---
title: "Managua vs San Juan del Sur for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/managua-vs-san-juan-del-sur
description: "Under balanced weights San Juan del Sur edges it, 56 to 52, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Managua is stronger on nothing outright; San Juan del Sur on air quality, getting there & around. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.10.7 (2026-10-13)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Managua vs San Juan del Sur for digital nomads

Under balanced weights San Juan del Sur edges it, 56 to 52, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Managua is stronger on nothing outright; San Juan del Sur on air quality, getting there & around. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

| Metric | Managua | San Juan del Sur | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | no data | no data | — |
| Safety | 55 | 55 | tie |
| Healthcare | 68 | 68 | tie |
| Internet | 58 | 57 | Managua |
| Visa ease | 46 | 46 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 35 | 51 | San Juan del Sur |
| Climate | 42 | 42 | tie |
| Air quality | 64 | 81 | San Juan del Sur |
| Quality of life | 50 | 50 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | Managua | San Juan del Sur | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | no data | no data | — |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Managua | San Juan del Sur | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 5.45 | 5.45 | tie |
| Political stability (0–100) | 65.4 | 65.4 | tie |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 70 | 70 | tie |
| Life expectancy | 75 yrs | 75 yrs | tie |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Managua | San Juan del Sur | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 19.6 Mbps | 18.3 Mbps | Managua |
| Upload | 9.9 Mbps | 9.6 Mbps | Managua |

## Visa

| Metric | Managua | San Juan del Sur | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Entry, EU passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Managua | San Juan del Sur | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 12 | 39 | San Juan del Sur |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 4 | San Juan del Sur |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 1 | Managua |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Managua | San Juan del Sur | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 5 | 5 | tie |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 21.3 µg/m³ | 13.4 µg/m³ | San Juan del Sur |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Managua or San Juan del Sur?

We lack a monthly cost figure for one of the two cities.

### Is Managua or San Juan del Sur safer?

Managua scores higher on safety (55 vs 55), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Managua or San Juan del Sur?

Managua: a measured median of 19.6 Mbps versus 18.3 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Managua](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/managua) · [San Juan del Sur](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/san-juan-del-sur). Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/managua-vs-san-juan-del-sur