Budget Nicaragua

I'm flying to Costa Rica on Dec 21st and heading up to Nicaragua in a day or two. A few months ago I was sure that I had enough money for my trip but due to the Aussie dollar being so weak against the USD I'm now a little worried. I have done some research and it seems that (IMO) accommodation in Nicaragua is quite expensive! I am looking at staying in cheap hotels not hostels and dormitories...I have been travelling for 20 years and have done all of that ...I'm now considered an 'older backpacker'! So it seems that cheap hotels are $30 and up!! I'm trying to live on $50 (USD) but that seems a little tight if $30 goes on the hotel! Other than the hotel I still love travelling on the cheap, chicken buses and cheap food etc. I am planning to hang around in the Rio San Juan then head over (nothing is definite and not in this order) to Ometepe, Masaya, Granada, Juigalpa, Matagalpa, Jinotega, Leon. Maybe explore inland towards the Caribbean Coast. I'm not interested in the San Juan del Sur area, Managua and probably wont visit the Corn Islands. I have a month and I'm a solo female.

Who told you that cheap hotels are 30 USD and up? Or do you mean Aussie dollars? Cheap hotels rank usually between 5 and 15 USD - 5 USD don't buy you much, while 15 usually get you very decent room - and a very good one if you can do without telly and a fan instead of the air-con. Buses are very very very cheap indeed. The speed boats on the Rio San Juan are more expensive, but with the recent huge drop in fuel prices I expect those prices will eventually go down again too. The ferry to Ometepe is very cheap, only a few USD. So is the Granada-Ometepe-San Carlos boat.
Food is anything between 1 and 5 USD for a meal (but of course there are more expensive options), a bottle of ice-cold beer is 0.70 - 1.20 USD, a small bottle of world-famous nica rum is 3-6 USD in a bar, depending on age. The rum's age of course, not the drinker's.

All in all I think you'll find the country rather affordable.

All the best,
koplez

Oh, the futher you get down the Rio San Juan, the more expensive it will get. That's because they have to haul everything from miles away. Maybe they wouldn't have to, but they still do. The same is true, to a lesser extent, for the Atlantic coast.

The Pacific is generally the cheapest because Managua is the centre of the Nica universe, and even if you buy a tomato in Bluefields that was grown 5 miles down the road it will have been shipped all the way to Managua, packed, and shipped back out to the coast. Crazy but unfortunately very true.

I am in Leon right now, staying at the quite lovely Hotel America for $10. The room itself is nothing to speak of, but it is a real hotel with private bath, fan, provided towels, soap, toilet paper, etc. Very conveniently located. I like the overall look of the hotel, old faded beauty. The manager speaks some English as well, which I am REALLY appreciating as this is my first trip in 1.5 years to a Spanish-speaking country (not counting a weekend jaunt to Mexico City in January, that's easier) and I did not have time to brush up.

Have not had a full meal yet as I was just exhausted on arrival and passed out for a while, but I've had a tasty meat empanada for 9 cordobas, and a cup of sweetened condensed milk with possibly candied berries (?) over shaved ice for 10 cordobas. What is that called? and, am I gonna die? I usually give myself a while before slurping down the local ice and water, but oh well. Oh, and the internet cafe I'm in now is 10 cordobas per hour.

The only shocking price so far was the airport taxi to the bus terminal in Managua...thought I'd read here something about the street taxis near the airport being less safe these days so I went with the officials taxi: $18!!

your budget is sufficient!