cost of living

I am curious ! If I were an average Dominican, living in the DR, how much money would I need to survive on per month. Let's use the assumption that there is no cost for my housing, I don't own a car. So basically we talking about personal care items and food.

My other question is what happens when you need medical care and don't have enough money to pay for the doctor or medical treatment.

Re: cost of living/Post by Acoiris

That will teach you to ask a simple question. Make sure you porvide this person your date of birt, social security number, batismal record and income tax returns for the last 30 years. What an ignorant answer, no that wasn't an answer but a rude and inconsiderate question

How long is a piece of string? A policemen was expected to provide all the above for himself and his family for about $US 100 per month. That is almost a guarantee of malnutrition. You can assume that groceries and personal care products are priced the same or slightly higher than in the USA.

If you are employed, you usually have medical insurance so that most of the cost of going to a private clinic will be paid by the insurer. If you do not have medical insurance, you go to a public hospital where, after a long wait, one of the attending physicians will often try to steer you to his private clinic. If you are operated on in a public hospital, you will pay for all medication, IVs, and so on. If you have no money at all, the surgery will be free.

Although the cost of medical care in a private clinic is only 10 to 20% of the equivalent treatment in the USA, medical emergencies can place a tremendous burden on poor families. In some cases an attractive, decent daughter has been known to prostitute herself to pay for the treatment. Unfortunately many professional prostitues will invent a sick relative to extract a larger fee for their services.

The sanitary conditions and diet of a poor family almost guarantee a high rate of illness.

I hope the above answers your question.

Re: further revision & figures by Acoiris

I have asked some Dominican friends for estimates on the cost of living for "average Dominicans". The average Dominican, I'm told doesn't live alone, like many young adult Americans do, but shares responsibilities with his family. We used a model of a four member household, whether it is an two adults with senior parents, or two adults with young children. We used a standard of living that would approach the equivalent of a lower-middle class American family of four, the family being able to meet basic necessities satisfactorily - well nourished, attending school and/or work, church goers, average health requirements, standard utilities, wardrobe acceptable to middle class standards, four room average house meeting American minimum housing code standards. The problem with using these standards is that the "average Dominican" can't meet these standards because the cost is estimated at RD$10,000 while the "average Dominican" family has an income of RD$1,000. Since the recent changes in gas, import, and other prices are not stabilized yet, and wages have not increased, the cost of living is changing as we speak.

Re: further revision & figures by Acoiris

ISW the RD10,000 a monthly or weekly income?

Tom

Re: further revision & figures by Acoiris

thanks. all the figures are estimates per month.

Re: further revision & figures by Acoiris

Acoiris

This means two person could live quite "comfortable" in the DR on $1600.00USD per month? I would think that would be able to include a decent used car etc

Thanks

Tom

Re: further revision & figures by Acoiris

US$16,000 per month would seem to provide a decent living for two in the DR if they own their house. How they would earn that much while living there would be the problem.

Re: further revision & figures by Acoiris

Speaking in terms which reflect the original question. ( how much would the average dominican be required to make, per month......) Are you speaking in terms of dollars or pesos ??

Re: further revision & figures by Acoiris

Do you mean own their house with no mortagae, or an apratment with no monthly rent? I'm confused on this, basic shelter is usually the prime item in cost of living charts

Thanks,'

BTW, there would be a steady invcome from US TReasury bonds

Tom

Re: clarification

the original post does not state why there is absence of payments for the housing itself, but whatever the reason; whether it is owned free and clear, or whether the person is living in someone else's house without rent, there would still be the cost of maintenance. I agree with you that normally housing would be a major expense, and that the poster may have overlooked that, but the poster has eliminated that cost for whatever reason. re: pesos or dollars - US$ means US dollars, and DR$ means Dominican pesos. We used a ration of between 15.5 pesos and 16 pesos to 1 dollar, though the market is changing. DR$1,000 would equal about US$65. DR$10,000 = US$650. US$16,000 = DR$252,000

Re: clarification

hile we are on this track, what type of lifestyle would you expect for $1600.00 per month, VCould you afford a amall house or apartment (rental of a house), a used car and a plant at the two bedroom house?

Thanks

Tom

I agree and am sorry this got detached from the other part of the string.

Let's say I'm trying to help someone in the DR, and I let them stay in my house,rent free. They still need money for food, personal care items. No children. In public school every day. Can't find a decent job due to lack of education. For that matter, from what I have seen, doesn't seem to pay enough to even bother with, or your "boss" expects some sort of "pay-off" for even giving you a job in the first place.

My question is, on a monthly basis what would be a reasonable contribution to send someone to try to help them help themselves by finishing their education.

I would say under those circumstances around $US 200 per month would be reasonable. Unfortunately my experience in similar situations has been that the money was be spent as soon as received. Suggest that you send it weekly or have someone pay it daily if possible.

A. Nony

Nony, thanks very much for the information. Sounds like we both may have been down the same road, at one time or another.

Do you have any idea as to how much an small apartment would be for a single woman, in a reletively safe location, near Sosua, (I know that's a conflict in terms).

It may be more helpful for me to rent my home and get her an apartment. But I need some figures to go on.

Any thoughts there ?

I don't know about Sosua specifically, but a room in a barrio which is just big enough to hold your bed starts at RD 500 per month. RD 1000 per month gets you more room. Personal safety is not an issue except for some barrios in larger cities.

Charamicos has become less of a Dominican barrio since it has caught a lot of the foreigner overflow from El Batey so prices may be distorted there. The big expense in setting someone up on their own in low rent housing will be the outlay for furniture, stove, etc.

Be carefull with your home if you intend to leave it in someone else's hands. Unattened homes are often looted and vandalized. If you plan to have a local living in your home, make sure that it doesn't become the new home for lots of relatives in the "Mi casa es su casa" tradition. Think it over. Better safe than sorry.

Good luck.

I am also interested in helping with education, and don't know too much abaout the system or costs there. Can we start a thread on how much the government does at various levels, and how much each family is responsible for up until high school; and then for vocational or college education how much are the tuitions? I would rather pay whoever I have to pay directly. One of my own kids spent the money on a computer and got on the internet instead of paying his tuition. I know that even for 1st grade there is a cost to enroll, and one has to buy uniforms, and other school supplies. Do the schools themselves in poor areas have what they need to provide a good basic education? This is a little separate than the living costs, although both are important. Be careful with any young adults in any country living on their own unsupervised!