How much does food cost in Ambergris Caye?

Here in Ambergris Caye, the prices are very high for things that they have to import. Import duty is significant for every product that is produced outside of Belize. Within Belize, you can buy rice and beans and meat locally produced. You can also buy a variety of locally produced flour, sugar, fruits, etc. and you will be paying reasonable prices. But you are also not getting the best of the best. Belize exports their best quality goods to the North American market. If you want to...

Here in Ambergris Caye, the prices are very high for things that they have to import. Import duty is significant for every product that is produced outside of Belize. Within Belize, you can buy rice and beans and meat locally produced. You can also buy a variety of locally produced flour, sugar, fruits, etc. and you will be paying reasonable prices. But you are also not getting the best of the best. Belize exports their best quality goods to the North American market. If you want to buy North American brands like Doritos, Coca-Cola, Kleenex, or Purina then you will pay 20% to 30% more than you pay at home.

 

If you want American style or quality for the local produce, it is going to cost you the same or more than what it costs in the US. Some of this is because there are no crops on the island of Ambergris Caye. We have to bring everything to the island by barge or boat.  As a result, you are paying for the transport of products here.  If you were on the mainland of Belize, however, things are more reasonably priced.

 

One of the things that I love about Belize is that the majority of their produce is grown in Belize, so you are certainly buying seasonal produce and the pesticides they use are a lot less. They do not have genetically modified / GMO’s or genetically engineered food. GMO does not exist here. The produce grown here does not have the pesticides and the wax that they put on the produce in the US to make the produce look good, like what they do to oranges. As an example, the best and sweetest oranges in Belize are not orange; they are green because that is the natural color of an orange. It is generally dyed in the US when you have the bright orange skin on an orange. That is not the natural sweet color of an orange, not when they come off the tree anyways.

The cost of food in Ambergris Caye depends on what you want to eat. Local people are used to local food and they know where to purchase it. If you visit a small grocery store in Belize, you will get better prices than if you go to the markets here. I know that back in the US, it’s different as the supermarkets there give you better prices than the small shops. But here, in Belize, it is the reverse.  

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The cost of food in Ambergris Caye depends on what you want to eat. Local people are used to local food and they know where to purchase it. If you visit a small grocery store in Belize, you will get better prices than if you go to the markets here. I know that back in the US, it’s different as the supermarkets there give you better prices than the small shops. But here, in Belize, it is the reverse.  

 

There are foods here that you will find in the US but because they are imported, they are more expensive. If you go to the big supermarkets, it would cost you a little bit more. American products are going to be way more expensive. Belizean, Mexican or Caribbean products are many times half the price of the American brands. 

 

There are big supermarkets in Ambergris Caye cater to everything that you need and you could just go shopping there. But local people go to the smaller supermarkets where they are used to shopping, and which has more reasonable prices. These smaller markets are not as big as the supermarkets in the US but they do have plenty of stock. 

 

(Pictured: image for San Pedro (the principle town on Ambergris Caye) Lobsterfest.  When Lobsterfest is going on, there are plenty of lobster available at the markets!) 

The cost of food in Ambergris Caye varies depending on what type of food you want to eat. If you eat like a local, you can eat very inexpensively. If you want to eat fine dining, the options are plentiful here on the island. You can pretty much fit any food budget that you are willing to spend. 

 

At the grocery stores, all the fruits and vegetables, and most of the meat in the country of Belize are produced by Mennonites. One really nice advantage is...

The cost of food in Ambergris Caye varies depending on what type of food you want to eat. If you eat like a local, you can eat very inexpensively. If you want to eat fine dining, the options are plentiful here on the island. You can pretty much fit any food budget that you are willing to spend. 

 

At the grocery stores, all the fruits and vegetables, and most of the meat in the country of Belize are produced by Mennonites. One really nice advantage is that it’s all organic and it’s non-GMO. Pre-packaged goods that are imported are more expensive than what you are used to in North America but fruits and vegetables are very affordable and meat is a little more expensive, depending on the cut and quality.

 

In comparison to the food in Toronto, there are a lot of major food products in Belize. The difference is pre-packaged food products here in Belize do not tend to be as fresh as you would expect in North America or in Toronto. My food budget here in Belize is very comparable to my food budget when was in North America but now I am buying more organic produce and meat than what I was buying in North America. There is no advantage for a lower cost of living here on Ambergris Caye because everything needs to be imported here and because of that there is always additional costs in getting the food here. You can still find very good deals but you have to learn how to be very creative in your shopping, which is a little different than what we would be used to in North America. Typically, in North America, most people would go to one store and do all their shopping there. Here in Ambergris Caye, you would probably go to two or three different stores to complete your shopping list.  

 

(Al fresco lunch in Ambergris Caye, Belize, pictured.)