Our Belize Trip Cost: Is Belize Expensive?

We share a complete breakdown of our Belize trip cost, some examples of prices in Belize for common travel expenses, and answer your burning question – is Belize as expensive as everyone says?

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How much does it cost to go to Belize?

So you’re planning a trip to Belize and want to know what things cost? I got you! 

We spent 17 nights / 18 days here as part of our 6-month trip around Central America and tracked every cent of our Belize trip cost. 

Belize was our first stop, and I’ll admit, we treated it like a holiday. We were travelling in peak season (New Year and January), so we pre-planned and pre-booked everything. 

We knew our budget would be tightening as we kept moving through the region, and we would soon be in el cheapo backpacker mode, so we splurged in Belize and did everything we wanted to. 

I’m not going to do Belize any favours by sharing our costs. We spent a looot of money here and didn’t even attempt to debunk the opinion floating around the region that Belize is really pricey compared to other countries in Central America. 

So is Belize expensive? It depends on your perspective, but yes, it can be. 

If you’re a mid-range to higher-end traveller, you probably won’t find it that costly, and it is excellent value for money compared with travelling in the USA, Europe or Australia. 

If you’re a shoestring backpacker, you will feel the sting in Belize. It’s more expensive than its neighbours, Mexico and Guatemala, and many backpackers avoid it altogether due to the high costs. 

But we think that is such a shame! Belize was up there as our favourite country in Central America, despite our daily average budget being more than double what we spent in other countries like El Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala.

The thing about Belize is that the costs are SO worth it. 

It is an incredible country, with some absolutely epic, once-in-a-lifetime experiences that are incomparable to anything else in the region. 

You don’t HAVE to spend anywhere near as much as we did, but I promise, you will want to because everything on offer is amazing. Snorkelling on the Belize Barrier Reef, flying over the Great Blue Hole, venturing deep inside sacred Maya caves? You’re going to want to do these things, but they will cost you. 

Don’t worry, I’m going to fill you in on what you can expect to pay for things in Belize and share some tips on how you can visit Belize on a budget (hint: don’t copy our trip, oops!). 

I’ve divided this post into two sections. The first is an overview of average prices in Belize for standard travel categories like accommodation, eating out, tours and activities and transport. I’ll share an array of random prices to give you an idea of typical costs. 

The second part is our Belize trip cost budget report, with our actual expenses and daily averages for each category. 

Prices in Belize

You’ve heard Belize is expensive, but how bad is it really?

I don’t like giving an exact daily budget, because it depends on a thousand factors and is completely personal to your travel style, interests, desired level of comfort etc. 

Instead, what I find more helpful is to share some actual prices in Belize for common travel expenses, to help you piece together a realistic budget for your trip, based on your preferences. 

These costs were accurate at the time of writing, but in a post-pandemic world, I’m sure you know how quickly prices can change, and how much costs are rising all over the world. 

Chances are some of these costs will be outdated by the time you travel to Belize, but I hope it at least gives you a helpful baseline of what to expect. 

💰 Belize uses the Belize Dollar (BZD) but this is fixed at a rate of $1 USD = $2 BZD, and you can pay for things in either currency. Read more about managing your money in Belize in our travel guide.

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Accommodation

Belize has all kinds of accommodations available, from cheap dorm beds in a party hostel to an all-inclusive luxury private island resort. 

We really believe that accommodation is a massive part of your travel experience, not just a place to sleep at night. Belize does that very well, with some really special accommodations, like jungle lodges and tiny island resorts. 

When we were planning our trip to Belize, we crafted our itinerary around a few unique accommodation experiences, which cost more than we usually would spend. We knew this, and made a conscious decision to splurge a bit as it was the start of our 6-month trip. 

We stayed in an overwater bungalow on Tobacco Caye ($120 USD per night) and slept in a treehouse in the middle of the jungle on the Hummingbird Highway ($90 USD). Both were totally worth it and because the accommodation was part of the experience, we didn’t spend too much more during the time we were there. 

Accommodations (and all other costs!) are higher on the cayes. The mainland had a lot more affordable accommodation options in regional hubs like San Ignacio. 

If you’re on a tighter budget, you can definitely find MUCH cheaper accommodation. There is a good network of hostels all around Belize, and you can expect to pay between $15 – $20 USD for a dorm room in a well-rated hostel. 

🛌 TYPICAL COSTS FOR ACCOMMODATION

*Accommodation is usually priced and booked in USD

• Dorm bed at Go Slow Guesthouse in Caye Caulker: $20 USD
• Private room with shared bathroom at Sophie’s Guest Rooms in Caye Caulker: $50 USD
• Self-contained cabin at the highly-rated Colinda Cabanas in Caye Caulker: $180 USD
• Dorm bed at The Old House Hostel in San Ignacio: $13 USD
• Rustic overwater bungalow at Tobacco Caye Paradise on a remote tropical island: $120 USD
• Room at a Gaia Riverlodge, a luxurious jungle lodge outside San Ignacio: $450 USD

Eating out

When we first arrived on Caye Caulker we were shocked by the prices in the restaurants. But then proceeded to order lobster and seafood for the next week, so of course things were a bit more expensive! 

The non-seafood dishes and food on the mainland were much cheaper, and we were usually able to get a big, filling dinner for under $10 USD per person. 

We absolutely loved the traditional Belizean fry jacks for breakfast (a deep-fried dough pocket stuffed with things like beans, cheese, eggs, bacon etc.) and they were usually a couple of bucks for one, which was pretty filling. 

There are lots of local ‘fast food’ stores serving up quick and cheap food options like tacos, salbutes, panuchos, pupuas etc. which are quite affordable and are good for a cheap lunch. 

I would say overall eating out is pricey unless you’re willing to do a bit of research and find some cheaper local spots. It’s not outrageous, especially given you’re most likely eating fresh lobster and seafood, but it’s not dirt cheap, particularly on the cayes. 

🦞 TYPICAL COSTS FOR FOOD

*Food on menus is usually priced in BZD

• Breakfast fry jack with eggs and beans: $6 BZD
• Rice and beans with non-seafood protein: $15 BZD
• Lobster (in-season) with rice and vegetables/salad: $35 BZD
• Healthy cafe breakfast: $25 BZD
• Local Belikin beer from a beach bar: $7 BZD
• Local mixer drink from a beach bar: $10 BZD
• Barista-made coffee on the mainland: $7 BZD

🦞 Learn more about typical food and drinks to try in Belize

Tours and activities

This is the number one reason why Belize is so expensive. Tours will be the biggest part of your Belize trip cost. 

There are so many amazing tours and experiences you can do, and they are not cheap. But in our experience, they were all SO worth it, and the quality of the tours is excellent. 

Snorkelling on the Belize Barrier Reef? Must do. Flying over the Great Blue Hole? Bucket list item. Trekking, canoeing or tubing through cave systems? So unique to Belize. 

There are a lot of must-do experiences that will be the highlight of your trip, and you just have to do them, but they don’t come cheap. 

You can supplement expensive tour days with free or very cheap days on the island. Swimming, relaxing on the beach, swinging in a hammock, and cycling around are all very budget-friendly, so we tried to mix in some expensive days with some slower-paced, cheaper days. 

On the mainland, there are quite a few national parks and attractions that are free or very affordable to visit, IF you’ve got your own transport to get there. 

We loved exploring caves and waterfalls in Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve near San Ignacio which didn’t cost a cent. We paid no more than $10 BZD per person at other national parks, where we spent hours hiking trails, swimming in waterfalls and jungle swimming holes and exploring caves, so it is possible to have some cheap days without tours. 

🥾 TYPICAL COSTS FOR TOURS AND ACTIVITIES

*Costly tours are always priced in USD, entry fees to sights were in BZD

• Full-day snorkelling tour on Caye Caulker: $110 USD 
• Scenic flight over the Great Blue Hole: $250 USD
• Cave tubing: $50 USD
• ATM Cave full-day tour: $145 USD
• Entrance to Billy Barquedier National Park: $10 BZD
• Entrance to the St. Herman’s National Park: $10 BZD
• Xunantunich Maya ruins: $25 BZD
• Green Iguana Conservation Project tour: $22.50 BZD

Transport

Transport can add a lot or a little to your Belize trip cost, depending on your itinerary and how you choose to get around in Belize.

The way we worked out our route, we didn’t have too many transport costs, as our multi-day sailing tour acted as transport between the two destinations on either side, and our inclusive stay on Tobacco Caye included boat transport back to the mainland. 

You’ll most likely have a few ferry trips to budget for, which are around $20 – $30 USD, depending on exactly where you’re coming from. 

You can fly around the country, but given how small it is, I really don’t think it’s worth the extra cost (or the carbon emissions).

There are no cars on the cayes, so unless you really want to rent a golf cart (we think you can live without one on Caye Caulker), your main form of transport will be your own two feet (free!) or a bicycle (which many accommodations include for free). The only transport cost we had on Caye Caulker was the Split-to-Split Ferry to get across to the north island, which was $5 BZD per person, each way. 

If you’ve got the time and energy, the local buses are affordable to get around the mainland, but they can be quite slow and indirect. There is a network of tourist shuttles you can use to get between popular destinations, but you’d be paying more like $20 – $30 USD for a trip, compared to around $5 – $10 USD on the bus. 

We did rent a car for 4 days to explore the mainland, and we’re really glad we did. It was a big expense, but it saved us a lot of money as we were able to visit a lot of sites independently, and not have to pay for a tour. We ran the numbers beforehand, and renting the car was definitely the cheaper option. We paid about $80 USD per day for a car, with all insurance included.

🚌 TYPICAL COSTS FOR TRANSPORT

*Prices are mixed between USD vs BZD

• Belize City – Caye Caulker ferry: $25 USD 
• Belize City – San Ignacio local bus: $11 BZD
• Belize City – San Ignacio tourist shuttle: $20 USD 
• Split-to-Split Ferry on Caye Caulker: $5 BZD
• Daily car rental from local agency: $80 USD

Our Belize trip cost

🗺️ Copy our exact Belize itinerary

Accommodation

💰 Total: $2,404 BZD / $1,202 USD

🛌 Average: $160 BZD / $80 USD per night

• 15 nights of accommodation (2 nights not included here as it was part of a sailing tour)
• Always a private room with a private bathroom
• We had kitchen facilities in 3 out of 4 places
• Never with breakfast included
• We splurged more than we normally would on accommodation
• It is generally more pricey in Belize, but we wanted to have some unique stays and opted to visit a few places specifically for the accommodation experience (e.g. an overwater cabana on Tobacco Caye and a jungle treehouse on the Hummingbird Highway)

Eating out

💰 Total: $1,028.5 BZD / $514 USD
🛌 Average: $57 BZD / $28.5 USD per day

• Overall, we probably ate out for 2 out of 3 meals per day in Belize

• Eating out was kind of pricey on the islands, but admittedly we were ordering a lot of seafood and lobster, and for the quality and type of food, it wasn’t really that bad

• Breakfast (fry jacks), the Belizean fast food dishes and non-seafood options weren’t as expensive as we initially thought

• We had all our meals included for 3 days on the Ragga Sailing Adventures tour so that isn’t included here

• But this cost includes our mandatory meal plan for 3 days on Tobacco Caye ($45 USD per person per day) because there are no restaurants on the island

• Food was a lot cheaper on the mainland, and we were having big main meals for $5 – $7 USD each which is comparable to other countries in the region.

Tours

💰 Total: $3,932 BZD / $1,966 USD
🛌 Average: $218.5 BZD / $109 USD per day

• This is what kills you in Belize, but all the tours are such high quality and so worth doing, we don’t regret anything!

• The main expense here is our 3 day / 2 night sailing tour with Ragga Sailing Adventures ($1,100 BZD per person), which included accommodation, all meals and drinks (inc. alcohol) and activities for the entire time, so if you consider that, it’s not unreasonable

• Other activities we did were a full-day snorkelling tour in Caye Caulker, a scenic flight over the Great Blue Hole ($$$ but I would not change it!), and cave tubing in San Ignacio

Sightseeing and tickets

💰 Total: $101 BZD / $50.5 USD
🎟️ Average: $5.6 BZD / $2.8 USD per day

• This was basically every other activity we did that didn’t require a guide

• Because we hired a car for our time on the mainland, we were able to visit a lot of these attractions independently, whereas many people would require a tour to get there as the public transport isn’t great

• A lot of natural attractions are actually free (everything inside Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve), but what we did spend money on was the Billy Barquedier National Park, the St. Herman’s National Park and the Green Iguana Conservation Project in San Ignacio and a few Maya ruins

Transport

💰 Total: $195 BZD / $97.5 USD
🚌 Average: $10.8 BZD / $5.4 USD per day

• This includes all transport except any vehicle we rented (a car for 4 days)

• So many of our tours/accommodations included transport (the Ragga Sailing Adventures tour, Tobacco Caye), so our only major transport expenses were a shuttle from the airport (we arrived late at night), one ferry to Caye Caulker and a shared taxi to the border in San Ignacio to cross to Guatemala

Rental car

💰 Total: $858 BZD / $429 USD
🚙 Average: $57 BZD / $28.5 USD per day

• We rented a car in Dangriga for 4 days to drive the Hummingbird Highway and San Ignacio

• We paid an extra fee for a one-way rental and had them pick the car up in San Ignacio before we crossed the border to Guatemala

• We filled up with fuel twice about 1/2 way each time

Other expenses

🍍 Groceries – $81.65 BZD / $40.5 USD – $4.5 BZD / $2.25 USD per day

• We found groceries super expensive in Belize, especially on the islands, and it was really hard to find affordable ingredients with limited supermarket options

• We cooked a few nights on the Hummingbird Highway because we were in a remote area, and bought ingredients for a few breakfasts and packed lunches

🍹 Alcohol – $260 BZD / $130 USD – $14 BZD / $7 USD per day

• We spent New Year on Caye Caulker so we had one big night of drinking

• Besides that, it was just a few beers or cocktails here and there

• We had alcohol included on our Ragga Sailing tour, we so took that opportunity to drink more then and not much afterwards to save some cash

🛂 Visa and travel costs – $90 USD – $5.5 USD per day

• There aren’t any fees to get a visa or enter the country (for our passports anyway)

• There are exit fees if you cross the border and exit the country by land

• It’s $40 BZD / $20 USD per person exit fee to be paid in cash at the border

📱 SIM cards – $57.5 BZD / $29 USD – $3.2 BZD / $1.6 USD per day

• The SIM card situation in Belize is the worst in Central America

• It’s expensive to buy and set up a SIM ($22.5 BZD) and then their plans are expensive for few inclusions ($35 BZD for 5.5GB)

• We only got one SIM card between us to share but it ran out after a week

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How to visit Belize on a budget

If you’re a backpacker, your head is probably spinning reading all those costs. 

Like I said, we really did splurge here, and we crafted our itinerary to include some different, off-the-beaten-track experiences that came with an extra cost. So don’t freak out! You can visit Belize on a budget and spend far less than we did. 

Some budget-saving tips for Belize: 

• 🏝️ Stick with the popular destinations: we love visiting lesser-known places, but they usually come with an increased cost, as you need to rent a car or pay more for remote accommodation. You can still experience the best of Belize if you stick with the main tourist destinations, Caye Caulker and San Ignacio. There are more options for accommodation, clear transport routes and a lot more choices for restaurants and tours, therefore prices will be lower. 

• 🚌 Avoid private transport: renting a car was a big expense for us, which we mainly did to explore the Hummingbird Highway. If you skip this, you will be able to get by without a car and instead use the public buses. Tourist shuttles are more convenient, but they’re more than double the cost, so if you can handle the bus, do it. 

• ⛵️ Prioritise your experiences: there are some big-ticket, expensive tours on offer in Belize. If you’re on a budget, you can’t do them all, but you should work out which you want to do the most and factor them into your costs.
  
  One of our biggest expenses was the 3 day / 2 night sailing tour with Ragga Sailing Adventures. It was $550 USD per person, but it was something we really wanted to do, and it included EVERYTHING for the duration of the tour. We don’t regret it for a second.
  
  Work out what’s the most important to you (snorkelling? Cave experiences? Seeing the Great Blue Hole?) and choose 2 or 3 that you can afford. Work out what you can sacrifice to offset the cost, like cheaper accommodation, no nice restaurants, fewer cocktails etc.

• 😎 Disperse expensive days with cheap days: if you’ve done a snorkelling tour that cost you a lot of money one day, be happy to have a cheaper day the next day. Enjoying the beaches, cycling around the cayes, hiking or visiting national parks or exploring the mainland towns are all cheap or free activities so you can smooth out your costs and not be spending hundreds every single day.  

• 🛏️ Book hostels or guesthouses: you can dramatically reduce your accommodation costs if you’re stricter with a budget and less fussy than I am. If you’re a solo traveller, hostels will be your best bet, and you’ll be paying around $15 – $20 USD per night for a dorm bed (less on the mainland, more on the cayes). If you’re a couple, look into local guesthouses as these are often better value than 2 x dorm beds. Look for places on Google Maps that don’t advertise online, as they are often cheaper too. 

• 🌮 Eat local food: this goes without saying, but if you eat at nice cafes and international-style restaurants, you’re going to spend more. Scout out the best street food stalls (for tacos, salbutes, pupusas etc.) and look for ‘fast food’ shops. Belize doesn’t have any chain fast food outlets, but they have their own locally-owned versions of quick, cheap food. Groceries are quite pricey, especially on the cayes, so cooking doesn’t always save you money unless you’re eating really basic food like 2-minute noodles. Compare costs before you commit to cooking meals every day. 

• 🌦️ Travel off-season: because it is quite a touristy country, there is a big difference in prices in Belize between the peak dry season (November – April) and the quieter wet season (May – October). You can save more than 20 – 50% on the costs of accommodations and tours if you travel in the off-season. Do consider the weather and make sure you’re happy with some possible rain, and factor in that you may not be able to do some of the activities you want to do if there is bad weather. But if you really want to save some costs, travelling in the off-season will help. 

Is Belize expensive? Final thoughts

The numbers don’t lie, Belize can be expensive. 

If you’re comparing it to neighbouring Central American countries, Belize sits at the higher end of the budget scale, with Costa Rica and Panama. Guatemala, Nicaragua and El Salvador are much cheaper options. 

In our opinion, travelling to Belize was worth every cent we spent, and we wouldn’t have changed any of the experiences we had there, even if it was pricey. 

Cheap doesn’t always equal good, and we found the value for money in Belize excellent. Even though we were spending a lot, we didn’t feel frustrated or annoyed by it, because we enjoyed everything we did so much. 

With some careful planning and prioritising your expenses, Belize doesn’t have to break the bank, even if you’re on a tight budget. You’ll need to allocate a few more pennies here, but if you’re anything like us, it will turn out to be one of your favourite countries and you won’t even remember all the money you spent! 

I hope this trip cost report is helpful for planning your own trip to Belize. I love seeing the juicy money details from other travellers and find it really helpful to at least get an idea of what to expect. 

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