Steph,
If I understand, correctly. You've made one vacation trip to the Puerto Plata area (please correct me if that's wrong).
What exactly does living like 'a local' mean to you?
I live pretty well, but would love to live like some locals I know - but I don't have deep enough pockets to afford fully staffed homes in the city, mountains, beach, and countryside. I don't have the wealth that comes from a long line of family money or businesses. I can't afford monthly shopping trips to New York or Miami, or sending the kids off to private camps in the U.S. or Europe so they learn another language. Living like a local may not be living like a King or Queen, but it could be likened to being a prince or princess.
I live pretty well, but could tolerate to live like some locals I know. I can work 40+ hour weeks like they do, meet a monthly budget and get by driving a 7 year old car places like they do, eating out a few times a month, keeping the kids in decent clothing and knowing that I can get decent health care. I can be happy with air conditioning in the bedrooms only, and on the nights there's no electricity from the power company, at least I would have an inversor (battery power) to run the lights and the fans. Yeah, I have to take a quick showers because the hot water heater doesn't have much capacity. And, I try not to keep the refrigerator too stocked, because if the power is off for a day, all the perishables are ruined. But, life is okay. The neighborhood is reasonably secure and the neighbors only keep me up with loud music on weekends. I'm happy and maybe I could get a few days with the family at an all-inclusive resort this year. Living like a local can be a reasonable middle class experience.
I live pretty well, and would hate to live like some locals I know - unable to sleep at night due to heat, barking dogs, and gunshots nearby and in the distance. Not having electricity to run a fan, having asthma problems due to a dusty environment and unable to close the windows. Transportation? Yeah, I can take public transport for a few pesos a day - but it's a real pain when it's raining or on the hottest of days when people sweat and stink. Vulnerable to crime and having a cell phone they saved 3 months for stolen at gunpoint, health issues for which one can't afford treatment or only treatment at a 'public hospital' that looks like the leftovers from a 1960's vietnam mash unit. Feeling like one can't have a girlfriend because you can't afford to buy her dinner - much less afford kids or even move out of your parent's house. Work? Yes, having a degree from UASD, one can have a good job making maybe 20000 pesos a month (US$500). But is there a bright future? Not really. Living like a local can be hell.
The above are just some locals. There are those better off and worse off than mentioned above. The entire socio-economic scale is covered.
Do you realize that most Dominicans strive to have the "Americanized crap"? Well, that's not true. Some live their entire lives not striving for that because it is simply never within their grasp due to where they were born and their station in life.
Yes, I take some offense at you wanting to 'live like the locals' because I wonder if you have any idea what that really means. More likely, you want to live your 'vision' of what local life is. Unless I'm wrong, you have a lot more learning to do before your vision clears.
Don't get me wrong, it's doable. There are those on here that live a basic existence as you describe. But for the most part it is a major struggle with some small victories and great experiences along the way. Quite a few have some horrible experiences as well. Just temper your vision of life in DR with some realization it won't be quite like anything you envision. You'll be better prepared to handle the problems that come your way, and more likely to succeed and be happy.