America and it is safer than most USA or Canadian cities. There is very little violent crimes, but there is some petty theft.
Thanks for the details. The town of Leon looks beautiful , we hope to visit it an more towns within Nicaragua soon.
Health care is great on the basic level, I have talked to many doctors and there training is way way below the USA, and Canada. I would not trust them for something serious
Fo anything serious you will want to go into Managua and see a doctor or a specialist at either the Military hospital or Vivian Pellas hospital. The doctors there are American trained, and the equipment is top notch (even compared to America) ...but way less expensive than USA
Ed, ever hear of a treatment in Canada called "MAID"? Don't take it when they suggest this as an alternative.
Hey I came across your video. So Ive only been there like 3 times my family is from there I have my dual citizenship but my grandma's house is in Masaya. Can you guide me to people in that area that can help guide me to move there? If you can't it's ok I'm trying to find ways to connect with locals there. Can we connect privately?
We don't have any connections in Masaya but we would be happy to help answer questions (if we are able). You can reach us on our Instagram @amazingadventures_chris.tovah. There is also a company in San Juan del Sur Nicaragua that do relocates to Nicaragua, called in Nica Now (google them for contact info), they can be a great resource.
How critical in spanish??? Thanks
You can totally get by without it. Google translate is a great tool and many vendors/local people use it to communicate when needed. Being in a Spanish speaking community is also a great way to learn Spanish and you will pick up key phrases quickly. In San Juan it is about 50-50 in terms of who speaks English. Many businesses speak some English, however some places only speak Spanish but everyone is very helpful with finding a way to communicate.
Love your prestation. Very informative. I am seriously considering emigrating to Nic. I am a Canadian and what you did not touch base on was crime...is this just a hear say?
Nicaragua is the safest country in Central America and is safer than any major city in US or Canada, there is petty crime like theft and drugs but extremely low on violent crimes.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 So true@@ChrisTovahsAmazingAdventuresit's sad that great countries in LatAm as well as major cities in the US and Canada have to deal with such high rates of violent crime (murder, rape, kidnapping, etc) that are pretty much not an issue in Nicaragua... Now, don't let those expensive sunglasses behind or wear gold jewelry to the crowded markets 👍🏻🤠
It's funny, lots of people from Nicaragua wouldn't mind leaving to the USA or other places...😁
Of course we love our home country of Canada...but there are many places that have so much to offer. The more chill, slower pace of life is one thing we are really looking forward to.
You're going to drive your own car with all your stuff from Canada to Nicaragua? That route will take you through some pretty challenging (politically correct word choice here) places? Are you ready for that?
We will be driving with minimal stuff, just a few suitcases and our dogs. We will be ready for the trip down. There are several routes that people travel from USA all the way to the bottom of South America. There are several great travel sites, Facebook groups and other RUclipsrs and we are following their journeys and staying update date on current conditions. Taking your time and not traveling at night are the biggest recommendations.
@@ChrisTovahsAmazingAdventures Ok good for you. Successfully driving through Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, not to mention parts of the USA ;-), is an ambitious feat. Good luck and God be with you. Have you checked the border regulations in these countries as far as crossing borders in your own car? Also have you done any posts on the political situation in Nicaragua? I never know whether the negative things I hear about it are just propaganda. Thank you.
We have been doing loads of research on boarder crossings. Once we hit the road we will be documenting all the steps to crossing each board. We have not posted about the political situation, generally speaking this is not something that we plan to be involved with. That is a good general rule for expats and travellers. Nicaragua is the safest Central American country, there is very minimal violent crime, much less than most USA and Canadian cities.
@@ChrisTovahsAmazingAdventures That is a good idea and a good observation; it is just that sometimes the political situation decides that it wants to be involved with you. But I wish you well. Thanks for the info.
We want over there brunch of canadiens and americans so all never left Nicaragua and they did bought properities and built houses and business is safety and peaceful also freedom you can do whatever you want as long don't hurt no body between foreingners people they help each others too is cool and sociolizing
We really love the mix of expats and locals in the SJDS community. It is one of the things that drew us there.
do you have to renounce your american citizenship to live in nicaragua? Wondering if you can keep dual citizenship in nicaragua? thank you
Hi Anndy, no you don't need to renounce your citizenship. If you are planning to move full time you would likely want to look into applying for residency (but not becoming a Nicaragua citizen). There are many people who stay a "tourist" for a long time but this does entail you to do boarder runs to re-start your tourist visa. Not cure about having dual citizenship, most people go the residence route. There is a big Canadian and American expat community in Nicaragua, expats are welcome and its a great place to live. Stay tuned to future videos as we will be detailing our road to residency.
What about shipping vehicles to nica?
Great question! We have a video detailing the pro's and con's of importing a vehicle to Nica ruclips.net/video/SHYga8ESxns/видео.html
Nagarote was voted cleanest village.
We did not have this town on our radar, thanks for sharing. It looks like a wonderful place and we will be adding it to our list of places within Nicaragua to visit. We hear the beach's are Amazing and there is a great swimming hole.
Have yo actually driven there from canada?
Yes, we drove down in Jan 2023. We loved the drive down, very safe and we had tones of fun.
Are you still there?
Our home base is still Nicaragua, but we are currently off adventuring in our roof top tent in Central America.
Is English spoken there,coz I have no knowledge of Spanish,
Hi Ken, in San Juan Del Sur you can get by will little to no Spanish. The town is one of the more popular tourist areas so many people do speak English and those that don't will try very hard to help you. Many other areas won't have as many English speakers, but don't let that deter you from travelling their, people always find a way to communicate. Google translate is used widely there and is a very helpful App for travelling. If you were looking to move there you would pick up Spanish more quickly being immersed in the language. We also love the Duolingo App, if has really helped us work on our Spanish.
Ur not crazy ur smart getting out usa
Thanks!!! We are not getting out of USA, we are Canadians. But the USA has very similar cost of living to Canada and the same kind of health care issues.
I have been going to Nica since 2010. I bought a lot at the beach . the country could do better. If I had my way, Nica would legalize marijuana . take advantage of hemp as a construction material. and cut importation tax by 75%. legalize abortion and make alcohol less affordable. the schools need help. get the church out of the schools. The nuns are ill equipped to mentor modern education.
As the country develops further it will be interesting to see what changes occur.
Is there a war going on?
There is not a war. The country, like many other countries around the globe have some ongoing political instability. With this being an election year (Nov 2021) this is in the news more often.