intl.life
Flag of Nicaragua

Nicaragua

Central America

Capital
Managua
Population
7.0 million (2025)
Currency
Nicaraguan Córdoba NIO
Plugs
AB 120 V
Drives on the
right
Local time
Nicaragua highlighted on a globe

Plugs and voltage

Nicaragua uses Types A and B sockets. Mains supply is 120 V at 60 Hz.

At 120 V, devices from 220–240 V countries that are not dual-voltage will run weakly or not at all. Chargers labelled “100–240V” work fine with just a plug adapter.

Money

C$ Nicaraguan Córdoba NIO

Average in 2025: 1 USD = 36.62 NIO (World Bank). No daily reference rate is published for this currency by the ECB; check a live rate before exchanging.

Price level 37 (US = 100, 2025)

Everyday household prices in Nicaragua are about 37% of US prices when converted at market exchange rates: cheaper than the median country (50). All countries

Language

  • Spanishofficial78%

Bars show the share of the population that speaks each language (CLDR estimates).

Time

Nicaragua is on UTC−6, with no daylight saving time.

Driving

Traffic in Nicaragua drives on the right, so the steering wheel is on the left.

Public holidays in the next 12 months

10 national public holidays from 2 November 2026. Banks, offices and many shops close; regional holidays are not shown. Dates marked “estimated” follow a lunar calendar and can move by a day.

December 2026

  • Immaculate Conception
  • Christmas Day

January 2027

  • New Year's Day

March 2027

  • Maundy Thursday
  • Good Friday

May 2027

  • Labor Day
  • Mother's Day

July 2027

  • Revolution Day

September 2027

  • Battle of San Jacinto Day
  • Independence Day

Travel advisories

United States · State Department

Level 3 Reconsider travel

Read the full advisory. Checked 2026-11-02.

United Kingdom · FCDO

No warnings The FCDO does not advise against travel to Nicaragua.

Updated 2025-12-10. Read the full advice. Checked 2026-11-02.

Advisories are written for each government's own citizens and change without notice: read the original before you travel.

Other practical facts

Calling code
+505
Internet domain
.ni
Measurement
Metric
Paper size
US-Letter
Week starts on
Sunday
Read more
Wikipedia
Coat of arms or emblem of Nicaragua
Coat of arms / emblem

More in Central America

Compare all of Central America side by side

Flag: Flag of Nicaragua.svg, Public domain. Arms: Coat of arms of Nicaragua.svg, Attribution. Electricity: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), see methodology.