Budget accommodation advice

misterchicago40, no problem - I deleted your previous post.

In reply to your question, it would help to have more details about your plans and requirements - that budget would go a long way in the campo or a non-tourist town, but not so much in the main cities or tourist areas.

a $1000 budget should be eeeazy in DR especially when you put natural gas in ur car, if you use gasoline in DR you're stupid.

500 for apartment, 100-200 maybe for food? what else u need? 200 for entertainment goes a long ****ing way.

My 2 cents. 1000 USD seems low for the Capital or other cities in DR. Aside from rent, consider electricity, water, phone & cable bills. Malikp mentioned propane for your car, but you may also need it for your kitchen stove. This place is not cheap. I would hate for you to underbudget yourself.

misterchicago40 said:

MAN YOU Guys are no help I done need a place for 500??? ALL I need is a sleeping room or small studio and I here that goes for 150 to 200 a POP,, Why would I want a Car or Cable TV in THE DR??? What is this The rich Mans Forum????

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If you just need a place to sleep, check out Hans' Place. As the website says, between 4-10 USD per day. I never stayed, ... I never will.

Aparthotel Pension Serena

Good Luck,
TOOBER

Misterchicago, you are getting informed advice from posters who know the country well but that sort of reaction may discourage people from helping.

You can find something basic at that price - I suggest you take a couple of deep breaths, start a new thread in the Santo Domingo forum providing specific details of your requirements, emphasising that luxuries are not a priority and that you are willing to settle for basic accommodation in any part of the city.

OK?

misterchicago40 said:

MAN YOU Guys are no help I done need a place for 500??? ALL I need is a sleeping room or small studio and I here that goes for 150 to 200 a POP,, Why would I want a Car or Cable TV in THE DR??? What is this The rich Mans Forum????

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so what ya wanna do in the city??
only hanging out out of the house/room??
good idea, but for that in the cities and the whole east coast area you should rebudget, because that is much more expensive than just once a month a 500+bucks for rent.
taking 3-4 little beers on the way from work homewards costs you those above budgeted 200 bucks a month 'entertainment', but there's still no entertainment done.

like Chiri mentioned above,
by your tone you should not expect that anybody cares about a quote/budgeting aso for ya.
if you do not believe what expats post here,
just ask somewhere else.
if you have own real experience here in the country,
just post it.
we are preparing right now(the Mrs prepares, the boys play on the computer, ha ha) a homecooked fishy lunch for me, my Mrs, my 6yrs boy, one of my captains, his wife(my half sis), including a bottle of fake Baileys for the ladies and the cold greenies for us guys that's a easily $150.- sunday afternoon.
not a big party, no fancy champagne or wine, just 2 couples and one kid on a simple sunday noon.
happy weekend
Mike

Misterchicago40, if you have a female friend who can find you this apartment for US$150 why do you need to ask further? If you really want somewhere cheap I can tell you that a room in a barrio rooming house in Puerto Plata costs RD$1200 a month, i.e. US$34. You could probably find places like that in Santo Domingo.

Would I advise it? No.

On second thoughts, having seen some of your responses & your inability to take the Moderator's advice..........yes why not? Give it a try. . It'll be a most educational experience.

misterchicago, I've given you a thread of your own in the Santo Domingo section of the forums, because it was getting steered off topic in the Sticky Thread in the Living Forum which is meant to provide general, as opposed to specific advice.

Hope it helps you find what you're looking for.

MisterChicago:

You post vague questions about finding the cheapest places possible then don't like the answers and snap at the people trying to help.

This isn't Lonely Planet or a back-packer's site. You should have figured out by reading the forums here that probably 99% of the people here don't live the way you are now explaining that you want to live...and don't know about $5 Hotels or $100 apartments...except in the poorest barrios, and I, for one, certainly didn't assume you were looking to live there...

If you know people who know people who can find you apartments, hotels, food, internet cafes for the prices you mention, why do you keep asking here??

Can you live in the Dominican Republic for $900 a month? Obviously, as the salary for the average Dominican who has a job (and more than 20% DON'T) is about one third of that... would the vast majority of people who read and/or post on this board consider living like that, or know the answers for someone who would? Obviously not.

MISTERCHICAGO, 3yrs ago in Santo Dom a friend of mine was keeping his ex-girlfriend in an apartment for 30.00 us a month. I didn't go inside, because I wasn't interested, but it was in a neighborhood where the sweat-house workers boarded the bus to make their !0 dollars a day...........about 2 to 3 hundred females, that didn't mind me taking pictures, unlike Sosua, because they were making an honest day's living and appeared to be happy going to their job.............And I was impressed because I saw what could have been at least 20 of my future ex-wives.............I had an apartment, unfurnished, not far from Sosua, 3 bedrooms, last year for $ 150.00 us, last year.........Dominican families survive off of way less than $ 500.00 US a month, so with your knowledge of spanish and letting them see that you are just as poor as them , might work...............Now, one time when the lights, or electric went out, I actually dreamed that I died 3 times in my sleep, it was so hot with no fan or anything..........I yust go off the phone with one of my Dom friends' that pays 3000 pesos for a room in ( Haba Bacoor ),way, misspelled, but just trying to give you a picture...........Now I would't advise living in the campo, because of traveling conditions, unless you have a car..... The scars I have seen on the legs and bodies of those beautiful women is rediculous, I guess its' the same for the men.....just haven't been looking.........Just have an escape system, in case you get sick.........I got food poisoned there in Sosua, in Sept. and when you are sick, you just don't think straight....... It was a nightmare and thank goodness my buddy , I just got off the phone with, assisted me in getting to the Airport in Puta Cana , to get back to the States. So if you're slightly brave and adventurist, go for it, but I wouldn't advise that for everyone. You don't want to get stuck in a poor country with no money or support system.............

Good Luck,

ESTABAN

So what you are really looking for is people who will be nice to you?

Okay, wait a minute, let me turn my collar around. There, now I'll be nice to you, my son.

There is plenty of advice about the cost of living in SD, Santiago, North Coast, etc. in the archives. If you do a search you will find that much of that information is still appropriate, and the prices current.

There are also classified ads in the local papers. Take a week in a place that you are assured of, such as Hans' place, and spend that week looking for a long-term apartment that fits your needs.

It is difficult for others to interpret what it is you are looking for. Only you can determine if any apartment is suited to your particular ways and means.

You might have to walk the streets for awile to find just the right place, but you seem determined enough where that shouldn't be a problem. The only problem I can foresee is your attitude.

You can't expect people to graciously offer advice, which is based on their own experience, and then angrily dismiss and reject it because it is not what you wanted to hear.

It just doesn't make any sense, my son.