What’s it Really Like Living in Belize?

Summary: The day to day realities and practicalities of living in Belize for anyone considering making the move

An increasing number of us want to live at least part of our lives abroad nowadays.  Cheaper flights, greater affordability in terms of accessibility, the enthusiasm of friends, colleagues, peers and neighbours for also taking a sojourn overseas all fuel this strong desire that exists in many of us.  In addition to this, certain nations promote the attraction of living in their country to overseas citizens and as a result there is a wealth of choice of nations all willing to accept us and all welcoming us with open arms.

One such nation that goes out of its way to attract foreigners to settle down and start a new life is Belize – in fact Belize has a specific incentive program to attract foreigners.  But what’s it really like living in Belize?  It’s all very well knowing you can live cheaply and tax free, that the weather’s great and the people are friendly…but what about the specifics of day to day life?  In this article we take a much closer look at the realities and practicalities of living day to day life in a country like Belize.

If you come from the UK, mainland Europe, Canada or the United States, a country like Belize can seem so exotic and unusual at first glance.  It’s a country where lush vegetation grows in abundance absolutely everywhere, where the wildlife is still wild - and rare and beautiful.  The people are like an amazing mixture of cultures and nationalities all melded together and the scenery is just so dramatic that your first visit will have you falling in love with this historic and fascinating land…

But holidaying in a country like Belize is a million miles away from the realities of actually living in Belize!

For a start, to visit is easy as there are no massive formalities and tourists are generally treated with respect by the majority of Belizeans who appreciate the importance of the tourism sector for the overall development of the nation.  But if you actually want to move to live in Belize then there’s an awful lot of paperwork to deal with!

The vast majority of expatriates living in Belize are doing so under the terms of the Qualified Retired Persons Incentive Program which allows those over the age of 45 with a minimum guaranteed monthly income of USD 2,000 to move to the nation, reside there tax free and even import the likes of a car and their personal effects duty free as well. 

Others simply live there from month to month renewing their tourism visa for about USD 25 a month for the first 6 months and then USD 50 a month for the next six months before they take a flight out to the US or a trip over to Mexico for a minimum of 72 hours before returning and starting the process all over again.

You can apply for permanent residency of course – but the bureaucracy related is barely worth it unless you want to start a business, take a job or invest in Belize, and then you can approach the immigration officials and discuss your options.  Please note that you can no longer buy a Belizean passport – this was a program discontinued back in 2002.

The next question that many people approach is the question of cost of living – the cost of living in Belize is impossible to predict because your living standards and requirements are going to differ from the next person’s!  What we can and will tell you is this – if you live as the Belizeans do, you buy and consume locally grown, caught or produced food and drink, you use buses instead of your own car, you use the ceiling fans instead of air conditioning and you leave the trappings of your ‘Western’ lifestyle behind you will find living in Belize is CHEAP.

If on the other hand you’re moving out to build a mansion on the beach in Ambergris Caye, you’re going to have a gas guzzling car on the go day and night, you prefer to freeze your butt off with a/c and you eat and drink only imported American goods then your cost of living is going to be higher than you would pay for similar in the United States.

I think to give a good assessment of what it’s really like living in Belize it would be fair to say that if you’re seeking a laid back lifestyle, you’re an open and honest person who is sociable and fair, you don’t have high expectations of achieving a Western standard of living, you can accept some petty crime, you’re not afraid of a hurricane, you love outdoor life, you can make friends easily and you’re happy to live as the locals do and are willing and able to adapt to the Belizean way of life, then you will fit in, settle in, settle down and love living in Belize.

The main reasons why people fail to adapt to Belize is because they are unwilling to change, instead they want everyone around them to change and to adapt to accommodate them – well, that is not going to happen!  Another reason why some people pack it in and leave is because they get bored, they get the feeling of being island bound and the realities of living in a laid back country aren’t actually as attractive to them as the convenience of a supermarket, a drive through restaurant, advanced medical care or abundant shopping!

The pace of life in Belize is slow, there is only so much to do and see even in the most popular tourism towns or the most abundant expat communities, you’re going to need to be able to fill your day with hobbies, pastimes and interests and so if you go and live in Belize with a plan of things to do other than bar hop, you will have the time of your life.

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