Whenever we talk to our friends and family about our newfound part-time home in San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua, we generally hear the same two questions: "Why Nicaragua?" and "Isn't it dangerous?" A few seem surprised as if this change was out of the blue, when it's really been in the works for several years now. So let me start from the beginning and help you understand why we chose to live part-time in Nicaragua.
A few years back we began seeing some unsettling changes in the US, our home country, prompting concerns for our safety (both physical and financial) and the very future of the traditional American way of life. Because we are by nature optimistic we hope for the best, but we also wanted to be prepared for the worst. That prompted us to begin researching potential "Plan B" locations.
Our criteria were simple: We wanted a tropical climate, affordability, political stability, US-friendly laws, and accessibility. And if I'm completely honest... Being on the coast was important as well. Initial contenders included the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. We'd also heard good things about Colombia and Argentina but their economies quickly eliminated them.
So after doing a lot of research, we eventually narrowed our search to the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua, with Nicaragua ultimately winning out as our first choice. The chart below, sourced from LivingCost.org, provides a detailed comparison between Nicaragua and the US.
But what about crime? Central America has unfairly gotten a bad reputation when it comes to crime. While some countries, like Mexico and Honduras, face very real crime and safety concerns, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and El Salvador are actually quite safe and secure. Nicaragua emerges as the safest among them all, with a crime rate comparable to, and even lower in some categories than, that of the US (refer to the chart below from Numbeo.com below).
Our personal experience is consistent with these statistics: During our time in Nicaragua, we never once felt unsafe. Late-night strolls through Leon, Granada, and San Juan Del Sur were a norm, underscoring the welcoming nature of the Nicaraguan people towards tourists and expats. Even the friendly free-for-all that is their traffic, didn't have the anger and hostility so common in urban driving in the US.
In short, Nicaragua has truly won our hearts with its laid-back and friendly culture and we are excited about spending much of our time there, particularly those months when it is too cold here in Oriental. So why did we choose San Juan Del Sur?