The Best Place on Earth

To Live May Be In:

People relocate for a lot of reasons, but at the top of almost everyone’s list includes moving to the best climate possible.  As a general rule a longing to escape harsh winters, snow, rain, and often a dream of living in a place where the sun shines every day and you don’t have to worry about scraping ice from your car before heading out to buy a bite to eat, is also built-in!

If this comes close to what you think you are looking for, then there is a good chance you would be very pleased with the country of Belize; the self professed most superior English speaking region said to exist in the Caribbean Sea.

From the shores of the Caribbean to its jungle interior, Belize is described as having great natural beauty; blue water, deserted beaches, and inland retreats; here you can explore Mayan ruins, waterfalls, rainforests, and rivers.

If you’ve always loved the idea of living at the beach as I have; with ample time to relax; while enjoying the sunshine, or maybe just taking a swim in the warm ocean every morning, then this is surely the place to be.  Here you’ll find a no-crowds beach where you’ll feel like you’re stepping back in time; white sand, tall palms and a price tag to make you think it’s still the 1950’s.

Here the costs of living, healthcare, and property are said to still be affordable, like they once were in the US, and other places I’m sure. All this and you can live quite nicely on nothing more than your social security check.

Here are a few other fast facts: The population is only 314,522; the capital city is called Belmopan; it has a tropical climate with average temperatures in the coastal regions ranging from 75.2 °F (24 °C) in January to 80.6 °F (27 °C) in July. Temperatures are slightly higher inland, except for the southern highland plateaus, such as the Mountain Pine Ridge in the Cayo District, where it is noticeably cooler year round.

There are a total of 6 districts in Belize:

1. Belize District (borders the Caribbean Sea)
2. Cayo District
3. Corozal District (borders Caribbean in extreme Northern region)
4. Orange Walk District
5. Stann Creek District (borders Caribbean Sea)
6. Toledo District (borders Caribbean extreme Southern region)

If you would like to live there, Belize has some of the region’s most lenient residency laws. You can declare permanent residency if you spend two weeks or more during a given year in the country.

To become a resident, you must pay a non-refundable fee of $1000 if you’re American or Canadian. Most other nationals are required to pay a slightly higher amount to cover the cost of a return ticket to their country of origin.  You must live in Belize for one year to be granted permanent residency. To do this, simply enter the country on a tourist visa, then apply for residency and renew your tourist visa every 30 to 90 days until residency is granted.

Property prices, like everywhere else, vary from one area to another. They are normally highest in Belize City, on Ambergris Caye, and in Placencia, and lowest price range being in remote rural areas.  Home prices range from under $15,000.00 for a simple Belizean-style home (no A/C but ceiling fans) in a typical village to as much as $500,000.00 or more for a luxury home on the beach in say, San Pedro.

You may find that Belize is not the most affordable place to settle in Central America when compared to less attractive regions.  In fact you’ll likely find prices for some items to be more than what you’re used to paying in say, the United States…but you will discover that many services actually cost less.

Monthly living expenses in Belize vary widely, depending on your life style, but $3,000 a month is more than adequate for most couples. It is possible, for a couple to live on considerably less but keep in mind that prices are generally higher in some places than others.

Some typical examples: Garbage removal, about $10 a month; $15 to $20 will cover the monthly water bill.  You can buy a fairly good used vehicle for about $3,000.00 to $4,000.00, not much more than you might pay in the U.S.  Gasoline, however, is costly. The recent price was about $5.50 a gallon.

In most parts of Belize, Electricity cost for 1500 kilowatt hours per month (my current average) is around $344.00 a month (a couple hundred more than I average here).

A few other typical costs include:

Milk: $2.25 1/2 gallon  

Ground steak (lean ground beef): $1.50 per pound  

Pork chops: $2 per pound  

Chicken: $1.25 per pound

Loaf of white bread: $1 (whole wheat $2.50-$3)

Bananas: 10 to 20 for $1  

Flour, bulk, 1 lb.: $1  

Onions: $0.60 per pound (varies seasonally)  

Soft drink, Coca-Cola, 12 oz.: $0.50 - 0.75 each  

Sugar: $0.27 per pound  

Crackers (Premium Saltines): $3.32  

Canned soup (Campbell’s Chicken Noodle): $1.80  

Cereal (Raisin Bran): $5  

Cooking oil (1-2-3 brand from Mexico), 1/2 liter: $1.75  

Modern three-bedroom house and beach view: $145,000.00 to $250,000.00  

A one-bedroom ocean front condo with pool: $125,000.00 to $200,000.00 … W/ property tax at $150.00 to $200.00 and grounds fees from $175.00 to $200.00 per year.

Although Belize lies in the hurricane belt (area prone to hurricanes), according to local realtors, it has not been struck by as many hurricanes as the South-Eastern US or the Texas gulf coast. The hurricane season runs from June to November in Belize and is on average hit by a hurricane once in 20 years (so the realtors say).  But since 1930, there have been 16 Hurricanes, 8 of which were classified as Major Hurricanes that have either made landfall in Belize or came close enough to cause damage. 17 additional Tropical Storm systems have made landfall.  The most recent storm that was a problem there, Hurricane Alex , in 2010, made landfall along the coast of Belize on Saturday June 26, 2010 at 5:00 p.m.  So, perhaps “Paradise” is located someplace else.

Sources …

http://internationalliving.com/countries/belize/live/                                                http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070712115256AAtxKKl    http://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/central-america/belize/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belize                                                            http://www.belizefirst.com/cost.html