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In Placencia we have seen a drop in cost of rent due to the pandemic.  I attribute this to many rentals that were once short term not wanting to bother with the Gold Standard of Tourism required to host overnight visitors and are instead switching to long term leases.  Increase in inventory for a reduced population of renters is driving down monthly rent cost.  Average 1 bedroom in the village is now $700usd and 2 bedroom around $1000
School fees remain steady though most children are distance learning.  New daycare and tutoring centers are operating *** and I pay $900bzd per month in tuition for a private Montessori teacher (the most expensive school fee on the peninsula)

All prices below are US dollars, not Belizean dollars.
-- Weekly groceries for 2: about $80-110 US excluding pet food; staple goods seem to have risen a bit
-- Monthly utilities (water, electric, tv, internet) including A/C in bedrooms at night and in office during the day when needed: $500-600 US excluding gas which is about $125 every 2-3 months
-- No set budget for leisure activities. Mostly we get together with friends to play dominoes and other games so no cost except for shared appetizers
-- Gas costs: outrageous! Close to $5/gal and our SUV is not fuel efficient:-( Typically spend $200/mo
-- Gardeners: 2-3 days/wk - $180/mo
-- Cleaning gal:  2 half days/wk: $140/mo

As I frequently tell people who ask, IMHO only 3 things are cheap in Belize:
-- rents - especially relative to cost to build and furnish
-- labor: $2.50-$5.00 US/hr
-- property taxes
Everything else is comparable or more expensive than the US if you live like an American. If you live like a Belizean, you can cut those costs dramatically but no one we know does so:-) FWIW we've lived in Belize semi-fulltime since 2012 and own a home near Belmopan.

Sherry

This is some pretty useful information,  thanks. I am wondering however, when you say everything else is as much or more than the US you are referring to some place inland, like where I live in Idaho. Because everything is beyond ridiculous in the US if you live on or near a beach. I sure don't have as much experience as you living in Belize but I felt on my couple of visits there I might be able to afford it. Maybe not, I hope to spend 3 months there next winter to get a better feel for it. Do you find that you have a need to drive all that much? What does a decent golf cart cost?

Yes, I am referring to inland costs and comparing our expenses in Belize to those of our home in Florida near Tampa. In my opinion, a couple can live very comfortably in Belize on $1200-1500/mo plus whatever you spend on rent. We can afford to splurge on A/C but most expats we know don't bother with it except possibly a small unit in the bedroom for those few really sticky nights. So long as you have cross ventilation and a few fans, odds are good you'll be very comfortable without A/C and that's what drives our utility costs so high. We drive a lot; most folks don't. A lot of driving needs depend on where you live and what you're doing. We keep doing stuff on our home which translates into lots of trips to the hardware and building supply stores;-) Folks who use the buses and busitos say they're fine! An expat friend always takes the express bus into Belize City instead of driving...

You might want to look into house sitting in Belize to check it out without having any living expenses beyond food and transportation. We use house sitters every year and know several  others who do too so there are lots of house sitting opportunities if that appeals to you as a way of spending time to check it out while minimizing expenses.

Sorry but I don't know what a golf cart costs. They only use those on the cayes.

Ok thanks! Yes I have only been to placentia and Ambergis so I thought they used golf carts everywhere. Lol! Anyway, we were planning on checking out Corozol and Hopkins village this winter. Do you think they have need of house sitters there? How do I find out about that? I have it in my budget to go to Belize for 3 months this winter, I was planning on renting but if I could house sit part of it why not. My wife and I want to see what it's like staying there for more than a couple weeks to be sure that's what we want. It's a big step.

HOUSE SITTERS & HOUSE SITTING: A QUICK OVERVIEW

There are lots of house sitting sites. Just google it and you'll likely be surprised by all the options;-) Some charge the sittter to post availability; some charge both the homeowner and the sitter. Our preferred site as homeowners is . We've gotten all of our sitters from there.

As a potential candidate for a house sitting position, you post a short bio of yourself with an emphasis on your homeownership experence, experience with pets and what kinds (dogs, cats, birds, exotic critters - whatever) since many homeowners use house sitters to take care of their pets, any useful skills you have such as property management or gardening - whatever you think might be information a homeowner would like to know about you.

You then list places you're interested in house sitting. Some list lots of countries, others say "anywhere," in this case you would put Belize at the top of your list:-)   Once your posting is live, you need to keep checking the house sitting wanted postings and also the mailbox. Because experienced house sitters are often booked months in advance (and we rarely plan that far ahead), homeowners like us look thru the sitter postings checking availability then send inquiry letters to people who look like a good fit:-) Be sure to read all the articles linked in the house sitting sites about house sitting and what to expect. Some homeowners are difficult to deal with, or charge you for utilities, etc. You want to ensure the terms of the sit are very clearly spelled out! Ask lots of questions and be as detailed as you need to be. When a potential sitters does that with us, it helps everyone get a better feel for the likelihood of success!

We know people who house sit fulltime! They travel all over the world sitting in various homes - for a couple of weeks, months, or even years:-) One gal who sat for us a couple of years ago has been house sitting in Placencia for different people for years!

In my opinion, a house sitting gig in Belize is a great way to get to know the lifestyle and find out if it's a fit for you. Doing  house sits in different areas of Belize helps you to figure out which area fits  you best since each district has its own character, positives, and negatives. Also be sure to try out the country during different seasons. Many people find that the differences between Belizean lifestyle and what they're used to are too great for comfort. It's always sad when those folks have already invested in Belize, want or  need to go home, and can't find a buyer. It typically takes several years to sell a home in Belize. Only condos and houses on the beach sell relatively quickly - 6 months to a couple of years. Anywhere else usually takes quite a bit longer.

I hope you find this quick overview of house sitting helpful! We'll be needing someone starting in early May so I'll be on HouseCarers soon posting our sit;-).

Yes I'm sure there are house sitting opportunities in both Corozal and Hopkins:-) See my post on house sitting for more information.

I'd be happy to be a house setter in Belize

Thank you so much for the tips on placing a house sitting ad. I will definitely try that!

Stay Safe & Healthy!

What a great thread! Thanks for this very valuable information!

Hey... I moved into San Pedro 2 weeks ago.

Carts cost $25 USD a day, but if you rent monthly you can find down to $250 US a month.

I'm paying $900 a month for a 2 bed apartment near the town in San Pedro, a block away from the coast on the "front" street (Coconut Dr).

I find EVERYTHING expensive but I come from Argentina where the cost of living is dirt if you convert to dollars.

I still only know San Pedro but the plan is to explore and visit Corozal and Placencia as potential permanent locations for my family.

Any recommendations welcomed.

We've 2 small kids (3yo and 5yo) so if you have too and they are bored let me know so they can get bored together while we play some risk or something

Hello everyone,

I would like to thank you for sharing this information with us. 

Cheers,

Cheryl

How can you say that Tampa, FL. is Inland??? Tampa, FL. is COSTAL America... Tampa, FL. is also one of the top 5 most expensive places to live in Florida and by no means comparable to the cost of living anywhere in Idaho.
I lived in Tarpon Springs, FL. which is a close a suburb of Tampa and found the entire Tampa area to be both expensive and over populated.

Housing

Hi
i would like to get info on places & prices for 1st 6mo to 12mo living in Corazal (aPARTMENT) ,i want to be close to markets beaches or beach and just things to do .Go to restaurants go out for a little dancing and meeting people arts & crafts..etc.....

                                                                                                                        Thank You
p.s im ready to go to live a simple life

Hey, FYI, as you mention Corozal and beach on the same phrase, a small honest commentary about "beaches" here:

Corozal has "coast" as in "shore access to sea" but no "beach" as in "sand, palms and coconuts". You can still swim and have fun I guess, but no sand.

For that, you need to head south to Dangriga, Hopkins or Placencia, but those are not white fine-sand beaches. Sand is yellow-ish and grains thicker than barbecue salt, your feet get buried when you walk. Still very lovely tho, specially Placencia.

For white dense-sand (that actually seems to be 99% snail-shell powder) you need to get to an island.

San Pedro is very noisy with the golf carts roaming it all day but the beach is amazing. Specially Secret Beach (if you go, apply sunscreen before leaving your home if going in a golf cart, trust me).

I believe Caye Caulker is much quieter but haven't been there other than the water taxi stop on my way to San Pedro or back.

Anyhow, I hope you get to meet these lovely places, find your spot and that peaceful simpler life

thanks for that  some of the  areas i am  looking at  have  beaches  (so they say)