Moving to sosua and cost of living in el batey sosua

pucca

New member
Mar 30, 2010
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Hey you must have seen my last post im moving with my husband and 1yo kid
i think it was best to start another post, besides information on day care prices
locations quality i?d also like to know about prices on things, im dominican
and i dont have problems with consuming local food, (im describing my style of living
so you can help me better) me and my husband also smoke ciggs and drink sometimes,
we?re not much of party people but we do go out sometimes plus with the baby
is pretty difficult.

so electric bills?
water bills?
cable?
cellphone signal for claro and orange?
food?
transportation?(oh yeah transportation i santiago people get around
in conchos, how is it in sosua? any routes?motoconchos?)
day cares close from el batey?quality of service?rates?
job offers?(im a certified teacher, i?ve worked with callcenters, pet store, and with costumer service)

anything else i must know please! let me know ^^
 

NYC_Trini_Span

New member
Sep 9, 2005
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Well my info may help but I haven't lived there in a while (i do speak to my old neighbors frequently). I moved to Sosua for 30 days to learn more spanish and ended up staying 2005-2008. I built a small biz teaching ESL and then Spanish once I spoke it well. I say that to let you know I wasn't rich nor did I go with ANY type of savings. Just enough to pay about 1-3 months rent at around $300 USD in el batey for a 1 bedroom with phone line internet (fairly fast for avg use) hot water and generator. Was able to lower that to 260 by doing a lot of my own repairs and bargaining. MY 2nd place cost half that for half the size. Some places charge around 450 per month or so, for a duplex apt. Once you are actually IN Sosua it's easier to network and find out what's available.

My electric used to be around 1,500 or more (maybe $50+ usd) in my 2nd place. In the first it was "included".

Cell bill was always prepaid cards. I would buy a 500 peso card (15-18$$) and it could last me M-F, esp since incoming is always free. Heck even when the minutes run out you get incoming free. So I wold call and after a minute say call me back lol. But also late night rate in 2007-2008 were like .08 cent per min after 9pm (think DR version of free nights and weekends) so you could talk for like 12 min and just add up to 1 peso, or rather 96 cents of a peso. Not sure whats the big thing now phone-wise
Signal was good in el batey, bad in Maranatha going towards Sosua Abajo etc
Some "spot" are bad but that happens here in the USA.

I maybe spent 4,000-12,000 pesos for food and thats a mix of grocery AND going out to eat. a good plate at local rates can be 150-300 pesos. In the supermercado "Playero" (you will know it trust me lololol) you can get anything you can get up here, and will pay more for foreign brands. I like local. Only a few things like Quaker Hot Cereal etc but even that has its equivalents.

Unless its more now, 1000 pesos is generall floating around $35-37 dollars for a quick mental conversion. Thats $150-400 give or take in food USD. And beer! 3 for 100 peso specials or go to the BJ in Santiago and stock up! then get some McDonalds with a beer as the sell it in there too lol

DEFINITELY lots of Motoconchos, or you could walk since el batey is fairly small. I rented a pasola for about 100 USD a month and gas was incredible with it. very eco. I also rented cars and jeeps quite frequently for various rate but an *avg is like 1500 pesos a day.

They have some day cares, yes. Local people and International ones as well.

I taught on my own and had great success for a while- inbox me if you want more info on that - but also they have language schools if you teach spanish or english, and also international schools k-12, also local DR schools.Wages can be anywhere form low 5000 pesos to 16k pesos. Depends.

I liked working on my own and not having a cap on salary or time but the stable school money is also less stressful.

I'm currently looking into how i can get back - we all may be vecinos lol

ciao
 

NYC_Trini_Span

New member
Sep 9, 2005
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Let me add that some call centers have been moving to the DR so that is an opp for you as well as inquiring with the hotels and bars/restaurants. It's about what you want to do and willing to do at the same time.

Going out is a mix of where you want to dance, what music, and of course which spots are choc full of puta or not. To be honest its not as bad as you would think, if you have been in Santiago you already know what I mean. Around but avoidable. But when the town is hurting that element increases, as well as around holidays.

Some dance spots and clubs up the road in other towns are available, as well as in the resorts. I like the concerts at the carwashes, you can see big names like Anthony Santos or Raulin for very little chele

Espero que todo eso te ayude
 

yanandu

Banned
Jan 23, 2011
472
9
0
electric could be 300 / month without fridge. buy food daily or use coolbox with ice at 50 pesos for 3 days.
so electric bills?
water should be low 100 pesos week max but have some water bottle
water bills?
cable should be 500/ month
cable?
100 pesos call card will last a month.
cellphone signal for claro and orange?
food should be under 100 pesos a day.
Home brew reduces cost. Also use pipe tobacco for cigs.

food?
 
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yanandu

Banned
Jan 23, 2011
472
9
0
10 watt LED light bulb 7 hours a day. 2.1kwh month

TV 14" 50 watts LEDLCD TV 4 hours a day. 6.0 kwh

Ice machine for 2 hours / day 6.0 kwh

Rice cooker 10 operations 4.0 kwh

Chargers/laptop 5.0 kwH

Total 23 kw h at 12 pesos

300 pesos.

Yanandu
 

johnny

Bronze
Feb 8, 2003
907
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hausenland.com
you must be living in the 19th century,
Who the hell has a 14in tv in these days. not even the poorest dominican.
100 pesos a month for phone card? you must be using the phone as a beeper.
less than 100 pesos for food. where do you eat and what do you eat?
 

yanandu

Banned
Jan 23, 2011
472
9
0
Many people have 14 inch TV's......
Many Dominicans.
Text messages are fine for most things.

You can cook 2 good meals a day for well under 100 pesos.

e.g. for main meal rice, 2 veg, portion beans pork chop or chicken, banana etc.

for 2nd. meal porridge, milk, sugar, egg, rice, salad.

coffee or green tea.

home made root or ginger beer.

Snack - fried sweet potatoes.

Yanandu
 
May 29, 2006
10,265
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Yes and for laundry, simply go out back and beat your wet clothes against a rock. A diet of mostly yucca, plantains, dried beans and rice will also help your money go farther.
 
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yanandu

Banned
Jan 23, 2011
472
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lightweight clothes - mainly one or two automatic loads a week. Not much electricity.

your diet could be done on a dollar a day or just over.

most people don't have to go to extremes.

Yanandu
 

johnny

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Feb 8, 2003
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hausenland.com
lightweight clothes - mainly one or two automatic loads a week. Not much electricity.

your diet could be done on a dollar a day or just over.

most people don't have to go to extremes.

Yanandu

You are the one going to extremes
1 dollar a day, nobody here in the DR.
The op is looking for the right information, and in my opinion you are misinforming.
I do not thing they want to move from the first world to live as a homeless here.
The basic family basket in the Dominican Republic according to info from the Central Bank, Dec 2010 is 23,398.58 pesos. or 624USD. this is for a poor dominican family of 5.
Right now is a little more expensive since the oil is going up in last months.
 

mountainannie

Platinum
Dec 11, 2003
16,350
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You are the one going to extremes
1 dollar a day, nobody here in the DR.
The op is looking for the right information, and in my opinion you are misinforming.
I do not thing they want to move from the first world to live as a homeless here.
The basic family basket in the Dominican Republic according to info from the Central Bank, Dec 2010 is 23,398.58 pesos. or 624USD. this is for a poor dominican family of 5.
Right now is a little more expensive since the oil is going up in last months.

Johnny, you are talking to a wall. Yanandu is a committed back to earther.. He has a bizarre lifestyle, and ... thinks that we should all follow..

Many of us piled on him in another thread but it only stokes him him.. He thinks at $1500 a month we should be in villas, with chauffers and money left over for cruises!

but you are right to point out that he is an extremist...for the benefit on the OP

Most folks on the Board here agree that the cost of living for a decent middle class life is around $1500 per person, per month.
 

yanandu

Banned
Jan 23, 2011
472
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I have visited people on smallholdings in the DR of 1-2 hectare living on about 1 dollar per day.
It's not a life I would wish on anyone.
Also there are people I have met find some coconuts and a few wild greens; also go fishing each day.
Some people are happy with 90 sq. ft. of housing - all thats affordable for many in Manhatten.
[Video] Women Pays $700 A Month In NYC For 90 SQ Ft Apartment | Necole Bitchie.com
Others need 9,000 sq. ft.
Some people need massive air conditioning.

All food is very cheap in the DR compared with US. Utilities can be low with energy saving appliances.
Condo charges tend to be low.
Standard drinks e.g. beer are cheaper than the US in bars and coffee also.

Air fares to Florida and Europe are good if you can choose when you go. From $200 round trip.

Clothes, perfume etc. can be expensive.

My lifestyle is not bizarre - it's just very difficult to spend money in the DR.
A bag of greengrocery that might cost 10 dollars in the UK is only 3 dollars in the DR.

Some people go on 2/3 cruises a year on a limited budget.

Yanandu.
 
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jrhartley

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Sep 10, 2008
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A bag of greengrocery that might cost 10 dollars in the UK is only 3 dollars in the DR.

what might that be - mangos and pineapples would be cheaper, but thats about it
 

Olly

Bronze
Mar 12, 2007
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Yanandu or should that be Xanadu !
Have you woken from your dream yet !!!

Olly
 

Eddy

Silver
Jan 1, 2002
3,668
219
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electric could be 300 / month without fridge. buy food daily or use coolbox with ice at 50 pesos for 3 days.
so electric bills?
water should be low 100 pesos week max but have some water bottle
water bills?
cable should be 500/ month
cable?
100 pesos call card will last a month.
cellphone signal for claro and orange?
food should be under 100 pesos a day.
Home brew reduces cost. Also use pipe tobacco for cigs.

food?

That's about what it cost in 1985. Oh the good old days
 

yanandu

Banned
Jan 23, 2011
472
9
0
what might that be - mangos and pineapples would be cheaper, but thats about it
You can check easily enough.

Single beef tomato 0.65 pounds 40 pesos equivalent.

Green pepper 0.80 pounds 50 pesos equivalent.

Banana 0.14 pounds each 9 pesos equivalent

Curly leaf lettuce 50 pesos equivalent.

Carrot .74 pounds kg 44 pesos equivalent.

Red onions .97 pounds kg 60 pesos equivalent.

Root ginger 4.78 pounds kg 286 pesos equivalent.

Aubaugine 1.00 pounds each 60 pesos equivalent.

Brocoli loose 1.97 pounds / kg 120 pesos equivalent

Fine beans 500 pesos kg equivalent.

Sainsbury's online groceries


Many of these items are much less in the DR.

Yanandu
 

Eddy

Silver
Jan 1, 2002
3,668
219
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Johnny, you are talking to a wall. Yanandu is a committed back to earther.. He has a bizarre lifestyle, and ... thinks that we should all follow..

Many of us piled on him in another thread but it only stokes him him.. He thinks at $1500 a month we should be in villas, with chauffers and money left over for cruises!

but you are right to point out that he is an extremist...for the benefit on the OP

Most folks on the Board here agree that the cost of living for a decent middle class life is around $1500 per person, per month.
That's closer to reality.
 

MrsTatis

New member
Apr 8, 2011
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Hi I am looking to move to the DR because my fianc? can't get a visa here to the UK although I am from the Caribbean...HELP!
 

jrhartley

Gold
Sep 10, 2008
8,190
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people dont buy veg in sainsburys unless they have a lot of money so not a fair comparison.... wow 65 pence for one tomato lol

like comparing la sirena to the back of a wheel barrow