Costs are broadly similar — roughly £2,100/month for a couple in Belize and £2,100 in Costa Rica.
Cost of living, side by side
| Belize | Costa Rica | |
|---|---|---|
| Modest (couple/mo) | £1,500 | £1,500 |
| Comfortable (couple/mo) | £2,100 | £2,100 |
| Premium (couple/mo) | £3,050 | £3,400 |
Indicative monthly estimates for a couple — real costs vary by location, lifestyle and exchange rates.
Belize: Belize offers straightforward freehold ownership with no restrictions on foreign buyers, who hold the same rights as citizens. Titles are in English under a common-law system, which many British buyers find reassuring.
Costa Rica: Foreigners can buy and hold titled property with the same freehold rights as Costa Rican citizens. The main exception is the Maritime Zone: the first 200 metres from the high-tide line, where the initial 50 metres are public and the next 150 metres are usually held under renewable concession rather than outright title.
Belize: The Qualified Retired Persons (QRP) programme is aimed at applicants aged 45 and over with at least US$2,000 a month of qualifying foreign income, and generally exempts foreign-source income from Belize tax; standard permanent residency is an alternative route.
Costa Rica: The Pensionado residency suits retirees with at least US$1,000 a month of lifetime pension income, while the Rentista route uses stable unearned income or a bank deposit; both are renewable and can lead to permanent residency.
Belize: Public care centres on Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital in Belize City and is fairly basic, so many expats use private clinics or cross into Mexico, Guatemala or the US for serious treatment. Private or international insurance is recommended.
Costa Rica: Costa Rica is well regarded: legal residents join the public CAJA system by income-based contribution, alongside excellent private hospitals such as CIMA and Clinica Biblica in San Jose. Many keep private cover too, which is good value.
Belize: Belize taxes only locally sourced income, and the Qualified Retirement Programme grants a permanent exemption on all foreign income, so a foreign pension is not taxed here. Any home-country tax obligations still apply, so plan accordingly.
Costa Rica: Taxation is territorial, so a resident's foreign pension and overseas income are not taxed in Costa Rica, only locally sourced income is. That makes a UK or other foreign pension straightforward to draw here, though you keep any home-country obligations.
Belize: Tropical and warm at 24-31C with high humidity; a dry season runs February to May and a rainier one June to November, which is also the hurricane window. The cooler dry months are the most comfortable. English is the official language, a big draw for Britons, and the pace is relaxed; Belize City sees more crime while the cayes, Placencia and Cayo feel calmer, and unusually for a former British colony they drive on the right.
Costa Rica: Tropical with a dry season December to April and a greener rainy season May to November; the Central Valley stays spring-like around 22-27C year-round while the coasts are hotter and more humid. Safe by regional standards with everyday care against petty theft; Spanish is the language but English is widely used in expat and tourist areas, and driving is on the right.
Belize: Foreign buyers pay 8% stamp duty on the value above the first US$10,000, plus legal fees of around 1-2%, so budget roughly 9-12% all in. The English common-law system is familiar, but proper title checks are essential.
Costa Rica: Expect total one-off costs of about 5-6%: a 1.5% transfer tax plus registry stamps, with the balance for notary and legal work; foreigners are treated like locals outside restricted coastal concession zones. Purchases usually complete within a few weeks.
Belize: Ambergris Caye (San Pedro) is the main expat island, Placencia offers a laid-back beach peninsula, San Ignacio in the Cayo district is greener and cheaper inland, and Corozal in the north is quiet and near Mexico.
Costa Rica: The Central Valley towns of Escazu, Santa Ana, Atenas and Grecia for a spring-like climate and expat services, plus Guanacaste (Tamarindo, Nosara) and the Central and South Pacific (Uvita, Dominical) for the beach.
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