- Thread starter Robert
- Start date
Living Costs in the Dominican Republic
it all depends on what your actual life style is , but 5k a month is more than enough for the things you mentioned.
My basic monthly expenses for my must haves are (in US dollars)
House ins. 80
Pers ins 120
Car ins 50
Food 400
Gas 10
Elec 70
Water 35
Gas for my car 150
Pool maint 100
Pool cleaner 80
Gardener 40
General house maint 200 average
association fees none
For my basics about 1400
Then i put my fun money on top 800 a mth
So pretty much for 25k a year i can live at a middle class level
House ins. 80
Pers ins 120
Car ins 50
Food 400
Gas 10
Elec 70
Water 35
Gas for my car 150
Pool maint 100
Pool cleaner 80
Gardener 40
General house maint 200 average
association fees none
For my basics about 1400
Then i put my fun money on top 800 a mth
So pretty much for 25k a year i can live at a middle class level
I have visited Dominican Republic twice and I stayed for about 6 months on a research trip. It is not as easy as some make it sound here. The cost of living is pretty high. If you look up data from google and rely on it, you will be stranded before the end of your stay.
Met a couple of guys who could not live on $2000 a month here, but liked wymmen and rum quite a lot. Don't know what Google says about it, but if you have $2000 a month it will carry a couple quite well.
You’ve obviously never imported a car to DR. We paid more than that just for the first license plates (plus the shipping and the aduana cost, and we had a very substantial one-time discount for returning Dominican).
Every Saturday my wife and I go veggie and fruit shopping at a local stand. Price per week for all cost between 700-1300 pesos and that feeds four adults and the maid. Chicken costs another 300-500 per week, We aren't too big on restaurants or eating pork and beef so thats it. This time of year we can buy three pineapples for 100 pesos, so it is pretty cheap to be a vegetarian here if you like Dominican veggies. My wife gives her mother 10,000 pesos a month to buy food supplies and she manages to get cooking gas....etc out of that without problems, so added up a generous figure would be around 20,000 pesos per month for food. We don't pay rent as we own and do our own maintenance. Water is 650 pesos a month, electricity is around 1600 pesos per month. We have both hot water and a/c. My biggest month expense is gas for my Santa Fe and that is only about 8000 max a month.
$2000 a month should be more than enough if you are there for serious stuff. But if you go on vacation, you need more to enjoy the tourist centers. If you like women, you will spend even more.
I would love to know how people have AC and hot water and pay RD$1600 a month for Luz. Unless they also have solar panels or are on one of those old meters with a fixed tariff.
Got a cleaning lady who comes Tues and Fridays. She is puilling off her clothes as she walks in the door. I like women. 800 pesos a time I pay her for cleaning, other activities are free as they should be. Been here since January this time, gonna stay for my funeral I believe.
Derfish
I have asked the landlady to see the bill, but she says "We decided on 800 pesos for la luz, right?" So I give her the 800 pesos monthly. That is $16.00 not pesos at 1600. It hasn't been that hot this year as yet, not really. I keep it on for 2 maybe 3 hours and then flick it off.
Derfish
Albondigos go into the soup quite often, 3 eggs for breakfast every morning. Lots of burgers and fries as well as fish out at Martina's twice a week at 440 pesos. Love it here.