Tipping In Nicaragua - A Complete Guide
Quick Guide
🍽️ Restaurant - 10% If Satisfied
🍹 Bar - 10% If Satisfied
🚕 Private Taxi - 10% Expected
🚕 Colectivo/Shared Taxi - Not Expected
🚍 “Chicken Bus” - Not Expected
🛎️ Porter/Bellhop - 50¢-$1 USD/Bag or Equiv. C$
🛏️ Housekeeping - $1-2 USD/Day or Equiv. C$
🛏️ Cuidador - $1-2 USD/Day or Equiv. C$
📸 Tour Guide - 10% Customary
🅿️ Parking Attendant - 50¢-$2 USD in C$
🛍️ Bag Boys/Girls - 30¢-50¢ USD in C$
🌮 Street Food - No Tip Expected
Many Nicaraguan employees are reliant on tips due to typically minimal salaries. If ever in doubt, it’s better to be generous and remember that a little to you can go a long way for them.
Calculate a culturally appropriate tip for Nicaragua using the calculator below and read on for more detail on tipping in Restaurants, Bars, Taxis, Hotels etc.
Nicaragua Tip Calculator
Good Tip For Nicaragua
Tip
$0.00
Total With Tip
$0.00
Split Bill By
0 Each
Tipping in Restaurants
It’s customary to tip your server around 10% if you’re satisfied (directly or via the tip jar if there is one). If the service was outstanding, you can consider tipping 15-20% but that’s completely optional.
In most cases, restaurants will add a 10% suggested tip (“propina voluntaria”) on to your bill. Most pay this unless unsatisfied. Just be prepared for the owner/manager to ask you went wrong if you opt not to.
A lot of tourists double tip by accident as they tip on top of the total that includes the “propina voluntaria”. In any case, don’t confuse that with IVA (non-optional sales tax).
Tipping Bartenders
Like in restaurants, bartenders here tend to get tipped around 10% of the bill.
You can deposit your tip in the tip jar if there is one. If there isn’t, just leave them a cash tip directly.
Tipping Taxi & Shuttle Drivers
For private shuttles and private taxis, your driver will expect a 10% tip. If they go above and beyond for you, feel free to give them 15-20%.
Most drivers here don’t own their own vehicle. They’re usually employed by a taxi company.
It’s best to tip in Córdobas unless you’re travelling to/from the airport in which case US dollars (untorn bills with no writing on them) are acceptable.
Drivers of shared Collectivo taxis and Chicken Buses don’t expect a tip. Chicken Buses are those old, refurbished American school buses. Why “Chicken”? Because passengers are both packed in like and are sometimes carrying, amongst other goods, chickens.
Tipping The Porter/Bellhop
If someone handles your luggage in your hotel or at the airport, it’s customary to tip them around $0.50-$1 USD per bag, either in Córdobas (the equivalent amount) or in USD.
Tipping Housekeepers & Cuidadors
Tip your housekeeper or cuidador, your rental home caretaker around $1-2 USD per day.
Give them the equivalent amount in Córdobas (preferable) or just give them clean, untorn US dollar bills that aren’t written on.
Tipping Tour Guides
It’s customary to tip your tour guide around 10% of the total cost. If they went above and beyond by providing you with an excellent experience, feel free to tip them 15-20% or more.
Which Currency To Use
In Nicaragua, it’s best to pay and tip using the local currency, the Nicaraguan Córdoba (C$ or NIO). However, US dollars are widely accepted as long as you pay using untorn bills that don’t have any graffiti on them. Locals won’t be able to exchange USD otherwise.
Buen viaje! (Have a good trip!) 🇳🇮🏖️🥭🍍🏞️
