Caye Caulker, Belize is a great spot for digital nomads. Not only because of its proximity to the United States, but also because English is the official language. Furthermore, it is such a small country that you can be in the jungle in the morning, and have lunch at the beach!
According to the New York Times, 4.8 million American independent workers describe themselves as digital nomads. We’ve had a number of digital nomads living and working in Caye Caulker over the years and the number has been on the rise as the internet service and WiFi (WLAN) access in Caye Caulker improved.
Internet Services
Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL/DigiNet) and Smart are the two internet providers in Belize. When BTL rolled out fiber-optics cables in 2017, the speed and quality of the service improved tremendously. Internet service ranges between 10 and 120 Mbps for downloads and upload speeds of 15-60 Mbps, depending on the plan. Prices for both providers, BTL’s DigiNet and Smart, are comparable to the U.S., ranging from $30-$100 US Dollars.
WiFi In Caye Caulker
In Caye Caulker, we are able to host webinars, conference calls, and conduct businesses online just as easily as if we were back home in the United States or Canada.
Most rentals include WiFi service, but we recommend verifying the plan and speed with the host or landlord. If it’s a property with a lot of rentals and they all share only one plan, it might slow down the speed. However, if you want to stay a little longer and find a great rental, you can always get your own connection with approval of the landlord.
In any case, Caye Caulker is a small island, but there are plenty of coffee shops, bars, and restaurants that offer free WiFi.
Office With A View
As WiFi is widely available, you can take your laptop and find a breezy spot, have a coffee, and work there for a while. Just don’t get too distracted by the beautiful view!
Some of our favorite “offices” with a view are The Barrier Reef Sports Bar and Pizza Al Taglio.
However, we always have the best ideas at our “lunch office” at Food Republic!
Cost Of Living In Caye Caulker
Housing
You can live as cheap or as expensive in Belize as you want. All depends on your lifestyle. You can rent apartments or houses for between $800 US and $2,500 US per month for comfortable “North American style” living. A very cheap option would be a room starting at $70 or $80 US per week, but you won’t have amenities such as A/C, Internet, TV, a kitchen, and likely not the quiet you might need to work.
We recommend contacting
or Mo’s Place to ask for long-term rates for their safe and clean rentals with good WiFi service!
Groceries
The more you want to live like you do at home, the higher the cost. That also applies to groceries and restaurants. If you like to eat a lot of chicken, chicken rice and beans, or fried chicken, you can easily get a meal for $5 or less. We have local restaurants that make great burgers or burritos for only $6. Also, fresh fish and lobster are much cheaper that in the U.S. However, if you buy imported products such as cereal or potato chips, or go to a restaurant for every meal, you can spend a lot of money here. Always depends on what restaurant you choose. We have really good restaurants on the island that are very cheap, but also restaurants with prices that are comparable to the U.S.
Don’t miss the Top 10 Dishes to try while you are in Caye Caulker!
Booze & Juice
It is the same with booze. Local rum, vodka or gin is available and relatively cheap. But if you prefer imported brands, a bottle of liquor will cost around $60 US. At a bar a local cocktail during happy hour will cost you around $3, whereas an imported drink can go up to $15.
You can buy delicious fresh fruit juices, such as orange, watermelon, or pineapple juice at the fruit stands on the island. A bottle of fresh juice costs $2.50 US.
Belize City Market
Everything on an island is more expensive than on the mainland, because it has to be brought in on the barge, water taxi, or by airplane.
To save some budget on groceries you can take a trip to Belize City and visit the market for fresh fruit, vegetables and meats there. We recommend visiting the market on a Saturday morning, because a lot of local farmers will have booths there and sell their fresh produce for less than half you would pay on the island.
Visa Requirements
Citizens of the U.S. and Canada don’t need a visa to travel to Belize and will be provided with a 30-day tourist visa stamp at immigration. It’s relatively easy to extend the tourist visa. You’d need to hop on the water taxi and visit the immigration office on Ambergris Caye or in Belize City.
The cost to renew the tourist visa is $100 US for 30 days. Currently you can only renew monthly (if you’re lucky they give you 2 months), but it’s very easy to renew the tourist visa every month. Mind you – it’s a tourist visa, so you’re “on vacation”!
If you intend to make Belize your home base, you will need to look into a work visa, regardless of whether you are employed by a Belizean company or not. It is relatively easy to obtain a work visa – you can even apply online. All you need to do is form a company in Belize and register the name. You will get a 1-year work visa and won’t have to visit immigration for your monthly tourist visa renewal!
Alternatively, you can apply for permanent residency after you spent a full year in Belize. However, during that year you can’t leave the country for more than 14 days.
Quality Of Life
If you like the beach and a slower pace, the quality of life on Caye Caulker is great. We have almost no cars (only a couple of service vehicles), so no traffic other than golf carts and bicycles. No wasting time sitting in traffic for hours! You can be anywhere on the island within 30 minutes – even if you walk!
You can go swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, or just hang out on the beach. You can learn how to kite or windsurf, paddle board, or just rent the equipment. Take a daytrip to the mainland and visit one of the Mayan ruins, go cave tubing, or zip lining.
Most things happen during daytime on the island. However, we have a few nighttime bars, if you want to go out.
The weather is great most all year round. Check out WHEN is the best time to visit.
To explore the neighboring countries of Guatemala and Mexico, you can take either the busses or to Mexico the water taxi to Chetumal.
COVID-19
Please note that Belize has temporary COVID-19 regulation is place to protect visitors, as well as Belizeans.
Please check our COVID-19 News for the latest requirements.
Pros & Cons
In conclusion, here are the pros and cons;
Pros
- Caye Caulker is a different and beautiful little island
- WiFi is widely available
- No traffic
- English is the official language
- You’re in U.S. time zones
- Best “office view” in the world
- Easy currency conversion with the Belize Dollar pegged to the U.S. Dollar (2:1)
Cons
- The cost of living – especially on the Cayes – is higher than in Mexico and many other places in Central and South America
- If you don’t love the ocean and watersports activities, there is not much to do on the island
- You have to renew the tourist visa every 30 days
The best way to find out if living on a small island such as Caye Caulker is for you is to come here and try it for a while!
