What It Costs to Send Money to Nicaragua from the US
In the 2024 Q3 World Bank Remittance Prices Worldwide quarterly survey, the cost of sending USD 200 from the United States to Nicaragua averaged 5.12% of the amount sent, with a median total cost of 5.00%. Total cost in this survey combines two components: the transfer fee charged by the provider and the exchange-rate margin applied to the conversion, expressed together as a percentage of the USD 200 send amount.
Across the 19 providers surveyed in the 2024 Q3 snapshot, total costs ranged from a low of 1.01% to a high of 11.00%, reflecting substantial variation within the corridor. The cheapest surveyed option in that 2024 Q3 survey was Remitly at 1.01%; this reflects the price recorded at the time of the survey and may have changed since.
Costs within this corridor can differ depending on the payment method used, the payout method selected by the recipient, and the amount transferred. The World Bank updates this survey quarterly, so figures shift over time. The per-provider table below presents the individual quotes as recorded in the 2024 Q3 survey and should be read as dated reference prices rather than current live quotes.
Surveyed providers (2024 Q3)
| Provider | Type | Pay-out | Speed (surveyed) | Total cost, $200 | Total cost, $500 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remitly | MTO | Internet | 3-5 days | 1.01% | 0.41% |
| Remitly | MTO | Internet | Less than one hour | 2.01% | 0.81% |
| Ria | MTO | Agent | Less than one hour | 3.50% | — |
| Xoom | MTO | Internet | 2 days | 3.67% | 1.93% |
| Western Union | MTO | Agent | Less than one hour | 4.00% | 1.60% |
| Vigo | MTO | Agent | Less than one hour | 4.00% | 1.60% |
| Walmart2World | Bank | Agent | Less than one hour | 4.50% | 2.00% |
| Walmart2World | Bank | Internet | Less than one hour | 4.50% | 2.00% |
| MoneyGram | MTO | Internet | Less than one hour | 4.50% | 2.00% |
| Envios 22-24 | MTO | Agent | Same day | 5.00% | 2.00% |
| Remitly | MTO | Internet | Less than one hour | 5.01% | 3.81% |
| Xoom | MTO | Internet | Same day | 5.51% | 4.60% |
| Xoom | MTO | Internet | Same day | 5.51% | 4.60% |
| Walmart2World | Bank | Internet | Less than one hour | 6.00% | 4.50% |
Total cost = transfer fee + exchange-rate margin, as a percent of the amount sent, at the two surveyed send amounts ($200 / $500). Surveyed prices, not live quotes.
Estimate your transfer cost →Source: The World Bank, Remittance Prices Worldwide, available at http://remittanceprices.worldbank.org (CC BY 4.0). Figures are from the 2024 Q3 survey — surveyed prices, not live quotes.