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    Top Destinations:

    Whether you’re looking for fun and sun, a peaceful retirement, or the chance to earn some extra income, you’ve got a real world of opportunity open to you… In short, we’ve done our best to narrow down your best options, but only you can decide the right country for you.

    • Spain
    • Portugal
    • Panama
    • Belize
    • Colombia
    • Cyprus
    • Mexico
    • France
    • Montenegro
    • Browse All Countries

    Best For:

    • The Best Places To Retire
    • Health Care Abroad
    • Cost Of Living
    • Investing in Real Estate
    • Establishing Residency
    • Gun Laws In The World
    • English-Speaking Countries
    • Safest Places For Retirement
    • Best Places In Latin America
  • Budgets

    How Much Will It Cost You To Live Overseas?

    The only honest answer is, we have no idea. And neither does anyone else. The only one who can answer that question is you. Here’s the most important thing to understand about budgeting your new life overseas…

    Super Cheap

    • Chitré, Panama
    • Santa Marta, Colombia
    • Phuket, Thailand
    • Dumaguete, The Philippines

    Cheap

    • Medellin, Colombia
    • Boquete, Panama
    • Kyrenia, Cyprus
    • Hua Hin, Thailand
    • The Algarve, Portugal

    Affordable

    • Valencia, Spain
    • Cascais, Portugal
    • Las Terrenas, The DR
    • Pisa, Italy
    • La Rochelle, France
    • Mazatlán, Mexico

    Luxury

    • Ambergris Caye, Belize
    • Kotor, Montenegro
    • The Panama City Beaches
    • Paris, France
  • Resources

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    Follow Us:

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  • Real Estate

    Buying Real Estate For Cashflow

    • Discover tips and strategies used by global property investing veterans

    Explore Our Latest Posts

    • Learn how to invest and purchase property abroad…

    Go To The Overseas Property Alert Site

    • How To Become Independently Wealthy And Fund The Lifestyle Of Your Dreams
  • Conferences

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    • Explore Our Events Site

    Live and Invest In Spain Conference

    Offshore Wealth Summit

    Greece Workshop

    VALENCIA, SPAIN

    Sep. 17-19, 2025

    PANAMA CITY, PANAMA

    Oct. 15-17, 2025

    VIRTUAL

    Nov. 13, 2025

    Learn More About This Event
    Learn More About This Event
    PRE-REGISTER
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    PRE-REGISTER
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    Toll-Free U.S. and Canada:
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    From Outside North America:
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    Working Hours
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    Reach us with your questions by email at: events@liveandinvestoverseas.com

  • Store

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    Conference Kits

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    • Explore Our Store
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    overseas living letter offers affordable retirement guidance
    The Simon Letter Wealth Protection Insights
    Global Property Advisor Global Investment Opportunities

    Our Customer Service team is here to assist with any questions or concerns CustomerService@LiveandInvestOverseas.com

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 Free Belize Guide

DISCOVER BELIZE

REEF RUINS, RIVERS, AND RAIN FOREST, PLUS EASY RESIDENCY AND TAX-FREE LIVING

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Home Countries Belize

White-Sand Beaches, Azure Waters, And Low Costs

by Kathleen Peddicord
Oct 05, 2023
in Belize, Lifestyle
0 0
Paradise beach on island caye Carrie Bow Cay Field Station, Caribbean Sea, Belize. best places to retire

AdobeStock/Simon Dannhauer

Belize is many things… many of them diminutive.

It’s a tiny country with a small population.

Density is low… and I’d describe the approach to living as low-key.

Belize attracts little attention… which, in our world today, is a big plus.

But what’s it really like to call this English-speaking outpost home?

Expat Story #1. Rachel Jensen

Rachel Jensen has been spending time in Belize for over a decade. She invested in a home of her own on Ambergris Caye, Belize’s most popular expat destination, four years ago.

Here’s how she describes the Isla Bonita she’s adopted as her home base…

“Life on this colorful island is laid-back and a little eccentric,” Rachel says.

“Brightly colored houses line the newly paved streets, Coconut Lady shouts at passers-by to buy her natural coconut water, and free-ranging chickens skirt across the street at random.

“The primary mode of transportation on the island is the golf cart, making you feel like the mayor every time you drive through town because everyone waves at you. Seeing 3-foot iguanas on the commute is normal, too.

“There are no chain stores and no Amazon Prime. You may have to visit four different supermarkets to get your shopping done.

“As the store owners get to know you, though, you start to receive special discounts and perks. Plus, you can count on the produce always being fresh and organic.

“Locals, expats, and tourists all mingle at the same hangouts. You’ll make friends with people you’d never expect. “Flip-flops and shorts are standard attire, and just offshore you have access to some of the best snorkeling and diving in the world.

“The cherry on top for many, though, is the front-row seat Ambergris affords to the most incredible sunrises and sunsets in the Caribbean…”

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Expat Story #2. Carolyn Casey

“Lush does not begin to describe these hills,” that’s how longtime resident of Belize’s inland Cayo Carolyn Casey describes her adopted home. “The bottom layer is a green carpet of rain forest bushes and trees. Above this,

trees of different kinds stand out. Higher up still are the huge, graceful crowns of palms.

“The three-dimensional landscape is stunning.

“When you turn off the highway toward Springfield, following the sign to All Citrus Nursery, it feels like you’ve traveled 100 years back in time.

“Soon after turning onto the dirt road, you pass a typical Belizean house where you’ll often see women doing laundry in the stream.

“As you travel down the dirt road, you’ll likely encounter horse-drawn carts, wooden vehicles piloted by Mennonites in traditional long pants and long-sleeved shirts, suspenders, and straw hats.

“You may see children along the road… the boys dressed like their fathers, the girls with long hair and long cotton dresses, complete with straw hats and dusty bare feet.

“My first regular stop is White Rock Farm, run and owned by a British couple.

“Driving into their yard, you’re instantly surrounded by ducks, geese, chickens, turkeys, and probably some other fowl.

“This is the place to come for fresh, homemade cheeses—blue, brie, and more versions of cheddar than most know exist. They also sell free-range eggs, chickens, and turkeys, as well as raw milk, butter, and other goodies.”

Another popular destination among expats is Corozal. For example, this uber-off-the-radar beach town hugs the northernmost edge of the border Belize shares with Mexico.

That’s one of the biggest advantages of living in Northern Belize—the proximity to Mexico and all its modern conveniences.

You won’t find a chain store or franchise in Belize, but if you hop across the border into Chetumal, you’ve got all the exported American culture, shopping, and dining you could want.

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Expat Story #3. John Wiankowski

John Wiankowski chose this town as his home in Belize.

“Even after six years of living in this beautiful country,” John says, “I still feel like a kid in a candy store. Between the jungle, wildlife, and ever-changing Corozal Bay, I never tire of taking my surroundings in.

“The open-air market brims with fresh fruits and vegetables, all locally grown, plus more foodstuffs brought in from Mexico. For BZ$1 (or 50 U.S. cents), you can get eight local bananas or six oranges. During lobster season I pay just BZ$25 (US$12.50) per pound for lobster tails.

“From just across the border in Mexico, you can get button and portobello mushrooms, strawberries, asparagus, Brussel sprouts, plus much more. Everything is ripe and ready to eat.

“Nature is awesome here. Flowers are such brilliant hues, they’ll shock you the first time you see them. Giant iguanas pass through my backyard daily.

“Originally, I planned to buy a boat and fish in the bay, so I had a boat slip added when my house was built. My priorities changed, so I never got the boat, but now I have a canal that hooks up to the Caribbean Sea.

“I can sit in a sling chair and fish for hours, watching puffy white clouds go by. Two barracudas—one is 18 inches, the other is 5 feet—hang out around my boat slip. I catch several different types of fish and crab when fishing in my canal.

“The weather is warm all year… no more snow shovel for me. The daytime temps are almost always between 80°F and 90°F. Nighttime temps in summer are in the high 70s°F and can drop into the low 70s°F in the winter.

“Six years ago, pea-size hail came down. Construction workers ran out and threw the hail around. They played like children. They had never seen hail before.

“It’s easy to make both gringo and Belizean friends in Corozal. Walking down the street, the locals say good morning faster than I can. When a car is stuck or breaks down, Belizeans show up eager to help.

“You might hear about how dangerous it is in Belize. That’s not my reality in Corozal. Most crime that happens takes place in select circles of Belize City. I’ve never felt safer or more at home than I do here.”

Until next time,

Kathleen Peddicord signature

Kathleen Peddicord

Founding Publisher, Overseas Opportunity Letter

Tags: 'Belize''Expat Life'
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Kathleen Peddicord

Kathleen Peddicord

Kathleen Peddicord has reported on opportunities for Americans to live, retire, and do business overseas for 40 years. She has traveled to more than 75 countries, invested in real estate in 24, established businesses in 7, renovated and built properties in 6, and educated her children in 5.

Kathleen has moved children, staff, enterprises, household goods, and pets from the east coast of the United States to Waterford, Ireland, then to Paris, France, and finally to Panama City, Panama, where she has based her Live And Invest Overseas business. Peddicord and her husband, Lief Simon, now divide their time between Panama and Paris.

Peddicord was a partner with Agora Publishing’s International Living group for 23 years. She opened, staffed, and operated International Living publishing and real estate marketing offices in Waterford, Ireland; Panama City, Panama; Granada, Nicaragua; Roatan, Honduras; San Miguel de Allende, Mexico; Quito, Ecuador; and Paris, France. Peddicord launched Live And Invest Overseas group in 2008 and has built it into a successful multimillion-dollar business. Today, she shares her firsthand experience of expat life with more than 500,000 readers of her publications, including Overseas Opportunity Letter and Overseas Living Letter.

Kathleen has been featured often in The New York Times, MSNBC, AARP, CNN, Bloomberg, CNBC, and more and writes monthly about expat matters, international real estate, and offshore diversification for Forbes and U.S. News.

Kathleen has written several books including the memoirs “At Home In Ireland” and “At Home At Los Islotes” and her latest title “At Home Abroad,” all published by Lahardan Books. Her best-selling "How To Retire Overseas: Everything You Need To Know To Live Well (For Less) Abroad” was published by Penguin Random House in 2018 and her “Buying Real Estate Overseas For Cash Flow (And A Better Life)” was published by Wiley in August 2020.

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