Belize, All Areas

Country Full Name: Belize.

Location: Belize is in Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico.

Country Climate: Tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May).

Country Terrain: Flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south.

Major Languages: English (official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), Creole.

Major Religions: Christianity.

Population: 0.333 Mil (2012 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of Belize is small and essentially private enterprise economy that is based primarily on agriculture, agro-based industry, and merchandising, with tourism and construction recently assuming greater importance.

Currency: Belize Dollar (BZD).

Inflation: 1.6% (2011 est.).

The cost of living in All Areas in Belize is very low compared to other places. The overall cost of living is determined using the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across 13 Basket Groups. All Areas in Belize is currently ranked 746 overall out of 780 places (rank 1 is most expensive: rank 780 is least expensive). The cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

Alcohol & Tobacco costs are high compared to other places for items such as alcohol at a bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, wine (where alcohol is legally sold) and tobacco related products. There are 277 places that are more expensive, and 502 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are high compared to other places for items such as business suits, casual clothing, children's clothing, coats, evening wear, footwear, hats, shoe repairs and underwear. There are 301 places that are more expensive, and 478 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are very low compared to other places for various communication costs such as call charges, home telephone rental, internet connection, mobile data costs, mobile phone contract and service provider fees. There are 702 places that are more expensive, and 77 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are low compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, primary school fees, high school fees and tertiary study fees. There are 522 places that are more expensive, and 257 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are average compared to other places for items such as DVD player, fridge freezer, furniture, household equipment, iron, kettle, light bulbs, microwave, television, toaster, vacuum cleaner and washing machine. There are 312 places that are more expensive, and 467 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are very low compared to other places for items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning materials, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, meat, oil & vinegars, pet food, pre-prepared meals, sauces, seafood, snacks, soft drinks, spices & herbs. There are 736 places that are more expensive, and 43 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are very low compared to other places for general healthcare, general practitioner consultation rates, healthcare/medical insurance, hospital private ward daily rate and non-prescription medicine. There are 769 places that are more expensive, and 10 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are low compared to other places for items such as accommodation, apartment, flat, house, villa, rent, electricity, household fuels, household gas, water, and local property rates / residential taxes / levies. There are 570 places that are more expensive, and 209 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are very low compared to other places for items such as dry cleaning, general goods, general services, linen, magazines, maid, newspapers, office supplies, postage stamps and stationery. There are 777 places that are more expensive, and 2 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are very low compared to other places for items such as cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer, nappies, pain relief tablets, shampoo, soap, sun block, toilet paper and toothpaste. There are 770 places that are more expensive, and 9 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are average compared to other places for items such as books, camera, cinema tickets, fitness/health club membership, sports goods and theatre tickets. There are 432 places that are more expensive, and 347 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are very low compared to other places for items such as a business dinner, dinner at a family restaurant (non fast food), 4 star and 5 star hotel rates and take away meal (fast food). There are 696 places that are more expensive, and 83 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are very low compared to other places for items such as car hire purchase, car insurance, car lease, car maintenance, car rental, car service, diesel, petrol, tyres and public transport. There are 719 places that are more expensive, and 60 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for All Areas in Belize are based on the basket groups and comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, All Areas in Belize is ranked as extreme hardship with a hardship index of 40%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for All Areas in Belize are based on the comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

Note: Xpatulator.com data is updated quarterly. The latest update is as at 1 April 2012. Create a personalized cost of living comparison report using the calculators:
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