For any English speaking travellers Belize is a breath of fresh air after spending time in Spanish speaking countries. However, this comes at a price as it is much more expensive than its neighbours. For that reason many travellers on a budget will miss out the country alltogether opting instead to go straight to Mexico or Guatemala.
We decided it would be worth the money and were not disappointed, although we did spend a small fortune. In our 9 days in Belize we spent 5 days in Caye Caulker and 4 in San Ignacio where we did trips to other areas. Belize is a small county and the main sights can be explored in a week or two.
The currency in Belize is the Belizean Dollar (B$) but you can also use US dollars as there is a fixed rate of US$1 = B$2.
Average Cost per Day for a Couple – B$300 (Belize Dollars)
Our average cost includes
- Transport
- Hotels/Hostels
- Daily spends
Our daily spend was increased as we spent a lot of money restocking our medical supplies and buying American branded products that we knew we were unlikely to see for a while. These all cost the same as they would in the UK or US
.
We also decided to do a number of organised tours.
- Half day snorkelling Caye Caulker – US$27.50 pp
- ATM caving tour – US$85 pp
- Cave tubing – US$65 pp
Typical Costs
- Hostels/Guesthouses: Ranging from B$40 to B$60 for a private double room.
- Hotels: The price range for budget hotels can start from around B$70. It’s worth trying to barter the price down, particularly if you are staying for 3 or more nights or travelling out of the peak tourist season.
- Food: The cheapest option is stew chicken or pork with rice and beans. Trays of these can be bought from street sellers for B$6 or B$10 in a restaurant. Burritos and taco are also widely available and can cost from B$2.50 - B$5. A meal for 2 in a restaurant with drinks will cost B$40-60.
- Beer: A small bottle of beer in a restaurant will cost B$3. Bars usually offer happy hour special until 9pm offering buckets of 7 beers for $21 or Rum Punch for $2.50
Transport
As we didn’t have to travel any great distance we used the local “chicken busses”. A trip from Belize City to San Ignacio takes 2-3hrs and costs B$9pp.
The main company used to travel to the islands is Belize Water Taxi.
They have a regular schedule of boats going to Caye Caulker, San Pedro and Chetumal (Mexico). A one way ticket to Caye Caulker costs US$15, return tickets are US$25.
Highlights
No visit to Belize should be without the following on your itinerary
- ATM Cave – Action packed day but well worth the effort
- Caye Caulker – A taste of the Caribbean