• About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Unsubscribe
No Result
View All Result
Live and Invest Overseas
FREE REPORT
BEST PLACES TO RETIRE
*No spam: We will NEVER give your email address to anyone else.
  • HOME
  • COUNTRIES
    • Top Destinations
      • Panama
      • Portugal
      • Colombia
      • Northern Cyprus
      • Belize
      • Spain
      • Mexico
      • France
      • Indonesia
      • Vietnam
    • Browse All Countries
    • Best For
      • Retire Overseas Index
      • Health Care
      • Cost of Living
      • Investing in Real Estate
      • Editor’s Picks For Retirement
      • Establishing Residency
      • Starting an Online Business
      • Single Women
      • Playing Golf
  • BUDGETS
    • Super Cheap ($)
      • Cuenca, Ecuador
      • Chiang Mai, Thailand
      • The Philippines
      • Las Tablas, Panama
      • Granada, Nicaragua
    • Cheap ($$)
      • Algarve, Portugal
      • Medellin, Colombia
      • Boquete, Panama
      • Carcassone, France
      • Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • Affordable ($$$)
      • Abruzzo, Italy
      • Barcelona, Spain
      • Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic
      • Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
      • Costa de Oro, Uruguay
    • Luxury On A Budget ($$$$)
      • Ambergris Caye, Belize
      • Paris, France
      • Panama City Beach Area
  • Real Estate
  • ARCHIVES
    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore Diversification
    • Our Latest On Coronavirus ⚠️
  • Making Money
    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing
  • CONFERENCES
  • BOOKSTORE
Live and Invest Overseas
  • HOME
  • COUNTRIES
    • Top Destinations
      • Panama
      • Portugal
      • Colombia
      • Northern Cyprus
      • Belize
      • Spain
      • Mexico
      • France
      • Indonesia
      • Vietnam
    • Browse All Countries
    • Best For
      • Retire Overseas Index
      • Health Care
      • Cost of Living
      • Investing in Real Estate
      • Editor’s Picks For Retirement
      • Establishing Residency
      • Starting an Online Business
      • Single Women
      • Playing Golf
  • BUDGETS
    • Super Cheap ($)
      • Cuenca, Ecuador
      • Chiang Mai, Thailand
      • The Philippines
      • Las Tablas, Panama
      • Granada, Nicaragua
    • Cheap ($$)
      • Algarve, Portugal
      • Medellin, Colombia
      • Boquete, Panama
      • Carcassone, France
      • Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • Affordable ($$$)
      • Abruzzo, Italy
      • Barcelona, Spain
      • Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic
      • Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
      • Costa de Oro, Uruguay
    • Luxury On A Budget ($$$$)
      • Ambergris Caye, Belize
      • Paris, France
      • Panama City Beach Area
  • Real Estate
  • ARCHIVES
    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore Diversification
    • Our Latest On Coronavirus ⚠️
  • Making Money
    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing
  • CONFERENCES
  • BOOKSTORE
No Result
View All Result
Live and Invest Overseas
No Result
View All Result
Home In Focus: Belize

The Benefits And Challenges Of Living In Belize

Less Regulation... Less Restriction... More Privacy... More Personal Independence—This Is Why We Love Belize

Kathleen Peddicord by Kathleen Peddicord
Sep 15, 2021
in In Focus: Belize
0 0
0
Beautiful caribbean sight with turquoise water in Caye Caulker, Belize

Adobe Stock/Aleksandar Todorovic

350
SHARES
4.9k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

One thing that attracts many expats to Belize is its tradition of privacy.

It’s difficult in this world of ours to keep our lives private, but in Belize your life is still your own.

No Need To Learn A New Language

Expats who choose Belize also like that the language in Belize is English.

“Learning Spanish wasn’t something I wanted to deal with,” full-time Belize expat Tony Lauria admits.

Belizeans Are Friendly

However, what every expat I’ve ever known in Belize says they appreciate most about life in this country is its people.

“We find the people in Belize to be wonderful and friendly,” echo Belize expats JD and MaryAnn Longwell.

“Belize is one of the top 10 happiest countries in the world. When they say ‘good morning,’ they actually mean it.”

Downsides Of Living In Belize

But everywhere has its downsides and Belize is no different. While expats love to wax poetic about their beloved new home, they are also the best ones to look to for insights into where and how Belize falls short.

To give you an idea of the types of obstacles you might face, we polled some Belize expats on what they’d be most likely to complain about.

-Infrastructure

Top of that list is the infrastructure. For many, it’s the biggest challenge associated with living in Belize. You have to be prepared for sometimes unreliable cell signal and less than high-speed internet. If the thought of that makes you crazy, Belize may not be for you.

Road infrastructure in this country, too, can be lacking. As Belize expat Wade Hahn explains, “Belize has four highways—one that goes north, one that goes south, one that goes west, and the Hummingbird Highway. You can assume that all other roads are dirt or gravel. This makes driving difficult even in the best of circumstances sometimes.

-Transport In Belize

“Any vehicle you buy or rent should be four-wheel-drive, because, again, most of the roads are dirt. As well, though, you don’t want a vehicle that’s too big. The in-town roads are narrow!

“Buses are safe, cheap, and colorful… but not for everyone. You never know what might be in the seat next to you—could be a box of puppies or a crate of chickens. Be prepared for anything if you try your hand at these buses.

“An exception are the buses that travel from Belize City to and from CancĂşn. These take you through the Mexican Riviera Maya and are not Belizean buses but Mexican ones. They’re big and modern with bathrooms and televisions. This can be a great way to travel up to CancĂşn…

“Why would you want to travel to CancĂşn? Because from there you’ll have more, and often cheaper, flight options for travel to and from the States.

“Taxis are not metered, and fares are highly negotiable. Drivers can quote prices that are double the going rate, so don’t be shy when negotiating a fare and always negotiate before getting in the cab. The fare for a ride between Belize City and the airport is set, though—at US$25.”

Part-time Belize expat Con Murphy continues, “Police in this country don’t really patrol, so you don’t have to worry about them pulling you over for speeding on the highway. However, they do set up checkpoints. The main thing they’re checking for is car insurance… so make sure that if you have a vehicle in Belize, you also have insurance for it. Even the shortest drive could have you passing a police control.

“Oh, and which side of the road do Belizeans drive on? The side with the fewest pot holes…

“Living in the country, you can drive on your foreign license for one year. Then you’ll need to get a local Belize driver’s license. To get your local driver’s license, you’ll have to take both a written and a driving test.”

Fortunately, the language here is English, so this isn’t a big deal. The cost is US$30…

-The Mañana Attitude

“Infrastructure concerns aside,” Wade adds, “living here, you need patience. Belize moves at its own pace, and Belizeans are on mañana time. Monday may mean Monday but not next Monday.

-The Wildlife

“Birds are noisy. They wake us at the crack of dawn most mornings,” Con says. “And bugs are a part of life here. This is the tropics, after all.”

“Ants came into the house,” Belize expat Cathy Thayer explains, “and they found something in our storage area they liked. We had a sea of ants coming in to feast. On the other hand, we also have ‘cleaner ants,’ as they’re called, that migrate through every four or five years. They clean out spider webs, mites, etc. They’re actually a wonderful help! When they come to your place, just go out for a few hours. When you get back, they’ll be gone and your house will be a lot cleaner.”

-Shopping In Belize

“Belize has no big department stores,” Cathy goes on. “You must look for what you want in small shops, and you’ll find things in unusual places,” she explains. “The best place to find electrical parts in San Ignacio is the Esso station in Spanish Lookout. You can buy Victoria’s Secret-style underwear at the bakery. They have some drawers off to one side. We bought our car insurance at the auto-parts store and our phones at the local hotel…

“Check your canned goods before purchase. I bought three cans of beans,” Belize expat Amma Cary told us, “and two cans out of the three had no beans—they were all juice. So now I shake my bean cans to make sure they have beans in them and not just bean juice. A friend bought a can labeled green beans but opened it to find corn. These are U.S. brands coming from the United States.”

“Don’t ask if a price is in U.S. dollars or Belize dollars,” Wade advises. “Assume that everything is priced in Belize dollars. If you ask, they may tell you U.S. dollars and you just paid twice as much as you should have.

How To Be Happy In Belize

“This is a beautiful country with beautiful people. If I could offer you one final word of advice,” Wade says, “it would be this…

“When you come here, embrace what Belize has to offer. Embrace the country and the way of life it offers. And adapt. Don’t bring the United States with you. Come here to discover Belize. Come with an open mind and an open heart. Belize will reward you with the adventure of your lifetime.”

The key is to understand the trade-off you’re making.

Belize is a small, poor country with a small, underfunded government. Thus the lack of development and infrastructure.

On the other hand, a small, underfunded government also means less intervention in your day-to-day life. Less regulation. Less restriction. More privacy. More personal independence.

It’s all a matter of priorities.

Sincerely,
Kathleen Peddicord signature
Kathleen Peddicord
Founding Publisher, Overseas Opportunity Letter

Tags: 'Belize'Benefits Of Living In BelizeChallenges Of Living In BelizeExpats in BelizeInfrastructure In BelizeLiving in Belize
Share144Tweet86
Kathleen Peddicord

Kathleen Peddicord

Kathleen Peddicord has covered the live, retire, and do business overseas beat for more than 30 years and is considered the world's foremost authority on these subjects. She has traveled to more than 75 countries, invested in real estate in 21, established businesses in 7, renovated historic properties in 6, and educated her children in 4.

Kathleen has moved children, staff, enterprises, household goods, and pets across three continents, from the East Coast of the United States to Waterford, Ireland... then to Paris, France... next to Panama City, where she has based her Live and Invest Overseas business. Most recently, Kathleen and her husband Lief Simon are dividing their time between Panama and Paris.

Kathleen was a partner with Agora Publishing’s International Living group for 23 years. In that capacity, she opened her first office overseas, in Waterford, Ireland, where she managed a staff of up to 30 employees for more than 10 years. Kathleen also opened, staffed, and operated International Living publishing and real estate marketing offices in Panama City, Panama; Granada, Nicaragua; Roatan, Honduras; San Miguel de Allende, Mexico; Quito, Ecuador; and Paris, France.

Kathleen moved on from her role with Agora in 2007 and launched her Live and Invest Overseas group in 2008. In the years since, she has built Live and Invest Overseas into a successful, recognized, and respected multi-million-dollar business that employs a staff of 35 in Panama City and dozens of writers and other resources around the world.

Kathleen has been quoted by The New York Times, Money magazine, MSNBC, Yahoo Finance, the AARP, and beyond. She has appeared often on radio and television (including Bloomberg and CNBC) and speaks regularly on topics to do with living, retiring, investing, and doing business around the world.

In addition to her own daily e-letter, the Overseas Opportunity Letter, with a circulation of more than 300,000 readers, Kathleen writes regularly for U.S. News & World Report and Forbes.

Her newest book, "How to Retire Overseas: Everything You Need to Know to Live Well (for Less) Abroad," published by Penguin Random House, is the culmination of decades of personal experience living and investing around the world.

Related Posts

Placencia, Belize
In Focus: Belize

A Placencia, Belize, Primer: Communities, Costs, And More

by Con Murphy
January 18, 2023
0

Driving down the peninsula on smooth roads baked by the tropical sun, it suddenly struck me that I hadn't been...

Read more
Underwater image of boy snorkeling through coral reef near Ambergris Caye, Belize

The Top Reasons Why Belize Is The Ultimate Adventure Destination

December 28, 2022
Caye Caulker, Belize

Laid-Back Lifestyle In Belize

December 19, 2022
Going In Search Of The Real Belize

Going In Search Of The Real Belize

December 18, 2022
Christmas tree with the gift of tropical resort on the beach

Christmas In Belize: 6 Quirky Traditions

December 14, 2022
Mennonites In Belize on horse-drawn carts

The Mennonites In Belize: An Unexpected Jewel

November 30, 2022
Belize, a tropical paradise in Central America.

Your Easy Guide To Opening A Business In Belize

November 16, 2022

Start Your New Life Today, Overseas ...

A world full of fun, adventure, and profit awaits! Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and we'll send you a FREE report on the 10 Best Places To Retire In Style Overseas Today.

LIOS Resources


  • New To LIOS
  • Ask An Expert
  • Media Center
  • Contact Us
  • FAQs

Quick Links


  • Best Places To Live
  • Best Places To Retire
  • Finding A Job Overseas
  • Real Estate

Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and get your FREE report: The 10 Best Places To Retire Overseas In 2023

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Unsubscribe

© 2008-2023 - Live and Invest Overseas - All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Countries
  • Budgets
  • Archives
  • News
  • Events
  • Bookstore
  • Newsletters
  • About Us
  • Members Area
  • Contact Us

© 2008-2023 - Live and Invest Overseas - All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Download your FREE report on

The Best Places To Retire In 2023

New Year, New You, New Life Overseas

Sign up for FREE and learn how to live the good life on a modest budget, find bargain property, and more. Plus, check out our free report on the 10 BEST PLACES TO RETIRE.

RETIRE OVERSEAS AND LIVE LIKE ROYALTY