Belize offers expats the opportunity to live in picturesque ocean communities for a fraction of the cost they would pay back home. These locations house many expat communities and, as such, provide most of the amenities you’d expect to have in your hometown. Expats frequently live quite comfortably on a budget of $2,000 or more per month.
The holidays tend to conjure up images of snow falling, warm fires, and being indoors…but all that changes when you move to tropical and exotic Belize. The holiday season is celebrated in full swing here, but be prepared for some changes from North American traditions.
Belize has a "high season" and a "low season" for visitors. The exact dates of each are debatable, though typically December through April is referred to as high season, and July to October as low season. From my point of view, Belize is a place that never feels crowded… That's one of the things that makes it so appealing for the traveler looking for something different.
A week-long trip is not truly enough time to see everything Belize has to offer. If possible, spend at least two weeks here on your scouting trip—this will give you a much more complete feel for the country. You can also be flexible with your time, spending more of it in the areas that speak to you and less in locations you feel are not a great fit.
I found my paradise in the district of Toledo, on the southernmost coast of Belize. Members of my expat community here love the untouched, untamed area where we dwell, surrounded by thousands of acres of treasured jungle and centuries of tradition. We are among the free-spirited, proudly-independent occupants of “The Forgotten District,” sandwiched perfectly between the Caribbean Sea to the east and the wild lands and mountains to the west.
I recommend you take an initial scouting trip of no less than a week. You can check out the major sites, explore the different areas to live in Belize, and you should then be able to decide if you want to discover more. If you like what you find on your scouting trip, take a "test drive" of life here by coming back and renting for a couple of months. By then you should know if you're ready to make a more permanent move.
A walk down the beach usually follows my morning routine, with a stop at one of the numerous beachfront establishments for a lunch of stewed chicken, a local specialty. A heaped plate of chicken, potato salad, red beans, and rice for $7.50 is hard to beat. And there are no worries about exchanging your money, as Belizean and U.S. dollars are used interchangeably at a two-to-one ratio.
No matter where you live in Belize—in the north or south, in the jungle, on the beach, in a big town, or in a small town—you'll find an amazing array of street food vendors, food shacks, and informal places to grab a meal.
Although numerous high-end projects are slated to come to Belize in the next few years, for the most part life here remains laidback, unhurried, and nonmaterialistic. The country has the lowest population density in Central America—the vast majority of Belize is rolling mountains of jungle, waterfalls, Maya villages, and coastline.
Getting around Belize is one of the great adventures and joys of living here. Indeed, how you go about getting around your new home is likely one of the biggest adjustments you'll make from your old life.