Market Comparison

Belize vs. the alternatives

How does Belize stack up for resort acquisition compared to Costa Rica, Turks & Caicos, the Dominican Republic, and Thailand? A direct comparison for international hospitality buyers.

Key criteria at a glance

Criteria	🇧🇿 Belize	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	🇹🇨 Turks & Caicos	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	🇹🇭 Thailand
Full foreign ownership	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
No capital gains tax	Yes	No	No	No	No
Overwater structures permitted	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
Reef / clear water access	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
US flight time	2–3 hrs from Houston/Miami	3–5 hrs from US hubs	3–4 hrs from US East Coast	3–4 hrs from East Coast	18–22 hrs from US
Entry price	$400K (cabana) / $2.1M (full resort)	$800K–$3M for comparable properties	$3M–$10M for comparable hospitality assets	$500K–$5M depending on location	Leasehold from $500K (not freehold)

Why buyers choose Belize

🇧🇿

BelizeLina Point is here

Advantages

No capital gains tax, no inheritance tax
English-speaking — common law legal system
No foreign ownership restrictions
2nd-largest reef in the world
Overwater structures permitted (rare in Caribbean)
USD economy — no currency risk
Direct US flights from major hubs

Considerations

Smaller tourism market than DR or Mexico
Infrastructure less developed than Turks & Caicos
Fewer brand-flag hotel operators

🇨🇷

Costa Rica

Advantages

Established eco-tourism market
Strong brand recognition
Good road / infrastructure network

Considerations

Capital gains tax (15%) since 2019
Corporate ownership required for foreign buyers
No barrier reef — no overwater product
Higher labor costs than Belize
Saturated boutique hotel market

🇹🇨

Turks & Caicos

Advantages

Excellent high-end market / strong ADR
British overseas territory — stable title
Pristine beaches and water

Considerations

Extremely high entry prices ($3M+ for boutique)
Stamp duty 10–12.5% on purchase
Limited affordable land remaining
No income tax BUT 10% stamp duty erodes ROI

🇩🇴

Dominican Republic

Advantages

Massive tourism market (#1 Caribbean destination)
Low labor costs
Tourism incentives available

Considerations

Title issues common — due diligence heavy
Spanish language legal system
Infrastructure inconsistent outside resorts
Currency exposure (Dominican Peso)
Security concerns in some areas

🇹🇭

Thailand

Advantages

Iconic overwater product (Maldives-style demand)
Low labor and operating costs
Strong international tourism

Considerations

Foreigners cannot own land directly
Leasehold max 30 years (not freehold)
12–20 hour flight from US
Regulatory and political risk
Currency exposure (THB)

Lina Point is the only turnkey overwater resort for sale in Belize

Freehold title, clean IBC structure, no capital gains tax, and English-speaking legal system — with an operating hotel, restaurant, and overwater cabanas already producing revenue.

View the Full Offering →

Criteria

🇧🇿 Belize

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

🇹🇨 Turks & Caicos

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

🇹🇭 Thailand

Full foreign ownership

Yes

No capital gains tax

Yes

Overwater structures permitted

Yes

Reef / clear water access

Yes

US flight time

2–3 hrs from Houston/Miami

3–5 hrs from US hubs

3–4 hrs from US East Coast

3–4 hrs from East Coast

18–22 hrs from US

Entry price

$400K (cabana) / $2.1M (full resort)

$800K–$3M for comparable properties

$3M–$10M for comparable hospitality assets

$500K–$5M depending on location

Leasehold from $500K (not freehold)