I would like to know which retail items are the most outrageously priced on AC. The post about the 33 cent acrylic paints being sold for $18 (BZ?)has made me curious. Please...rant away!

One specialised item that cropped up yesterday. I gave someone (a Belizean) an 8gb USB flash drive which cost me US$25, and he said he tried to buy a flash drive in SP recently and the cheapest he was quoted was Bz$75 for a 1gb one.

my son saw beef jerky at 3x what it's priced here in the US...LOL

WoW! And I thought it was expensive here!

$28.95 for large jar of peanut butter

I'm afraid I'd choke on it after paying that price.

My rant is crystal light - the packets you put in water bottles. I pay $1 US at the dollar store for the same item here is $17 BZ (or $8.5 US) if you can even find it. Out of control! I would understand if it weighed a ton, but it's powder people!

Nobody said paradise was cheap!!!

No papa, nobody said that. I guess if one wants to eat the same foods, and live a similar lifestyle as back home, one has to bring a fistful of cash. But half the allure of Belize is the simplicity; I wouldn't want to live the same lifestyle as here. Good thing I like beans and tortillas, eh?

Two of my favorite dishes

Nuts!!! I was doing some baking and paid $14BZ for a pack of walnuts!

Basic Economics. Supply and demand. You can't compare Belize to US. Look at UK and US where things are half the price in the US. The US is the wealthiest largest and therefore cheapest, consumer market on the planet. We have less than 100,000 working adults in the country.

That said however some businesses do take liberties.......

doesn't duty for imports have something to do with the pricing, not simply just supply & demand?

absolutely.

and add in the cost of transporting everything out to the caye...

And the sales tax, and the environmental tax...

Shuffles, I recently discovered Greenhouse has natural peanut butter (yum!) for cheaper than in the states. $6.50 US for a regular 16 oz jar. delicious.

A bag of slivered almonds are 75$ BZE at Superbuy.

At that price, it's extortion...unless it was a 10 lb bag?

speaking of high prices. Just bought cabbage tonight at greenhouse. The lady was tagging prices on items and when I went to check out with my cabbage and garlic I simply replied "whoa" when I saw my cabbage ring up at $14 BZ. She actually walked away from the register and started tagging more item! LOL! Talk about service. I had to say twice "I'm just taking the cabbage and garlic" to get her back to the register!!

As for your walnuts, they are just as expensive in the US.

I am adding Dog food this list. The $15.99 US bag of pedigree in the states is $45 US here. Sometimes $47

I've just spent a few days in the Dangriga area and it's staggering how much cheaper everything is there. Overall I should think costs are about a third of what they are on AC.

So much for the tariff theory...*shrug*

Drink rum....wine is very expensive... Pay US$9 for 1.5 l in CT ......in SP it was $17 per 0.75 l in Jan/Feb.

Tina has some prices on items in the city,Doctors and furniture,ect.Hope this helps,we shop around while there.We were able to pay for airfare, on what we bought at discount prices.
http://investinbelize.blogspot.com/

When I was there in March I talked to a young man who had just bought the exact dive watch I had. I paid $45 US, in January, for mine and he had just paid $95 US in San Pedro.

at least! dive watches here are outrageous.
I remember buying one that cost $40 at walmart which ran well over $200 BZ here.

Tremendous duty on all watches. If you call it a dive computer it attracts a lower rate.

Gotta protect the domestic watchmaking industry

Oops, the bag of almonds was only 49.50$, it was the bag of pine nuts, 4.5 cups that was 75$. The homemade honey/raisin granola for my yogurt/granola/fresh fruit parfait will do without pine nuts I think.

Jane and I love beans and rice, rice and beans, and chicken baked with ricado. UUUUUUMMMMMMM. I think you can live very reasonably in AC, and its my plan to find out.

um, good luck with that. I love cooking with Recato but after 5 years in BZ you start to tire of it. I don't know any local that eats rice n beans n chicken every day either.

You can live reasonably in AC, sure! But we are talking about items which are necessities which are outrageously priced.

One might want to re-evalute the definition of "necessity" when living in Belize.

word

dog food? really.

I suppose you and I must be part of that group of americans that refuse to compromise on our materialistic, spoiled lifestyle...

When "in rome", let the dogs eat off the beach!

You're...being sarcastic...right?
I had to re-read the thread to find out that it isn't about goose liver pate, smoked salmon, and grand cru wines, but peanut butter, beef jerky and powdered drink mix.

Yes - I was being sarcastic (perhaps a bit sensitive regarding some posters judging Americans as ugly, greedy and materialistic).

However, I suppose I could live without the powdered drink mix

LOL, one could live without lotsa things - but why?

Belizeans are asked by government to buy Belizean as much as possible...thus helping to minimize the outflow of cash to other countries.

? have not read anywhere on this thread where anyone is "judging" anybody, if you took my post as such, I do apologize as it was not meant to be. Just my opinion regarding 'one' fact of life here in Sanpedro.

Would LOVE to patronize Belize as much as possible! Is there a reference somewhere as to what is made locally and where to purchase? I am speaking more of produce and things made from local produce (like the peanut butter, coconut oil, mango wine, corn tortillas). It seems hit or miss here on the island...

Sorry if I read too much into your comments! Am a little too sensitive about the "American" thing lately...

Go to a "local" store like Marina's and ask them to show/tell you which are Belize products. Many are delicious if prepared in the local way.

There is the best organic brown rice grown in Punta Gorda and Janet brings fantastic tumeric from Punta Gorda and makes knock out curry. Chicken and vegetables from the Mennonites are also local. Of course watermelons, bananas, and citrus ( I love local grapefruit.) from the south as well. Tortillas from Back St, and hot sauce and you are all set. Have I missed a food group?

Rum

I remember about three years ago being in San Pedro with my Skol chewing brother; when he ran out and needed to buy a tin he just about crapped. I don't remeber the exact price but it was enough for him to not buy it which, believe me, is saying something

I remember when I first saw the price of decent Tequila I almost crapped too. Needles to say I promptly purchased a bottle. When you really gotta have it the price isn't that important The stuff that you can't get no matter what; now that's a different story.

i have 1gb flash drives for $60BZE if he wants

This expensive in Belize works in reverse as well. I have actually found a local liquor store here in Iowa that sells One Barrel. $32.00US a bottle. I bought two.....

True Jean, kinda debunks the "grass is always greener on the other side" theory.

Jean, where in IA did you find that?
I didnt think it was even sold around here.

I found One Barrel at John's Grocery in Iowa City.

A couple years ago I discovered I really like drinking Caipirinhas. Went to the trouble to drag a bottle of Cachaca from Key West. Found the same brand at John's a couple weeks later.

Was it Travellers One Barrel or Brazilian Cachaca?
Ah...I see...you found both brands/liquors there.

here's my rant,,

1gb RAM for my new computer,, internet= $12us
1gb RAM for my new computer,, belize city= $120.00us!!!
i bought 4 from geeks.com

Ouch that is a big difference Barnacle.

It is stuff like that that made me impulse shop for flashdrives on amazon recently. I got a 4 gig for $3.99 can only imagine what that would cost here.

i'm all for supportin belize and it's products but that is out of line!
back page of this weeks amandala,, 2gb flash drive= 20bz, and most likely a not-so popular brand either!

Recently I bought 2gb of RAM on the internet for US$40. In Belize the cheapest I was quoted was US$60 for 0.5gb.

I also bought USB flash drives at US$18 for 16gb. You can see above typical prices for Belize.

This is mostly not the fault of the local retailers. Three years ago I imported scuba goods costing about US%50k in the US. Most of these goods were sent free to my shipping agent in Miami. Nonetheless Belize Customs asserted that there must have been US-internal freight charges, and as I hadn't declared them they would impute them - at something like 15% of gross cost. They obviously had all original supplier invoices so their assertion was provably untrue (one actually said "freight charges to your shipping agent are included in the price"), but it made no difference. I was ultimately charged various duties & taxes to a total of 100% of the original gross cost, and when I objected I was told I had the option of forfeiting the goods. At one move these goods cost me more than the normal retail price in the US, making them very difficult and unprofitable to sell. No wonder people smuggle! That was the last time I imported goods by the official route.

2gb Flash Drives (Kingston) at Gecko Graphics are $65bz.

You definitely had the wrong broker!

In July I made a quick trip to Oklahoma and took an empty suitcase. I filled it and saved the receipt and honestly declared what I was bringing in. I had things that I could not buy here - like clothes of quality that fit me.
Bottom line was I paid 40% of purchase price to the customs people. So much for honesty.

I just spent a week in Costa Rica and ate beef - very very good beef - every day as what is sold here is very very tough. They also had an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables very cheap.

While here I eat mostly every day Belizean food. I have a pasta maker and ice cream machine and make my own. There is nothing like these in any store (well, except Manalley's). I buy Lobster tail and fish filet from a local fisherman and have learned how to cook these as good as any restaurant.

When visitors come we eat out and I splurge. When I leave the island I indulge in the foods that are expensive here. (Like chocolate and prime rib)

So it seems! But This was the fourth or fifth time I had impoerted goods and I had problems every time, with a variety of brokers. So I asked around and sought recommendations before this occasion, and see where ut got me.

Silk soy milk is 4 times the price I pay back home. I have ask several grocery stores to get me a case, but no one but Island supermarket seems to know how to get it. I wish I could drink cow milk. I just pay... figure that is my vice, that and good chocolate which I smuggle in.

You have to smuggle chocolate in? What happens if you get caught? Just pay duty? I'm taking my mom down some food items and taking some school supplies to CC. Should I declare this stuff or just play dumb? Do they look in ALL suitcases or is it random? I haven't been down in quite a few years.

It's random. But not declaring and then getting caught is always ugly...

I bring in a couple of boxes of Ester Price chocalates every year, among other items, never have had to open my bags.

they do recognize familiar faces after a while -

From what I gather they are more incline to open property of residents rather than visitors. But they opened everything I carried back two years ago, the last time I was out of the country. Things NOT to bring in.....make up, beauty products, bath stuff etc. I paid 100% duty on those items.
If anyone is coming soon, I woud love to get some white chocolate for baking. For bringing me a bar or two, your efforts would be rewarded with a slice of mango/white chocolate double layer cake with butter frosting topped with mandarine orange slices....

The couple of times I've flown in, I declared the school supplies. I had no trouble and paid no duty. They did have a cursory look in our bags though.
I think I told them they were donations for the schools, which they were. Perhaps most school items declared as a donation might be allowed in without duty. Just don't call them "office supplies." I hear they charge plenty for those.

My husband Datallmon, is a business person and flies in and out weekly. He may bring things or not, but when he does he picks something to declare and it makes them happy. I have imported paint, kitchen appliances, lighting for my house, and have found people in Miami will send a "preferred" invoice, if you get my drift. I have been honest and have paid through the wazoo. Also shipping through Hyde is much cheaper than air freight, and did you get from Jesse's post...you pay duty on the freight on top of the item. Also get a good agent. I like Mike Torres.

In my view anyone that smuggles goods into the country, especially for commercial gain, loses their right to complain at the countries lack of services and infrastructure.

Thanks Phil - glad to know I am not the only one that feels that way.

Why do they think stuff is expensive in the stores? It's because they pay taxes & stamp duties and still need to be able to make a profit.

And if we don't support our local stores they will stop stocking the luxury items that we enjoy.

great, now i feel just terrible. i'm going to return the $60US worth of computer parts that i thought were duty free to begin with, and go splash out $300US for the same parts! just so you know i'm doing my part!

edit: i saw a dealer advertising a Kawasaki motorcycle i was interested in. a KLX450. this dealer wanted nearly $21,000BZ for it.
every other country in the world sells them for around $6,600US.
now, these dealers in those country's need to pay duty and make a profit as well right? i just don't understand.
if they sell one i would be amazed.

I think computer parts are duty free - but you still have to pay gst of 10% as well as the 2% environmental tax.

Vehicle import duties are high somewhere in the region of 52%.

OK,, that's 12% tax. how can they justify almost 400% markup on computer parts?
it's no wonder allot of Belizeans can't afford anything above the basic chinese junk.

No need to smuggle Chocolate!! some of the best chocolate I have ever eaten is made right here in San Pedro by Kakaw.

I can't even touch a snikers or such any more becuase it just tastes like wax lard and sugar.

100% natural 100% organic 100% good.

I ate one yesterday and I have to agree.
yummy and its a 100% Belizean product.
i like that

When I'm home or when I'm away, I always try to buy local. I will do the same in Belize. I usually like local better, and I like to support "the little guy". But mom HAS to have Lindt chocolate. She even gave me a cocoa percentage! She wants 10 bars. Her little craving from being away from the states I guess. I will tell her about Kakaw though. Thanks for the info.

Where do you get Kakaw? How much?

Greenhouse and Wine Devine - I think the prices vary depending on what you buy - very specialty, delicious and smooth. Great flavour choices. They have bars now but I haven't tried one yet.

Green & Black's tastes better than Lindt, has a higher cacao bean content, and is made from Belizean products (though not in Belize).

Now I'm new to this boarding stuff and maybe this isn't correct protocol but I do have questions about import - bring food stuff to AC. I have been to 8 different islands - St. Kitts, Antigua, Anguilla, Saba, Montserrat, St. Martin and Grand Cayman. I have NEVER had to pay duty on the following types of items - 2 pounds coffee - 2 pounds espresso - crackers - 2 pounds chocolate - cookie mix - 1 liter liquor - lattee syrup - 3 poundss assorted cheeses. So are you telling me that I will have to pay duty on food brought into AC?
Thanks, I think.

I like goss chocolate as well for local

DeeDeeuz - I think the issue isn't just whether you may be charged duty but whether you'll be allowed to bring the goods in at all. They do try to protect Belizean production and businesses, and even imported goods would have earned a retailer some money.

And yes, Goss chocolate is available in SP and is excellent. At any rate, the plain/dark variety is - I'm not so keen on their milk chocolate.