Hi everybody! I stayed in Puerto Plata for about 5 weeks but unfortunately had to come back to the states sooner than expected. I did have the good fortune of meeting a lot of nice people at the Thanksgiving party though! If i get a chance i will write more about my little adventure. For now, for those interested in coming and getting an idea of food costs (perhaps others have already posted prices recently too, oh well), here's a list of prices for groceries from the reciepts i saved while in Puerto Plata. These are from a couple weeks ago so any deflation considering the devaluated dollar might not be reflected, but they should be close, within a few pesos.
These were Supermarket, not Colmado, prices in Puerto Plata:
1 large crisol frying oil: 83.00
2 litre of Pepsi or Coke :31-35.00
La Garza 10lbs. Rice: 118.00
small bottle of Vinagre: 10.00
tiny bottle of Figaro Olive Oil: 75.00
4 pack Presidentes (grande): 138.00
Dominican Capers: 22.00
Dominican olives 18.00
2 lbs. dried red habichuelas :40.00
black habichuelas: 35.00
canned beans: 12-14.00
canned guandules: 20.00
hot dogs : 55.00
HD rolls: 27.00
1lb. Queso Blanco :50.00
Packs of Dominican Pasta (good and much cheaper than imported): 20.00 for shapes, little cheaper for spaghetti.
Can of la famosa peeled tomatoes: 63.00
small Hellmans mayo: 33.00
Domino 4 pack toilet paper :33.00
napkins 30.00
Recao with Cilantro n thyme :12.00
Basil: 12.00
Green Plantains (each) 3.00
Sweet Plantains (each): 3.5
lettuce:12.00
garlic: 27.00
pack of cubanela peppers :33.00
pack of 3 med. eggplants :20.00
Salad tomatoes 1.5 lbs. :38.00
bag of oranges:25.00
bag o limes:17.00
1 litre box of Santal tropical fruit juice 32.00
can of tuna: 24.00
Chicken Wings 1lb. :30-35.00
I think whole chickens were going for around 85-100 pesos
fresh chorizo 2 pack: 52.00
small bag of red onions :34.00
Giant container of water 22.00 if you already have the container
plus 100.00 if its the first time you get it.
1 Very large avocado: 10.00
fresh coconut: 7-10.00 or free of course if youre willing to climb up the tree bare foot and potentially injure your foot (thanks for the Medicine JuanLopez, foot has healed up nicely). If so, watch out for the Clavos!
street vendor:
fresh squeezed cup of OJ or Sugar Cane: 10.00
Chimichurri (hamburger):25.00
Presidente grandes at most bars or drinking holes cost me from 30-35.00 40 at the "high end"
Phone calls to the US at the Codetel calling booths are 7 pesos a minute. If its your first visit and you dont know how things work, don't make the mistake of buying a calling card first, just use the phonebooths at the Codetell calling centers and then pay for the time used afterwards.
Nice Hotel at Puerto Plata (Puerto Plata Hotel) 600.00 pesos a night, another nice one, the Lomar, both on the Malecon, i believe was around 350-400 a night.
A very Basic, 2 small bedroom apartment, "furnished" with bath, TV, Stove and fridge was 5000 a month, including electric, which believe it or not was a "rip off" (if your really living like a local). It did not have an invertor or generator, and at the time, running water was pretty infrequent so i guess no cistern either. Realistically i think I should have paid about 3-3500, but there was a "finders fee" that i later found out about (it didn't go to anybody in here). There was a Nice larger 2 bedroom apartment, furnished, above me that the guy was asking 5500 a month for but could probably have been gotten for 4500-5000. Again, no invertor or cistern though. The neighborhood wasn't very noisy, though not "fancy" either and was close to everything. If anybody wants the name and number of the Landlord let me know.
Hope this was of some help for any interested. And thank you to everyone who helped ME with all the valuable info on DR1! Hope to be back soon!
These were Supermarket, not Colmado, prices in Puerto Plata:
1 large crisol frying oil: 83.00
2 litre of Pepsi or Coke :31-35.00
La Garza 10lbs. Rice: 118.00
small bottle of Vinagre: 10.00
tiny bottle of Figaro Olive Oil: 75.00
4 pack Presidentes (grande): 138.00
Dominican Capers: 22.00
Dominican olives 18.00
2 lbs. dried red habichuelas :40.00
black habichuelas: 35.00
canned beans: 12-14.00
canned guandules: 20.00
hot dogs : 55.00
HD rolls: 27.00
1lb. Queso Blanco :50.00
Packs of Dominican Pasta (good and much cheaper than imported): 20.00 for shapes, little cheaper for spaghetti.
Can of la famosa peeled tomatoes: 63.00
small Hellmans mayo: 33.00
Domino 4 pack toilet paper :33.00
napkins 30.00
Recao with Cilantro n thyme :12.00
Basil: 12.00
Green Plantains (each) 3.00
Sweet Plantains (each): 3.5
lettuce:12.00
garlic: 27.00
pack of cubanela peppers :33.00
pack of 3 med. eggplants :20.00
Salad tomatoes 1.5 lbs. :38.00
bag of oranges:25.00
bag o limes:17.00
1 litre box of Santal tropical fruit juice 32.00
can of tuna: 24.00
Chicken Wings 1lb. :30-35.00
I think whole chickens were going for around 85-100 pesos
fresh chorizo 2 pack: 52.00
small bag of red onions :34.00
Giant container of water 22.00 if you already have the container
plus 100.00 if its the first time you get it.
1 Very large avocado: 10.00
fresh coconut: 7-10.00 or free of course if youre willing to climb up the tree bare foot and potentially injure your foot (thanks for the Medicine JuanLopez, foot has healed up nicely). If so, watch out for the Clavos!
street vendor:
fresh squeezed cup of OJ or Sugar Cane: 10.00
Chimichurri (hamburger):25.00
Presidente grandes at most bars or drinking holes cost me from 30-35.00 40 at the "high end"
Phone calls to the US at the Codetel calling booths are 7 pesos a minute. If its your first visit and you dont know how things work, don't make the mistake of buying a calling card first, just use the phonebooths at the Codetell calling centers and then pay for the time used afterwards.
Nice Hotel at Puerto Plata (Puerto Plata Hotel) 600.00 pesos a night, another nice one, the Lomar, both on the Malecon, i believe was around 350-400 a night.
A very Basic, 2 small bedroom apartment, "furnished" with bath, TV, Stove and fridge was 5000 a month, including electric, which believe it or not was a "rip off" (if your really living like a local). It did not have an invertor or generator, and at the time, running water was pretty infrequent so i guess no cistern either. Realistically i think I should have paid about 3-3500, but there was a "finders fee" that i later found out about (it didn't go to anybody in here). There was a Nice larger 2 bedroom apartment, furnished, above me that the guy was asking 5500 a month for but could probably have been gotten for 4500-5000. Again, no invertor or cistern though. The neighborhood wasn't very noisy, though not "fancy" either and was close to everything. If anybody wants the name and number of the Landlord let me know.
Hope this was of some help for any interested. And thank you to everyone who helped ME with all the valuable info on DR1! Hope to be back soon!