The only English-speaking country in Central America, Belize is an expensive country that can be visited with a budget of $60 to $200 a day.
My 1-week trip to Belize cost a total of $1,923. Here, I share my Belize travel expenses, cost per day and budgeting tips. I also outline where and how much cash is needed in Belize.
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Is Belize Affordable To Travel To?
💰 Belize is the second most expensive country to visit in Central America. Part of the reason is because Belize imports almost everything, so prices are higher. For those hoping to do a budget trip to Central or South America, you can find many other countries that are much more affordable (e.g., Panama, Ecuador, Peru). The only place more expensive in Central America is Costa Rica, where I spent $233 per day, compared to Belize’s $207 per day.
🎒 A budget traveler can expect to spend approximately $60 per day or $420 for one week of travel in Belize, not including flights. To travel on a budget in Belize, you can:
- Stay at a hostel for $30 a night
- Eat a $5 meal at a local restaurant or market (which I did several times)
- Take cheap transportation (e.g., $4 public buses, $3 taxi rides)
The cheapest time to travel to Belize coincides with its rainy season, which runs from June to November. During the low season, many tour operators and accommodations will offer discounted rates.
💳 A mid-range budget traveler can expect to spend approximately $150-$200 per day or $1,050-$1,400 for one week of travel in Belize, not including flights.
About My Belize Trip
To give context to the expenses below, here’s what you need to know about my trip to Belize:
🌴 Half island, half mainland. I spent 4 nights on an island (Ambergris Caye) and 3 nights in the mainland (San Ignacio). My trip closely resembled this 1-week Belize itinerary.
In general, San Ignacio (mainland) is more affordable than Ambergris Caye (island). Between Belize’s two popular islands, Caye Caulker is also more affordable than Ambergris Caye.
✌️ 2 travelers. I traveled with a friend, so I was able to split accommodation, transportation and food costs.
💰 Mid-range budget. I don’t aim to travel on a budget, but I’m thoughtful about how and where I spend. I consider myself a mid-range budget traveler and these expenses reflect that.
🌧️ Rainy season. I traveled in August, which is the low season in Belize (here’s what to pack if you’re traveling during the rainy season too). Most things during the rainy season, including accommodation and tours, are slightly discounted compared to the high season, which runs from December to April.
Total Cost for a Belize Trip: $1,923
I spent $1,923 in Belize during my 1-week trip with an itinerary similar to this one.
All costs listed here are per person and in USD, converted from Belize Dollar ($1 USD equaled $2 Belize dollars at the time of writing).
Belize is one of the few countries in the world that has pegged their currency to the US dollar at a constant exchange rate.
The Belize dollar has had a 2:1 exchange ratio with the USD since 1978, so you don’t have to worry about getting a bad exchange rate when paying with USD.
Cost Breakdown for Belize
Here are my Belize travel expenses by category:
| Cost | % of Total Cost | Cost Per Day | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ✈️ Flights | $475 | 25% | – |
| 🏠 Accommodation | $365 | 19% | $52 |
| 🐠 Food | $220 | 11% | $31 |
| 🚗 Transportation | $400 | 21% | $57 |
| ⭐ Activities | $320 | 17% | $46 |
| 🎁 Miscellaneous | $143 | 7% | $20 |
| Total | $1,923 | 100% | $207 |
Cost per Day in Belize: $207
If I include my flight costs, my Belize trip came out to $275 per day.
A mid-range budget traveler can expect to spend $150-$200 per day in Belize. This generally means not staying in a hostel or luxury hotel, eating at some $$ restaurants, but also at many $ local restaurants, and going on several popular tours.
Flight Cost To Belize: $475
My round-trip flights between Belize City airport and the US east coast were $475.
The most expensive months to fly to Belize from the USA are November and December, which is the start of the high and dry season and the cheapest month to fly to Belize is May, according to Kayak.
Belize doesn’t have an entrance fee, but they have a $55.50 airport departure or exit fee for tourists. This amount is usually already included in your airline tickets under “taxes and fees”, so check your ticket. If it’s not included, you must pay in cash.
Transportation Cost in Belize: $400
My average cost of transportation in Belize was $57 per day.
| Total Cost | Price Per Day | |
|---|---|---|
| 🤿 Ambergris Caye | $130 | $33 |
| 🦎 San Ignacio | $270 | $90 |
| Total | $400 | $57/day |
Ambergris Caye:
- Flight from Belize City airport to Ambergris Caye: $100
The alternative way of traveling from the Belize City airport to an island (Caye Caulker or Ambergris Caye) is by taking a water taxi, which takes longer (90 minutes vs. 20 minutes), but is more affordable (~$30 vs. ~$100). There are several ways to get around Belize.
- Golf cart rental: $30
The primary way to navigate Ambergris Caye is by golf cart. Some golf carts do not have gas included, so be sure to ask about it in advance. During the off season, golf cart rental prices can be negotiable, but you may have to spend time visiting several rental places.
San Ignacio:
- Flight from Ambergris Caye to San Ignacio: $200
The alternative of traveling from an island (Caye Caulker or Ambergris Caye) to the mainland is by taking a water taxi and then a shuttle. It’s significantly longer (3 hours vs. 45 minute), but more affordable (~$120 vs. ~$200).
- Shared shuttle from San Ignacio to the Belize City airport: $55
- Taxi: $15
Taxis from the resort area of San Ignacio to the downtown area had a flat rate of $2.50 per person.
The quality of the taxis can vary (e.g., I rode a taxi that didn’t have any seat belts), so if you find a driver and car that you like, you can ask for their number and arrange rides through WhatsApp.
Accommodation Cost in Belize: $365
My average cost of accommodation in Belize was $52 per night.
| Total Cost | Price Per Day | |
|---|---|---|
| 🤿 Ambergris Caye | $225 | $56 |
| 🦎 San Ignacio | $140 | $46 |
| Total | $365 | $52/day |
Ambergris Caye Tip: Staying in the downtown area, San Pedro, is generally more affordable than staying outside of it where all the resorts are located. One financial advantage of being is San Pedro is that you don’t need to rent a golf cart to travel on most days because you can walk everywhere, which can save you $100+. Here’s where I stayed in Ambergris Caye.
San Ignacio Tip: Staying away from San Ignacio’s downtown means having to pay for taxi. The walk from where the resorts are to downtown is very doable (I did it twice), but not the most pleasant for women (Belize has a problem with cat-calling. I traveled with another woman and we experienced it at almost every other walk we went on.) Here’s where I stayed in San Ignacio.
Food Cost in Belize: $220
My average cost of food in Belize was $31 per day.
| Total Cost | Price Per Day | |
|---|---|---|
| 🤿 Ambergris Caye | $170 | $42 |
| 🦎 San Ignacio | $50 | $17 |
| Total | $220 | $31/day |
Ambergris Caye:
- Most expensive meal: $60 at Elvi’s Kitchen. The octopus was worth it, but the MP lobster not so much IMO.
- Most affordable meal: $5 at the San Pedro’s Friday night market in Central Park. I highly recommend having a meal here if you’re around on a Friday night. I had a delicious pork rib hot dog from one of the stall vendors.
- The hotel provided complimentary breakfast, which I took advantage of, especially with the early snorkeling tour’s start time.
San Ignacio:
- Most expensive meal: $12 at My Secret Deli.
- Most affordable meal: $5 at San Ignacio Market. I highly recommend this delicious and very local experience.
- Some tours provided lunch, so I took advantage of that.
Tours and Activities: $320
My average cost of tours and entertainment in Belize was $46 per day.
| Total Cost | Price Per Day | |
|---|---|---|
| 🤿 Ambergris Caye | $85 | $21 |
| 🦎 San Ignacio | $235 | $78 |
| Total | $320 | $46/day |
Ambergris Caye:
- Drop-in yoga: $20
- Barrier Reef snorkeling (Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley): $65
San Ignacio:
- ATM cave tour: $110
- Xunantunich horseback riding tour: $105
- Green Iguana Conservation tour: $20
A lot of the popular tours cost about the same ($90-$120 for full-day tours) and prices are fairly consistent across tour operators. This Belize travel guide has more details on tours and activities. Here’s what to expect for the popular ATM cave tour.
I traveled to Belize during the low season, so the tour operator offered a slight discount if I booked on the spot. Once I realized negotiation was an option, I was able to lower the price on some of my tours by offering to book two tours on the spot.
Miscellaneous Cost in Belize: $143
- Travel insurance: $18
At the time of my trip, Belize had a mandatory travel insurance that cost $18 and covered 21 days of travel. They have since removed this requirement.
- 3-piece painting: $125
Tips to Reduce Cost in Belize
Here are two meaningful ways to reduce cost in Belize:
- The most impactful way to cut cost in Belize is to not take flights between the islands and mainland. Taking flights instead of the shuttles or water taxis are a huge time save (i.e., you can easily cut an hour), but also easily adds $100+ to expenses, so not taking them will help your wallet.
- The best way to cut cost in Belize that won’t impact your experience is by eating at local restaurants and markets. No-frills local food was delicious and sometimes even better than the fancier restaurants targeting tourists. I could have easily cut $50 off on meals and still be satisfied with my overall food experience in Belize.
Other minor ways to reduce costs while traveling in Belize:
- Fill up your reusable water bottle whenever you can at the hotel. Otherwise, you’ll be paying $1 per bottle at restaurants and stores. I brought my Hydro Flask water bottle everywhere, which also helped keep my water cold for hours.
- Pack correctly. You can buy reef-safe sunscreen and shoes for the ATM cave tour in Belize, but it’s more affordable to pack and travel with them.
Do You Need Cash in Belize?
Even though most places in Belize will take credit card, there are some instances where you’ll need cash in Belize, so bring some cash when traveling there.
Here are some tips on bringing and using cash in Belize:
- Tip #1: There’s no need to exchange US dollars for Belize dollars. Belize is one of the few countries in the world that has pegged their currency to the US dollar at a constant exchange rate. The Belize dollar has had a 2:1 exchange ratio with the USD since 1978, so you don’t have to worry about getting a bad exchange rate when paying with USD. My hotel was even willing to exchange and break bigger bills at any time.
- Tip #2: Bring at least $10 worth of cash per day to Belize. During my 1-week trip to Belize, I spent roughly $250 in cash (or $36 per day).
- Tip #3: Know that certain things will be cash-only. You will need cash for:
- Tipping tour guides, waitresses/waiters and taxi drivers
- Buying food at local markets (e.g., San Pedro’s Central Park night market, San Ignacio’s Market)
- Buying art or large purchases where cash will have a significant discount compared to using a credit card.
If you have any questions or thoughts, feel free to leave them in the comments below!
