North America · Belmopan
Cost of living in Belize
Belize is 46% cheaper than the US, ranking #77 of 203 countries we cover for cost of living.
World Bank data through 2024 · last reviewed 2026-06.
What drives the cost here
Price levels by category, where the world average = 100. Above 100 is pricier than the global norm; below it is cheaper.
In Belize, communication is the priciest category relative to the world (139), while housing & utilities is the most affordable (69).
Category price levels: World Bank ICP 2021 (world average = 100) · source
What your money is worth here
A $100,000 US lifestyle would cost roughly $54,500 in Belize.
Quality of life
66/100 · #129 of 198Beyond cost — health, safety, and connectivity. The score is a transparent, equal-weight composite of the verified metrics below (see methodology).
About Belize
Belize was the site of several Mayan city states until their decline at the end of the first millennium A.D. The British and Spanish disputed the region in the 17th and 18th centuries; it formally became the colony of British Honduras in 1862. Territorial disputes between the UK and Guatemala delayed the independence of Belize until 1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation until 1992, and the two countries are still involved in an ongoing border dispute. Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy. Current concerns include the country's heavy foreign debt burden, high crime rates, high unemployment combined with a majority youth population, growing involvement in the Mexican and South American drug trade, and one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in Central America.
Background from the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived 2026-06-03.
Frequently asked
Is Belize expensive to live in?
Belize is 46% cheaper than the US, ranking #77 of the 203 countries we track. Its most expensive category relative to the world is communication; housing & utilities costs the least.
How much money do you need to live in Belize?
A lifestyle that costs $100,000 in the United States would cost roughly $54,500 in Belize, going by overall price levels. The salary translator turns your own figure into a local equivalent.
Is Belize cheaper than the United States?
Yes. Its overall price level is 54.3, against 100 for the United States.
What is the quality of life in Belize?
Belize scores 66 out of 100 on our quality-of-life index (#129 of 198), a composite of life expectancy, safety, health, and connectivity, with life expectancy around 74 years.
Every number, sourced.
We cite the exact source and year for each figure. Derived values are computed at build time, never hand-entered.
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