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The Belize Dollar is fixed at 2:1 to the US dollar, and your US cash works everywhere: money in Belize is refreshingly simple
Belize uses the Belize Dollar (BZD), fixed by law at two Belize dollars to one US dollar. The peg has not moved since 1976, and the Central Bank marked fifty years of it in May 2026. US cash is accepted almost everywhere, cards work in the main tourist hubs, and ATMs cover the towns in between. Bring small US bills, confirm which currency a price is quoted in, and you're set.
Reviewed by RowanLast reviewed August 5, 2026
Exchange rate, US dollars, cards, ATMs, and tipping: the practical money answers for a Belize trip.
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Money in Belize
Currency
Symbol BZ$, ISO code BZD, issued by the Central Bank of Belize
Exchange rate
Fixed by law since 1976, so no rate-watching needed
US dollars
Expect change in Belize dollars
Cards & ATMs
Cards in tourist areas; carry cash for villages and taxis
BZD to USD, in practice
Because the rate is fixed at 2:1, converting in your head is instant: halve any Belize dollar price to get US dollars. A few typical price points on the tourist trail show how it works.
BZ$1
= US$0.50
BZ$2
= US$1
BZ$5
= US$2.50
BZ$10
= US$5
BZ$20
= US$10
BZ$50
= US$25
BZ$100
= US$50
BZ$200
= US$100
| Example | Belize Dollars | US Dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Street tacos or a panades snack | BZ$5 | US$2.50 |
| Local beer at a beach bar | BZ$6 | US$3 |
| Casual lunch | BZ$20 | US$10 |
| Water taxi to Caye Caulker (one way) | BZ$40-60 | US$20-30 |
| Dinner for two, mid-range restaurant | BZ$120 | US$60 |
| Snorkel tour, half day | BZ$140-200 | US$70-100 |
Prices are typical ranges for planning, not quotes. The 2:1 conversion is the part that never changes.
Money in Belize
Belize's banknotes changed in August 2025, and most guides have not caught up. The new series from the Central Bank of Belize replaced Queen Elizabeth II's portrait with two national heroes: Philip Goldson on the $2, $10, and $50, and George Cadle Price on the $5, $20, and $100. The older Queen Elizabeth notes remain legal tender while they are phased out, so both designs spend normally. These are the current notes:
Coins come in 1, 5, 10, 25, and 50 cents plus a $1 coin, and locals often call the 25-cent piece a shilling. A redesigned National Symbols coin series is expected to enter circulation in September 2026, with existing coins staying valid.
Banknote images are specimen notes from the Central Bank of Belize.
The practical part
Belize has exactly four licensed domestic banks: Atlantic Bank, The Belize Bank, Heritage Bank, and the National Bank of Belize (Scotiabank sold its Belize operations in 2021). Belize Bank and Atlantic Bank ATMs are the reliable bets for foreign cards, and machines dispense Belize dollars.
Expect a local operator fee on top of whatever your own bank charges, and per-withdrawal limits commonly in the BZ$500 to BZ$800 range. Tell your bank you are traveling before you fly.
US dollars are accepted nearly everywhere, and change usually comes back in Belize dollars. Bring small, clean bills: banks refuse torn or marked US notes, and US$50 and US$100 bills are hard to break outside the tourist hubs.
Hotels and tours usually quote prices in US dollars while shops and restaurants quote Belize dollars, so the one question always worth asking is which currency you are looking at.
Cards work well in San Pedro, Caye Caulker, Placencia, and San Ignacio, but a 2 to 5 percent card surcharge is common, and villages, buses, and small taxis run on cash.
On bills, the 12.5 percent GST is generally already in the shelf price, while hotels add the 9 percent accommodation tax to the room rate. Keep a day of cash on you and the money side of Belize stays easy.
Plan the budget
Belize uses the Belize Dollar (BZD), issued by the Central Bank of Belize in $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 notes. Since August 2025 the banknotes carry national heroes George Cadle Price and Philip Goldson instead of Queen Elizabeth II. US dollars are also accepted almost everywhere in the country.
The Belize Dollar's ISO code is BZD and it is written BZ$ to distinguish it from US$. Both currencies use a plain dollar sign in everyday life, which is why the one money question worth asking in Belize is whether a quoted price is in Belize or US dollars.
Yes. The Central Bank of Belize introduced the new national-heroes banknote series on August 4, 2025, and the older Queen Elizabeth II notes remain legal tender while they are gradually withdrawn through bank deposits. Both versions spend normally, so do not worry about which design your change arrives in.
The Belize Dollar is fixed at two Belize dollars to one US dollar. Because the rate is pegged by law, it does not fluctuate: a BZ$10 lunch always costs US$5.
Yes. US dollars are accepted at virtually every hotel, restaurant, tour operator, and shop in Belize. Just expect to receive change in Belize dollars, and confirm which currency a quoted price is in (menus in tourist areas sometimes list USD).
No. There is no need to exchange currency before you arrive. Bring US dollars in smaller bills for taxis, tips, and village stops, and withdraw Belize dollars from local ATMs if you need them.
Credit cards are widely accepted at hotels, resorts, dive shops, and restaurants in tourist areas like San Pedro, Caye Caulker, and Placencia. Smaller vendors, local buses, and village stops are cash-only, and some businesses add a card surcharge, so carry some cash every day.
Yes. ATMs are available in Belize City, San Pedro, Caye Caulker, San Ignacio, Placencia, and other towns. They dispense Belize dollars. Tell your bank you are traveling, and note that foreign-transaction and withdrawal fees vary by card.
A tip of 10 to 15 percent is customary at restaurants if a service charge is not already included. For guides on reef and cave tours, US$5-20 per person per day is a common range depending on the trip.
Banks are the authorized channel: Belize's four licensed domestic banks are Atlantic Bank, The Belize Bank, Heritage Bank, and the National Bank of Belize. In practice most visitors never exchange at all, because US dollars are accepted nearly everywhere at the fixed 2:1 rate. Skip informal street changers at the land borders.
Either works, and at the fixed 2:1 rate you lose nothing either way. Bring small, clean US bills: banks refuse torn or marked US notes, and US$50 and US$100 bills can be hard to break outside the tourist hubs. Expect change in Belize dollars, and always confirm which currency a price was quoted in.
Use the fixed 2:1 rate to plan daily costs for food, stays, tours, and transfers with no exchange-rate surprises.