I've been reading a lot of the topics here and the replies by Expats and what I keep hearing is:
1. Belize is not so cheap to live in.
It doesn't sound like all the Expats living in Belize are self made Millionaires, or even independantly wealthy. So why Belize if it's so expensive to live there?
2. The cost and selection of food and personal products is expensive and limited.
There are a whole lot of things we take for granted that we can live without, but why do you want too?
3. The import duties are very high on most items, and some items are restricted from importation.
4. You can only get the local Beer and Liquors.
5. The beef is awful and fresh seafood isn't always available..
Are you kidding me? The beef, I understand, fresh seafood baffles me. Is Belize missing out on this very profitable industry, or are they that environmentaly conscious?
6. The bugs can be horrible, especially mosquitos, bring your Deet spray!
Don't they sell it down there?
7. Bring your own, small appliances, towels, household items, etc..
Unless you are a QRP or have already obtained residentcy, aren't the duties going to make bringing in your personal property cost prohibitive?
8. You can get a whole lot more items in Chetumal, MX for a lot less money.
But then when you factor in the cost to go to Chetumal, Border fees both ways, in both countries, and the duties to bring back all the good deals you got in MX, did you really save any money, or was it just a nice day trip shopping for all the things you missed back home?
9. If you aren't very careful with the builder & construction of your house, you could be in for a lot of financial and structural problems. (This can be true anywhere you build a house)
Although I have not been down there yet to know first hand, my reasons for considering Belize, aside from being an English speaking country, are based on location, weather, and the reef. However, I do have to consider ALL other factors before I put all my eggs in the Belize basket.
I really appreciate all the Expats honesty about the facts of "Life in Belize" because it does help paint a realistic picture and removes those "rose colored glasses" So now I'd like to hear all the positive reasons you decided on Belize VS Any other Country, or whatever country you came from. And is it worth what you may have given up back home for the life you have in Belize?
Thanks
Curious why so many Expats are choosing to move to Belize?
Good questions! Pretty accurate answers. My reason for moving to Belize? I came last year on vacation and it felt like home. I moved to Corozal on Feb 12. I was right. This IS home. Perfect for me.
Hello:
The cost of living in Belize all boils down to how you want to live if you want to live like a king or Queen it will cost you like a King Or Queen i was there for a month and my Basic Cost of living was about 600 USD for that month a lot of the problems you wrote about in your posting are any where.
Have a nice day
David 1946
Excellent and insightful post, Texblondi!
I don't have a lot of time at the moment to respond more fully, but there are a few additional reasons people move to Belize that you haven't listed. These are mostly from people we've heard talking down here:
1. Tax advantages (and I'm guessing, to hide/shelter income) - I am not really sure how that works as we are retired, but from people still owning businesses in the US, I have heard this.
2. To "escape" the US government, and tied in with that,
3. Fewer regulations and more personal freedom
4. A less consumeristic environment, especially for raising kids
5. A simpler life (for us, we wanted to try living car-free, which is very easy on Ambergris Caye compared to many other places).
6. Easy trip back to the US compared to some other countries they might have considered.
This is an interesting thread, and my fellow Texan raises some interesting points. My main question is, other than language, what is the advantage of Belize over Costa Rica? That's one thing I'm looking at right now. I think CR would have some of the same advantages that CaribeGal mentioned, but with fewer problems that Blondi mentioned. I'll admit the prices seem a tad higher in CR than Belize, but that's about it. So I still have a lot to think about.
Lollard wrote:This is an interesting thread, and my fellow Texan raises some interesting points. My main question is, other than language, what is the advantage of Belize over Costa Rica? That's one thing I'm looking at right now. I think CR would have some of the same advantages that CaribeGal mentioned, but with fewer problems that Blondi mentioned. I'll admit the prices seem a tad higher in CR than Belize, but that's about it. So I still have a lot to think about.
Language may seem like a small thing, but it's pretty big when considering a place to LIVE, not just to vacation. We recently spent 16 days in Mexico, and although we knew enough Spanish to check into a hotel, order a meal and drinks, and say hello and thank you, having a real conversation was impossible, and it would be difficult to have to do business, banking, and other things in a country where you don't speak the language, or very little of it. So that is, to me, a huge consideration.
It's also a lot farther to Costa Rica from Charlotte (near where I have family) than the direct flight to Belize City (less than 3 hours). We'd love to go to CR on vacation, but never considered it for full-time living for these two reasons alone.
CaribeGal,
Thanks for your thoughts. Believe me, being a typical American, the thought of conquering a new language seems like a huge mountain to climb. It's terrifying. However, for someone a little younger with small kids and looking at a (hopefully) long-term future somewhere, I also wonder if I should just "suck it up" and learn the language. Maybe I'd look back years later and be glad I picked the better long-term option. I dunno.
Lollard wrote:CaribeGal,
Thanks for your thoughts. Believe me, being a typical American, the thought of conquering a new language seems like a huge mountain to climb. It's terrifying. However, for someone a little younger with small kids and looking at a (hopefully) long-term future somewhere, I also wonder if I should just "suck it up" and learn the language. Maybe I'd look back years later and be glad I picked the better long-term option. I dunno.
Oh, I totally get that! And actually, my husband and I studied Spanish off and on for a year before we traveled to Mexico, just so we would be able to get by without going with a group or guide. I would love to do an immersion class and eventually be able to expand our language abilities so that we would have more choices of where we could successfully travel and interact, even if we didn't choose to live there. They say that if you just up and move to a Spanish-speaking country, you WILL learn the language, but I suspect it still takes some study, motivation, and effort.
But a lot of people are just not motivated to learn a new language, especially those who are of retirement age. It is harder to learn a language later in life, and many who move to Belize are retirees. But certainly plenty of younger folks move here, and all have their reasons, which are as diverse as the expats I've met since moving here.
Some want get back to the land, buy acreage and grow their own food; others want a luxury lifestyle for a bit less than in the states. Waterfront property here is still less costly than most places in the US. There are as many different motivations as there are expats, I suppose!
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