My husband and I are looking to move to Belize later this year or the first of next year. We initially thought of making AC our home but have since considered Caye Caulker and Corozal. Can anyone advise or give a general idea of the "personality" of each place? Thanks in advance.

Caye Caulker: tourists, reef, island, more expensive, fair number of restaurants and bars, 3 hours from Mexico
Corozal: no tourists, no reef, no island, less expensive, just as many restaurants and bars but all Chinese, 1/2 hr from Mexico

They are pretty much poles apart. You really need to consider your preferences first and perhaps ask if there is a spot that matches closely. What are you looking for?

If you're a tourist in Caulker, the personality won't be much of a concern. But if you're gong to stay a while, that's a different story and you do well to ask. Depends how well you communicate and integrate into a foreign society. You have done that before, yes? If you're not sure, I think you'll have an easier transition in Corozal and can look at Caulker later.

The distance to Mexico...? For shopping, entertainment? We expect once monthly or less, but know little of supplying ourselves once we are there. We do stay in San Pedro about once a year and do some of our own cooking. So the markets there are familiar.

How can you decide to move somewhere, without having been there for a while, without having experienced what it feels like to live there for a longer time, without knowing if you like it or not..... ???????

You would be amazed how many people just pick up and move.

I don't have the inclination to do that - and with kids, house, pets etc the freedom to make that choice isn't in the cards.

I hope they find what they are looking for or have a great fun adventure along the way.

I have visited SP many times and built a house on the north island of CC never been to Corozal. Each place is different, to some proximity to Mexico and shopping there is important, to some the isolation of the north island of CC is what they seek. You should come and stay at each place your thinking of living for 6 months then make your decision to stay at one or the other. You might start at Corozal and never make to the other places since you might fall in love with it. It doesn't seem as though you have to decide at this point, investigate all the places and when you find the place stop looking.

Yes. And food. Depends what you want. Some find Belize lacking...or too expensive for what you get but given this statement...

You'll be far better off in any Belizean tourist-centric town. Corozal will definitely wear thin in the restaurant department.

We're not crazy about the touristy parts of anywhere. We prefer the street markets and food vendors off the beaten path. We have never explored Caye Caulker, though we have been there as tourists for snorkeling. We love the small town feel of San Pedro and have stayed there often. It reminds me of growing up in small-town America; population 317. We enjoy our private evenings together but also really enjoyed the events at the town center park area.

We would like to live a basic life, which is our reason for moving. We want to escape the commercialization of everything here in America. Downsize, Downsize, Downsize!

Some other likes/dislikes...charity dinners & events (Lion's Club style, not $200 per plate); ballgames (cheap seats)-baseball; Am. Football, (might learn to love soccer?); we're both divers and beginning photographers; we don't really like really formal events and we both love animals. We like to get a little dirty and would like to do some caving/hiking etc. We usually take the bus through Mexico on our way to AC, more for the experience but also love to save money. My husband doesn't drink but I have a beer (or 4) now and then and we were introduced to BC's on one of our previous trips. Honestly, he and I are somewhat opposites when you first meet us-he makes a better first impression. Does that help?

Caye Caulker is more expensive than Corozal but much cheaper than San Pedro. San Pedro ..Ambergris Caye is much larger but still a hustle and bustle place..lots of traffic and comparatively high prices..too many cars. However if you are from a very large metropolitan city, L.A. Chicago. New York etc. It would be laid back. San Pedro is a more compacted busy place than I am used to, growing up in Hawaii..25 yrs their and Montana. I love Caye Caulker because of its slow pace and community. On the other hand I appreciate why folks like San Pedro. Alot more to do, more fine dining restaurants, coffee bars, even a playhouse so more culture.More festivals, poker runs. We could never retire and just read books, we are blessed with the success of our Art Gallery. On Caye Caulker the opportunity to keep a busy mind may be less, unless you appreciate Go Slow. Some do some dont.
Yet you have to live here for awhile, OMG dont pull up roots and move down until you have answered your own questions on your own...

From what I've found, traveling across to Mexico can get costly. Exit fees from Belize (still $40 BZE?), Exit fees from Mexico? Times two. About $150 plus whatever we do there. Isn't there also high duties on things you bring back? Seems like going to Mexico may be a yearly (maybe 2-3) trip. Are these amounts correct?

What if I wanted a good quality, restaurant grade blender? The cost in San Pedro vs. going to Mexico? Corozal? Maybe Belize City?

What about the QRP program? Can one spouse participate without automatically including the other? I think that negates the exit fees for the participant, doesn't it?

Exiting Belize
Citizens and Permanent Residents of Belize don't pay anything. Visitors/tourists (and I think QPR) pay BZ$37.50 (US$18.75) payable in BZ$ or US$ at the land border. Departing Ambergris by water taxi to Chetumal might be cheaper -- in this case, I think only the BZ$7.50 PACT fee is payable. Or is it... only the BZ$30 departure fee is payable and not the PACT fee?

Entering Mexico from Belize
Visitors to Mexico receive an FMM (visitor's card/form/visa/whatever) at the border. If you stay in Mexico for 7 days or less AND return to Belize, there is no fee to pay. If you stay in Mexico for 8 days or more, the fee for the FMM is MX$262. The fee is not paid at the border but at a bank before you depart Mexico.

Departing Mexico (to Belize)
Hand in the FMM form. There are no departure fees. Beware of the scam where the Mexican officials ask for money upon departure.

Entering Belize
Nothing to pay.

I was wondering, why is CC cheaper than SP? The reasoning behind the expense is that AC is an island and shipping increases everything.

Both CC and SP are islands. Most likely the cost difference relates to what is being built in either place. The houses tend to be much more modest in CC than SP. Just a guess, probably a few more reasons I can't think of.

"charge what the market will bear"