Looking for an English-speaking haven that offers sunshine, culture, and affordable living? Belize could be your perfect match. Here’s a look at the best areas for retirees and expats to call home…
1. Cayo District
Belize’s Cayo District is a rugged, sprawling region of the country’s mainland that’s full of rivers and rain forests, as well as rustic small towns and villages with strong community spirit.
The biggest of Belize’s six districts, the Cayo is paradise for nature lovers. Here, the burdens, stresses, and concerns of the rest of the world feel far away and unimportant…
Cayo’s population is made up of an eclectic community of expats and locals who appreciate space, freedom, privacy, the outdoors, and back-to-basics values.
It has a scattering of small towns and villages, but San Ignacio town is the nucleus. Over the years, it has developed from middle-of-nowhere outpost to charming, well-appointed hub.
It’s home to a town square lined with boutiques, restaurants and cafés, tour companies, and real estate agencies, as well as a pedestrianized thoroughfare.
It’s a market town, with lively fruit and vegetable markets a few days per week, and the commercial center of the country. This is a benefit because it offers the widest selection of goods and materials… which can be difficult to source in other parts of Belize. San Ignacio offers an unmatched level of convenience.
The climate here is tropical/wet. It’s typically warm all year, with slightly cooler, less humid weather than the rest of the country thanks to breezes coming off the Maya Mountains. Average highs run around 85°F (29°C) and average lows hover around 69°F (21°C).
When it comes to health care, Cayo is fortunate to have one of the best private hospitals, La Loma Luz, and one of the newest public hospitals, San Ignacio Hospital.
The Cayo is rural, and its appeal lies in its simplicity… It lacks formal or organized cultural entertainment options. Indeed, one of the reasons you can keep your costs low here is because there isn’t a great deal to spend your money on.
A couple could live comfortably here on a monthly budget of $2,005.
That’s not to say there’s nothing to do… The community here enjoys down-home events like local art shows, cultural heritage festivals, Christmas tree lightings, open-mic nights at bars, and the like.
Plus, Cayo provides unlimited opportunities to get active, with wide-open spaces, country roads, and river access around every bend.
Swimming, tubing, floating, and kayaking in the river are top pastimes. And the sandy beaches and the bright blue waters of the Caribbean Sea are just a few hours’ drive away.
Why Live Or Retire Here:
- A Nature Lover’s Paradise.
- Live Comfortably On $2k A Month Or Less.
- A Back To Basics, Low-Stress Lifestyle.
2. Ambergris Caye
Ambergris is Belize’s biggest island, found just offshore from the mainland, and surrounded by inviting warm turquoise waters. This sun-soaked slice of Caribbean heaven is perfect for retirees who seek a relaxing tropical lifestyle in the sun.
San Pedro is the main settlement and hub of activity on the island. This colorful, quirky little town combines local charm with modern conveniences. It boasts open-air bars and restaurants, art galleries, wine shops, and bakeries.
It’s also where the majority of Ambergris’ expat community is based. The island is a mini melting pot, home to people from Latin America, North America, Europe, and beyond.
Island living is always going to be more expensive than mainland living because all goods and consumer items need to be imported—in Ambergris Caye’s case, by barge. These extra logistics incur extra expenses. Plus, Ambergris is a tourism hotspot so prices are often geared to that market.
A couple would need a monthly budget of at least $3,320 to settle in comfortably here.
Rent can vary from $1,000 to $2,500 per month depending on the style of home and proximity to the beach.
Utility bills are impacted by how often you use your air conditioning. Groceries can be expensive if you shop for imported goods rather than local ones.
To get around the island, most expats opt to rent a golf cart on a long-term basis, which costs about $500 per month. If you use taxis instead, you’ll pay about $275 per month.
With warm weather, sunshine, and the sea, Ambergris Caye is perfect for outdoor recreation. The Caribbean Sea is at your fingertips. You can go for walks or swim at white-sand beaches with clear waters on any given day.
The Belize Barrier Reef, the longest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere, is just offshore. Here you can snorkel and scuba dive. The Great Blue Hole, a collapsed underwater cave, is another once-in-a-lifetime snorkel and dive spot.
Boating, fishing, sailing, and most other water sports are very popular among Ambergris residents. You can also play golf, catch a game at a sports bar, or just kick back on the beach with a good book.
Ambergris Caye has a classic subtropical climate, with hot, warm weather year-round. Highs run to 86°F (30°C) and lows average 73°F (23°C).
For health care needs, a private hospital, Ambergris Hope, opened its doors in 2024. It can treat most basic and urgent needs.
Why Live Or Retire Here:
- Caribbean Living At An Affordable Cost.
- A Thriving Expat Community.
- A Wealth Of Entertainment Options.
3. Placencia
Placencia is a 17-mile long sand spit that is at most only a quarter mile wide. The one-time fishing village turned quiet tourist destination boasts high-quality developments, friendly people, and little to no crime… just an abundance of deserted white beaches, turquoise waters, and laidback luxury.
Tourism and good living seem to have adopted Placencia for several reasons, one of which is its barrier reef. This coral wonderland is made of billions of individual living coral polyps and is home to some of the most diverse communities of marine life anywhere in the world. The reef also protects Placencia from the wilds of Atlantic storms.
Placencia is understood by most to mean the entire peninsula, which encompasses the villages of Riversdale, Maya Beach, Seine Bight, and Placencia Village.
Riversdale is a small village at the very top of the peninsula and is mostly populated by local agricultural workers and fishermen.
Maya Beach is south of Riversdale and popular with expats.
Seine Bight is a Garifuna village that was traditionally a fishing village with the local workers now moving into the tourism sector.
Placencia Village is the largest of the villages on the peninsula and is the focus of most activity and festivals on the peninsula.
Placencia is safe, laidback, and easy to navigate and you’ll find a plethora of restaurants, bars, spas, and resort amenities to choose from.
A budget of around $2,000 a month is a good guide here but of course that will rise or fall depending on your lifestyle choices. You can get around on foot… or buy a golf cart… Rent a local home… or an upscale beach house. And you can dine in local eateries or five-star resorts…
When it comes to entertainment there are great diving and snorkeling options, you can spot crocodiles on rainforest river trips or manatees and whale sharks on sunset cruises. Spin-casting, drop-fishing, and fly fishing are also on offer.
Back on land you can explore Mayan ruins and nature parks or enjoy the many festivals year-round.
When it comes to health care, Placencia has a public clinic that provides medical services, as well as a privately operated ambulance service. Emergency and longer-term treatments are close by, with easy air and sufficient road access.
The average temperature is 81°F (27 C) along the coast, with lows around 72°F (22 C). Nighttime temperatures are usually 10 degrees lower than in the daytime, and cool sea breezes make it quite pleasant here.
Why Live Or Retire Here:
- Clear Waters, Luxury Spas, And Low Crime Rates.
- A Welcoming Expat Community.
- A Raft Of Outdoor Pursuits And Entertainment Options.
4. Corozal
Corozal is both a district and a town in northern Belize. The town is home to about 13,000 people, while the district has about 46,000.
Despite its small size, Corozal offers a nice variety of lifestyle options, including oceanfront, riverfront, lagoonfront, and inland farm-country living. Lots and land are available in private developments and directly from the local market.
A top draw for expats is the opportunity to live on Chetumal Bay, a deeply indented area of the Caribbean. Because it’s naturally protected, it’s a sailor’s and boater’s paradise…
Living on the bay or on one of the connecting lagoons or rivers allows access to the reef and ocean through the break on the Ambergris peninsula at Bacalar Chico. Diving and snorkeling are some of the best in the world thanks to the reef.
Another quiet benefit is that it is protected from hurricanes by the Ambergris peninsula, lessening any effects of a storm’s landfall.
Corozal is more affordable than the islands and Placencia. Rents are low, especially in the villages, but services and social outlets are limited. Groceries are affordable, too, especially in the open-air markets that overflow with fruits and vegetables.
The selection of goods is limited in the stores surrounding Corozal but it’s just a hop, skip, and jump from Belize’s border with Mexico, and a proper big city, is just on the other side of it. Chetumal, the capital of Quintana Roo state, is just 10 miles away from Corozal. This also affords expats access to Mexico’s high-quality health and dental care.
The lifestyle in Corozal is slow-going… A typical day might involve kayaking, fishing, swimming, and reading, among other things… or perhaps just swinging in a hammock with a cold beer or rum cocktail in hand. Come nightfall, you might meet with neighbors for dinner, drinks, or a game of cards.
A couple’s basic monthly budget here should come to about $1,500. Rent for a two-bedroom, Belize-style home is about $500 per month. Groceries average $220 per month, eating out averages $160 per month, and labor is inexpensive.
Corozal has one of the biggest populations of American expats in all Belize and tapping into the expat community is easy.
You also have options when it comes to your lifestyle type. If you want a more authentic lifestyle, you could settle into a Belize-style home in one of the villages on Corozal’s outskirts, where all your neighbors would be locals.
You could also opt for a full-on gringo lifestyle by settling into one of the private residential developments. These are basically mini gated communities, complete with amenities like 24-hour security, tennis courts, pools, and golf courses in some cases, and organized activities, like happy hour or beach volleyball.
Cerro Sands and Mayan Seaside are two examples of these types of developments. They feature big, American-style homes on prime beachfront lots with gorgeous Caribbean views…
They also come at a much higher cost than a more authentically Belizean lifestyle. A local-style house can rent for as low as $500 per month, while a home in one of these developments will run from $1,000 per month.
Corozal is warm year round, with an average high of 89°F (32°C) and an average low of 70°F (21°C)—perfect conditions to enjoy life on the Caribbean.
Why Live Or Retire Here:
- Combines Oceanfront Living And Affordability.
- Friendly, Small-Town Vibe.
- A Range Of Lifestyle Options.
FAQs About Living In Belize
That really depends on your personal preferences. If you want sun, sand, and Caribbean vibes, then Ambergris Caye is for you. If you want to live a quiet, rural life, look to the Cayo District.
Belize has a negative reputation for crime, but much of the commentary and statistics come from Belize City.
The crime that takes place there doesn’t affect the average person living in Belize.
Take the same precautions as you would anywhere—not flashing valuables or cash, locking your doors—and you’ll be just fine.
In most parts of Belize, yes. The only place you would need more would be Ambergris Caye. The monthly requirement for the country’s Qualified Retirement Program (QRP) is $2,000 per month.
Yes, thanks to the fact it’s English-speaking, offers low cost living, a range of lifestyle options, warm weather, solid infrastructure, easy residency options and no real estate restrictions, Belize makes great sense for many retirees.
Belize’s reputation for health care is mixed. Public facilities generally aren’t up to expats’ standards. They suffer from underfunding, which can mean long wait times, limited services, and outdated equipment.
Private facilities offer higher standards, and many expats feel comfortable and confident having their health care needs met in Belize. That said, if you have pre-existing conditions or require ongoing care it likely won’t suit your needs.
For tertiary care, most expats and Belizeans go to Mexico or Guatemala, which are close and have better hospitals—or make the trip back to the U.S. or Canada.
It’s easy to reach Belize from the U.S. and Canada with plenty of quick direct flights to Belize City’s Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport.
To get to Ambergris Caye from there, you can take a ferry or “puddle jumper” (small plane).
