Belize vs USA - Cost of Living

To LoveBelize ... I love your attitude.  My husband and I are planning a move to Belize in 2 years (once he hits 45).  He'll be able to work online for the same company he works for now and I'm going to be able to retire.  Plan to have a huge garden, grow as much of our food as possible and possibly barter for other items we might need (my husband is an IT geek and I'm a paralegal).  We plan to live simply and are hoping to do it as cheaply as possible.  Any advice you can pass on, we will take it!  Thanks

You being a parelegal can offer inexpensive offshore corporations . Called IBC's . Just a thought . Belize has banking secrecy.

It may be prudent to explain my own brand of "simple" living to find a place to live. I am 48 and grew up most of my life in a three room house with an outhouse. Chicken came from the yard as did eggs, milk, and most veggies.

Since then I; as well as my attitudes, have come full circle.  Marriage, kids, and college all seemed to derail a perceived life of simplicity. Cars and houses got bigger and more expensive. Tastes never changed, but habits sure did.

For me, my first visit to Belize in 2006 brought things back into perspective; In a BIG way. I will never forget the kids on the beach in San Pedro. They were obviously just out of school, uniforms pealing off as they ran across the dock. No concept of big cars or expensive dinners out; just living in the moment and for that moments sake. No sense of who was poor and who had money and whether or not the next Iphone was out yet. And in my admiration all I could think is "what the hell happened to my life?"

Since then the idea of living in Belize brings tears to my eyes, an unbelievable urge to go back to the farm and get my food from the yard. I can probably live without the snakes in the outhouse, but who really cares? That is simple for me.

Now, how do I find a house in Belize where my American idea of simple translates? The term "Belizean-style" house doesn't seem to trip any ideas for real estate agents or property managers? Is there a better way to ask for this kind of property there?

http://www.century21belize.com/results/ … &submit=Go

I typed "belize real estate " into google and this great site comes up ( the one I pasted above ) residences for 15,000.00 us. Yep fifteen thousand  no misprint .. but brace yourself ,lol. You can get them to toss a chicken or two in the bargain.
There are other sites but I have viewed this one before and found a good selection ..
Happy hunting , I also grew up in a shack with no water ,gas,electricity ,or phone ,or vehicle either .
We might make good neighbours lol

Thanks. You have no idea how many times I have typed Belize Real Estate or Property for sale Belize and got nothing but stuffy subdivisions with agents that freak if you say chickens. Its actually kind of fun at this point.

I will check out this site. Thanks again for the info.

Doglady , I have to apologize to you for sending that less than ideal site ..
It has more expensive homes /acerages etc. than the one I was viewing several weeks ago. There were so many beautiful homes around the $100,000.00 mark I couldn't beleive it ..
I am going out soon but want to find the site I was on a with the inexpensive homes ,and will send you the site .. Don't worry the cheaper ones are still there ..
Neil

http://markleonard.point2agent.com/
This site is a little better .. I just checked out the first couple of pages ..

Thanks xcaret

Because of you I added one more

http://www.cerrossands.com/

Happy Hunting

Doglady,
I know exactly what you mean by the simple life. I grew up on a homestead in northern Alberta, Canada in the same way you describe. Belize brings me back to the old homestead in the 50s and 60s.
You might try asking for a Mennonite house. They are exactly like the kind of home I grew up in. Some people put them high in the air and have hammocks and laundry and such under them. Others put them about 3 feet off the ground (I prefer them this way).
MariLynne

I found this sweety of a little house .. You might have to scroll a long way down because i copied and pasted the whole thing it looks like ..lol
This is a good site ..Have fun checking through the all.





Attachments






View Listing Brochure























"MUST SELL !!!"


More Photos »





Paradise Found Belize Ltd Real Estate
























Mark Leonard



Email Mark







Phone:

501-670-8724



Cell:

501-670-8724



Fax:

501-402-0297




 









Details












Address: Corozal San Joaquin House and Lot
Type: Residential

Style:  Single Story

Bedrooms: 1

Bathrooms: 1

Lot Type: Corner

Lot Size: 0.719acres



 









Description









Check this cutie out for $46,000us its on page two of http://markleonard.point2agent.com/

One bedroom, one bathroom and one guest house. House is completely tiled throughout, has a remote control gate, fully fenced and is wheelchair accessible. In the Joaquin Village 5 mins drive from Corozal Town.

Thanks Marilynne. Do you know about how much it costs to erect one of those homes? I have checked the Plett site, which sells them but can't get anyone to return an email about moving one the San Pedro or how long it might take or even how much one is if we purchase it don't have the package finished as it is shown.

It is SO hard to do things from here and my husband's family is pressuring him to rethink leaving a good job right now. He's telling them "you only live once" they think we have both lost our minds.

Almost all of our visits have been to San Pedro, so we aren't sure about other places in the country. We are getting some great information on this forum though. And for that I want to thank you and everyone that has helped us out in the last few days.
Can't wait to get there and join the rest of the mid-life-crisis-having-back-to-nature-hippie-farmers who have found a way to escape the rat race.

The menonite houses are wood and not so good in San Pedro's hurricane season ,plus they are only 24X24 I have been told.. Better go with concrete block.. and a good roof..

This is a great little place. I have emailed the agent a couple of times; no answer. But I am patient, when the time comes, so will the right place. Thanks for the link.

xcaret wrote:

The menonite houses are wood and not so good in San Pedro's hurricane season ,plus they are only 24X24 I have been told.. Better go with concrete block.. and a good roof..

I would love to build on Ambergris Caye but getting someone to give me an idea of the cost is really not working out very well. The more trouble we have getting answers, the more my husband wants to rent. Anywhere. Which is really not as easy as it sounds either. Our original "dream" has changed so much now that it is almost unrecognizable.

But we will get there when the time is right. We have been planning and researching for almost 6 years. We are now at the point that we are coming down with the dogs; and we'll work out the details when we get there.

doglady ,my friend who lives in San Pedro and is having a house built near Progresso tells me Belize is on Carribean time ,meaning ,what we dont do today we can always do tomorrow.

Of course, that's one of the best reasons for moving to Belize. But at some point someone in business has to say.... its time to make some money.

My husband & I feel it's pretty much the same. Of course, everything SEEMS more, because it's 2-1 with the USD. It's just finding items, that you're used to purchasing in the US. We found, people that move here, as we did, thinking we'd save some money every month, while we're here. Won't. You cannot find the items you're used to. The stores are Chinese & VERY small. Dusty. Expensive. OLD, outdated items. Check the expiration date on EVERYthing. Including the Mac n Cheese. We bought some & the cheese was SO nasty. If you succomb to living as Belizeans do, you will be much happier & lose some weight. Rice n Beans are good for a while. We eat out, at Pop's, once or twice a week, for breakfast. It's easier than trying to get fresh eggs home, without breaking them. (By the way, the eggs are all brown, fresh & VERY tasty!) We live on $2,000 USD per month. Of course, that is $4,000 BZ. Sounds like a lot, but like I said, groceries are not cheaper. All the cd's & dvd's sold here are pirated. Most are okay, but some are really terrible copies. But, they are only $5 BZ!! I hope this answers your questions, somewhat. Enjoy! Don't be afraid to come here. We jumped in, with both feet & didn't even hold our noses! ha Annie

Jettz, do vendors come by with fresh produce and eggs etc? My friend is having a house built near Progresso and he said they show up every morning selling fresh produce , I assumed eggs and chicken would be included. On the islands I dont think that would be going on as much because of the expense and time to cross by boat .. They have farms up where he was talking about ,and maybe its not like that down south.
When I lived in Cancun Mexican district some local would buy enough to stock their store with veggies and fruit , the store was a blanket spread out in front of their home with all the produce displayed ,the locals would drop by and shop . It was so relaxing to see , I fell in love with the ease that they did things.
A thing that shocked me in a good way was one day sitting sipping my coffee on the street a family came walkng by, the 3 year old boy ( I'm guessing ) fell when he triped on broken concrete of the sidewalk and scraped his knee ,my first reaction was oh,oh, the poor little guy ,but not so with his parents , they looked and laughed and to my startled eyes so did the boy.
Well I got back to Calgary to see similar things hapening but the parents encouraged the kids to cry by immediatley saying are you ok you poor thing ... What a culture shock ..
It had me thinking or should I say rethinking everything I saw going on up here in Canada .. The poorer the poeple the happier they were too. I ran a good business but wasnt happy , they were , I thought about that a long time ,and decided to retire to Mexico ,I retired but instead married my girlfriend and have a 15 year old daughter now ,and no wife lol. Now at 65 Im thinking of going to Belize to check things out , my daughter wants to stay with her favorite aunt and uncle ,instead of her bachelor dad ..I might get there yet ..

HA... Ya, life is indeedy different in the other countries. If that little one had fallen in the US, he'd be in a hospital somewhere waiting for some sort of surgery, to fix the little boo boo... sigh. As for Mexico & Belize. I don't know how it is in Cancun, because we have not visited there as yet. We will be there for a week, in July, then, back to the US. We have visited the town of Chetumal, a couple of times & love it there. I'd trade Belize for Mexico, I think. Belize is one big monopoly. Nothing, that isn't owned by the B & B family, gets here. The gov't has their hands in everything, so everything is higher. NO competition. I hate that part of Belize. No, there are no peddlers, out where we live. But, EVERYthing is for sale, in Belize, I think. Since most of the locals know us, now, they don't even ask us if we want a cab. ha Annoying. The open market, is more like an American flea market. Friday & Saturdays are the busiest & most people with the most fresh food. We get out eggs there. We purchase 6 at a time, for $2 BZ. They're huge & have an amazing taste! Just about all the fruits & vegies, are local, but apples, pears, ect, are shipped in & expensive. The costs are $2. each for the apples. $2. per pound for the vegies. Weird, that a head of lettuce & cabbage, or watermelon are all sold by the pound. ha We are used to purchasing them a each. Oh well... Not a big deal. Beer is exclusive, to Beliken & that's about it. Mexico, has SO much more to offer an expat, I believe. We haven't lived there, however, so we really don't know. There is a little town of Bacalar, that is more inland, but there is a huge beautiful lake there & the town is much smaller than Chetumal. Looked like a place we could live if we wanted to. Most don't speak English, but hey, it's Mexico, right? Good luck with your ventures. Annie

Jettz, those chicken eggs taste so good because they dont force feed them lay mash ,,but let them eat what grows wild .. I had a few that ran around in the yard ,big eggs and great taste ..
Neil

Hi Doglady,
Renting is a good idea until you have firmly decided where you want to live. It sounds like you are waivering between San Pedro and the mainland. I agree that Mennonite houses would not withstand the hurricaines in San Pedro. If you were on the mainland, they can be quite nice. We bought a lower end, small house for our caretakers for $17000 BZ ($8500 US). Although most ready made Mennonite houses are only made up to 24X24, you can get a one made to order, in the size you want. If you want the simple life, you don't want too big, anyway.
I don't know how much a cement house would cost, but I would imagine they are not that much. We have a simple, open concept cement house with only the 2 bedrooms and bath being partitioned off. The house is 800 square feet, and we have an additional 400 sq. ft. covered deck. It came on a 3 acre lot and cost only $65000 US.
We, too, spent a lot of time looking at places through realtors on-line, and finally decided that we really had to be there to look at the places in person to know what to expect. There is so much diversity. At the time we went (last year) we only planned to look at what is available for our price range, and just happened to find this perfect place that we immediately bought.

bmcraig,
Having searched for the home you purchsed thru out Belize,would you say the equivantent home or thereabouts could be found in most areas of Belize except for near the ocean? Did you find any areas less expensive than others , I am guessing the Islands would be more expensive to buy on and live on too.
Neil

Neil, I hope you don't mind. I have a friend that is a realtor in Santa Elena, Cayo district. Real estate is hopping, right now. ALL over Belize. Yes. It's more expensive on the Cayes, than on mainland. Just keep up with the realtors, if you can & keep checking the real estate sales, all over the country. It's SO different, everywhere. We love living on our hill, towards the Guatemalan border. Take care, Annie

My husband and I just returned from a property search in Belize.   we saw bare lots with no services, and completed houses.  We were clear that we wanted to live in an area of Belizeans NOT some expat ghetto.  There are many choices, including modest 1 rooom dome homes for $7500 built on unimproved lots costing $8000.   We concluded the best thing for us was to rent a small house, 2br for $275 US dollars per month for a year.   We can expand our search during the year to make a more informed decision.

Hello Hello Kristinanadreau,
Sound like very good deal to rent a small house.
Please let me know in which area are that good deal.

I will be grateful

kristinanadreau wrote:

My husband and I just returned from a property search in Belize.   we saw bare lots with no services, and completed houses.  We were clear that we wanted to live in an area of Belizeans NOT some expat ghetto.  There are many choices, including modest 1 rooom dome homes for $7500 built on unimproved lots costing $8000.   We concluded the best thing for us was to rent a small house, 2br for $275 US dollars per month for a year.   We can expand our search during the year to make a more informed decision.

This is pretty interesting to us. We have asked a couple of times (not on this forum yet) about different areas. We are both from the criminal justice world, so petty crime and "shady" characters have pretty much been our lives. But dangerous is another story. The term "Ex-pat Ghetto" is the interesting thing. What does that look like?

Also, the dome home idea would be great. We were looking at the Mennonite homes and were intrigued. But getting that done from here is really not an option. So, cheap rentals that are pet friendly is where we are looking now. Any idea on agents or property managers to find a place like the ones in the quote are more than appreciated.

For rentals check out:

http://www.redroofpropertymanagement.co … acio-town/

Hi Neil,

We found that for the most part there were more inexpensive places inland - Cayo and Orange Walk mainly. However, we did see some very good deals along the beach fronts. We did not look on the Cayes at all. Really, you have to keep looking. And you really have to see property in person. It might look good in the pictures, then when you actually see it, it may not be all you expected.
MariLynne

Thanks , I'm trying to get there this summer or fall.
Neil

Very VERY true!! However, we got lucky. Our realtor took all the pictures we asked for, when we thought about renting this little cottage. It's 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, washer/dryer, screened in porch, covered front  & back porches. It's not the ritz, but hey, we LOVE it, here. Just off the Western Highway, only 2 neighbors, & they're WONDERFUL! We do not have a vehicle, so we ride the bus, everywhere. The only issue we have, without a vehicle, is, getting drinking water. We got real lucky & have a wonderful neighbor, that get's 2 5 gallons filled, when we need them. Our landlord pays for the household water $150 per 3,000 gallons. He pays our electric. We pay for filling the propane & cable $44. each. Propane has only been filled one time, in 10 months. NOT bad. He has a landscape company, so he has workers take care of the yardwork, any other issues. It's great. We will be moving out July 14th, if anyone is interested. It's $750 USD, per month, & when we rented it, there were NO rentals available, in Cayo district. I'll give you any information, if anyone would be willing to take this on. I can get pics, but not until we leave. Okay? Or, if the realtor is willing to let some free. We found that Cayo is where we found the most interesting things to see & do. This is why we came to Cayo. SO, happy we did, too. We are leaving for family issues, so we may or may not return to Belize. We may try for another district, for something different.

jettz wrote:

I'd trade Belize for Mexico, I think. Belize is one big monopoly....Mexico, has SO much more to offer an expat, I believe....Annie

I have to agree.  Lived on Ambergris Caye for 1.5 years and traveled all over Belize.  Loved many things about the country, but over time, the lack of availability of many products, poor-quality goods, and lack of variety in foods (not to mention so much expired food being sold) eventually started getting to us.

In addition to banning the sale of all Mexican beer, Belize bans the sale of Mexican mangoes and avocados, which are available for many more months than the local Belizean mangoes and avocados.  Why not allow Mexican imports for part of the year, when Belizean products can't be bought?  This ban leads to frequent smuggling of all these items into the country.

On a two-week trip to Mexico (five different states), we were like kids in a candy store again -- so much fresh produce in much wider variety than in Belize, huge variety of inexpensive beer, and EVERYTHING was cheaper, in some cases MUCH cheaper, than Belize. 

I will say this, though, in favor of Belize:  local Belizeans, in general, are more friendly and welcoming than Mexicans.  This may have to do with some of the political issues between our countries, or just be a cultural thing.  Mexicans were more reserved, but still helpful.  Speaking Spanish is really a must, though, for anyone considering traveling beyond the tourist meccas of Cancun, Cozumel, and Tulum.  We had studied Spanish enough to get by even in San Cristobal, but we were limited to ordering in restaurants, bargaining with vendors, and checking into hotels.  We weren't fluent enough to carry on true conversations.

If we had to choose between the two countries for expat living, knowing what we know now about Belize, we'd go with Mexico, much to our surprise!  We hadn't ever been to Mexico before moving to Belize so had no idea we'd like it as much as we did.

Emily

Having read what surprised (disappointed) you about living in Belize may I ask how many visits you had made before buying a property and moving to Ambergris Caye full time ?

I ask because my wife and I moved here (Ambergris Caye) nearly a year ago (having visited nearly 30 times prior to the big move) and can honestly say that there have not been too many things that have surprised or disappointed us.

http://www.abelizehomeforus.wordpress.com

Johnhenry1925 wrote:

Having read what surprised (disappointed) you about living in Belize may I ask how many visits you had made before buying a property and moving to Ambergris Caye full time ?

Three visits -- for a total of five weeks.  I know, not enough.  But more than many people on this board and other Belize Expat groups often have before taking the plunge.  I was amazed how many moved down without a single visit, just from what they read online!

We have no regrets about doing what we did, even though AC ultimately proved not to be the right place for us.  We learned a LOT in our time there, and got to experience everything we wanted to in the country, visiting nearly all the districts, many parks, doing much hiking and sight-seeing...in addition to trips to Guatemala and Mexico.  But what we did find is that living in a place full-time is very different from vacationing there.  Things that are easily overlooked, dismissed, or just not known as tourists about day to day living and local culture become known only after being in a place for awhile and having to go about daily life.

Some things you just have to try for yourself to know if they will fit or not.  And we have experiences and memories that will last a lifetime!

CaribGirl, WE are experiencing about the same attitude, you have. We came to Belize the first time on a cruise. It was cheaper, than flying, ect. We took an excursion to Xunantunich, just to see what the countryside was like. It was a hot day, in Cayo & even rained. WE fell in love. With the area, people & food. So, we proceeded with applications for QRP, got it, in 4 months, & set up to move. We do NOT regret our decision, as you don't either. We have seen about all we set out to see. Done what we never expected we would even try to do. We, to went to Guatemala, without the fear of our US gov't, warnings. Went to Mexico 2 times. LOVE this area, of Mexico. We had not seen anything, or done anything, with our lives, in the USA. NOW, we have & no regrets!! Belize is a wonderfully backwards, somewhat sophisticated & all wonderful. The people are amazingly helpful, talkative. We have ONE word to ALL visitors to Belize. DO not be afraid to say hello to ANYONE. We've noticed, backpackers, tourists, visitors, only say hello, IF they're provoked, by anyone. It's a sad day, in Belize, if you cannot talk to the locals, other tourists, ect. Just open up!! You don't have to tell the whole sad story of your life, to them. They only want to say hello & be your friend.

My husband and I visited Placencia for 2 months and loved it so much that we purchased a house and business-Placencia Mini storage. We officially move in Sept. If you live in the area please stop by to say hello after Sept.

Hello, hello Placenciaministorage,
welcome you on forum. I 'm realy feel all ready invited to your storage. I'm plannig to go to  Belize , and dont' know where anfd when.
I reading with patience all information about Belize.
I' m looking for a place to rent first.
Not expensive, just to stay for couple months to find out is Belize is country for me.
I'm looking forward to meet you.

Hello jettz,

Please wite to me about applications for QRP. What is this and  when I have to apply for this.

I'm Canadian and going back to Canada
maybe I'll know more after May 16th.
I love already for post with advices about friendship in Belize.
In Europe is different, much diffrent.
When you say hi to somebody they are looking at you with look
'' Do we know each other?   

I want to say hello and  be a friend as muchas possible

Well, you first have to contact Belize Tourism Board. They have a nice website with all the information, you'll need to apply. You must be 55 or up, I believe. May be 45. Can't remember. It's a little costly, up front, but you'll get an id card, that's good for one year. After that, you'll have to either renew or do something else. It worked out good for us.
We live in the Cayo dist. We LOVE it! There are many trees, & we love the small towns. We rent a cottage, 3 bedrooms, 2 bath, washer, dryer & screened porch. Two patios, front & back. There are two other families that live on the property & we are far enough, that we don't bother each other. But, we do all really get along great.
Hope you can find a place, that is to your liking. We rented here, for a year, just to see if we would like it. However, because of some personal issues, we are leaving in July. so, this place will be up for rent. The landlord is going to be renting a 1 bedroom apt, also, soon. You can contact John Acott, at the RE/Max realty, in San Ignacio. I don't know what he will rent the small place for, but we pay $750US, for this place. He pays for water, elec, & we pay cable $22US. We get ALL the channels & Premium.
I wish you well in your travels. You will fall in love with Belize! Wonderful place. & We have met the most amazing people. Both on the bus & just walking thru town. Eating at the same restaurants. Great!! Good luck! Annie

jettz wrote:

Well, you first have to contact Belize Tourism Board. They have a nice website with all the information, you'll need to apply. You must be 55 or up, I believe. May be 45.

The age to apply for QRP is 45.  You'll find a lot more information about the program on this site:

http://www.belizefirst.com/QRPUpdate.htm

Good luck!

jettz wrote:

The people are amazingly helpful, talkative. We have ONE word to ALL visitors to Belize. DO not be afraid to say hello to ANYONE. We've noticed, backpackers, tourists, visitors, only say hello, IF they're provoked, by anyone. It's a sad day, in Belize, if you cannot talk to the locals, other tourists, ect. Just open up!! You don't have to tell the whole sad story of your life, to them. They only want to say hello & be your friend.

I absolutely agree!  The people are the best part of Belize to me.  We met so many friendly and welcoming people on Ambergris Caye and throughout the entire country.  As I said, we have no regrets whatsoever. 

I mentioned our dissatisfaction with the grocery situation in my post above, but please keep in mind (all who are reading this) that this is just one aspect of life in Belize and surely didn't make or break our experience there.  We enjoyed the fruit stands and all the wonderful tropical fruits.  But we try to eat very healthfully, and the variety and quality of many foods in Belize was, to us, subpar -- or just too expensive for us to afford.  This situation is pronounced on Ambergris Caye.  Everything is more expensive on an island as it all has to come in by boat.  And the variety is less than on the mainland. 

Ultimately, we wanted to do more traveling and live a more varied lifestyle than we found in Belize as I documented in our goodbye blog post, but we would never take back our time there.  It is such a broadening experience to live in a foreign country.  Seeing how little many locals have and how happy most of them are despite that really drummed home how very fortunate most Americans are.  We will never take the smooth roads, cars with shocks , and all the bounty we have here in the US for granted again.