Nicaragua
Currency in Nicaragua: what to use and how to exchange
Nicaragua uses the córdoba (NIO, C$). Bring US dollars in clean, untorn notes as your backup, withdraw córdobas from bank ATMs in Managua, Granada or León, and treat cards as a city and hotel tool. Change money at a bank or a licensed casa de cambio in daylight, never on the street.
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GuideNicaragua
Key facts
- Currency
- Nicaraguan córdoba (NIO), written C$
- US dollars
- Widely accepted for hotels, shuttles, tours and some restaurants; change is often in córdobas
- Best value
- Withdraw córdobas from a bank ATM, or change USD at a bank or licensed exchange
- Street changers
- Avoid: short-changing and counterfeit notes are reported
- Cards
- Accepted in city hotels, larger restaurants and supermarkets; carry cash elsewhere
- Small towns and islands
- Cash only in many places, including Corn Islands and Rio San Juan
- Note condition
- Torn, marked or older US notes are often refused
- Ratecheck
- About C$36–37 per US$1 (2026 estimate — check the day's rate)
Details
The córdoba is the only legal tender, but Nicaragua runs a partly dollarised tourist economy. Hotels, shuttle companies, tour operators and many restaurants in Granada, León, San Juan del Sur and Managua quote in US dollars and take them happily. Everywhere else — markets, chicken buses, ferries, small comedores, taxis — expect córdobas. Keep both.
Withdraw córdobas rather than dollars where you can. Bank ATMs in cities dispense córdobas and usually give a better effective rate than a hotel front desk; airport and island ATMs are fewer and can run dry, so arrive with cash if you are heading straight to Ometepe, the Corn Islands or Rio San Juan. Daily withdrawal limits and fees vary by bank — check the screen before confirming.
For changing cash, banks and licensed casas de cambio in Managua, Granada and León are the safe route, in daylight, with your passport. Rates at the airport and in hotels are usually worse. Street changers who approach you with a calculator offer a tempting number and then count notes quickly; the standard tricks are a short count and a counterfeit note slipped into the stack. Decline and walk into a bank.
Cards work in city hotels, larger restaurants, supermarkets and some tour offices, and a few places add a surcharge. Outside those, assume cash. Tell your bank you are travelling, and carry a second card kept separately. See the cards and ATMs page for machine behaviour and fees.
Budget in córdobas for daily spending and keep a US dollar reserve for emergencies, shuttle seats and exit fees. Prices in the country pages are given in local currency; the site converts them for you.
Summary table
| Situation | Use | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hotels, shuttles, tours | USD or córdobas | Dollar prices common; change often in córdobas |
| Markets, buses, ferries, taxis | Córdobas | Small notes help; drivers rarely have change |
| City ATMs | Córdobas | Best routine source of cash; fees and limits vary by bank |
| Airport, hotel desk | Either | Convenient but usually a worse rate |
| Corn Islands, Rio San Juan, small towns | Cash | Carry enough; ATMs are scarce or unreliable |
| Cards | Cities only | Some places add a surcharge |
Rates and machine limits change; confirm on the day (check).
Tips
- Carry US$50–100 in small, clean notes as a backup; keep them flat and dry.
- Ask for change in córdobas when paying in dollars, and count it before you leave the counter.
- Break large córdoba notes at supermarkets or chain shops rather than at a market stall.
- Keep a photo of your passport and card numbers somewhere separate from the originals.
- Withdraw during business hours in a city, not late at night or at a lone roadside machine.
- If a card is swallowed or a machine fails, your bank's hotline beats arguing with the branch.
FAQ
Questions people ask
What currency is used in Nicaragua?
The Nicaraguan córdoba (NIO), written C$. US dollars are widely accepted for hotels, shuttles, tours and many restaurants in tourist areas, but markets, buses, ferries and taxis run on córdobas.
Where is the best place to exchange money in Nicaragua?
A bank or a licensed casa de cambio in Managua, Granada or León, in daylight, with your passport. Withdrawing córdobas from a bank ATM is usually simpler and gives a comparable rate. Airport and hotel desks are convenient but usually worse.
Is it better to bring cash or use a card in Nicaragua?
Bring both. Cards work in city hotels, larger restaurants and supermarkets, but small towns, markets, buses and the islands are cash only. Carry US dollars as a reserve and withdraw córdobas for daily spending.
Deep dive
Every source; changeable facts are marked check
Sources
- officialBanco Central de Nicaragua
- secondaryWikivoyage – Nicaragua