- Thread starter kimbjorkland
- Start date
Santo Domingo is EXPENSIVE - Living Expenses for Past 3 months
Nice to see a touch of "reality" from those of us who want to live what we consider a normal lifestyle here in the DR!
I am right about $4,500 US a month here in SD.We bought our home 13 years ago,so have no house payment.
There is a Dominican guy who lives in his van not far away,I think his expenses are quite a bit less!
I like our situation more.
Those on DR1 who brag about how they get by on much less,have much less! Most of us choose to live a better quality of life,no matter in what country we reside.Not just for ourselves,but especially for our children.
Say what you will,I know my children are very well nourished,educated,entertained,safe,and get a good night's sleep in their QUIET,airconditioned bedrooms!
IF I had to live "poor" in the DR,I would just move my family to Boston,and let the few people who pay taxes care for our needs!
cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc
I am right about $4,500 US a month here in SD.We bought our home 13 years ago,so have no house payment.
There is a Dominican guy who lives in his van not far away,I think his expenses are quite a bit less!
I like our situation more.
Those on DR1 who brag about how they get by on much less,have much less! Most of us choose to live a better quality of life,no matter in what country we reside.Not just for ourselves,but especially for our children.
Say what you will,I know my children are very well nourished,educated,entertained,safe,and get a good night's sleep in their QUIET,airconditioned bedrooms!
IF I had to live "poor" in the DR,I would just move my family to Boston,and let the few people who pay taxes care for our needs!
cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc
Belmont writes: You do realize that regular gas in the DR is RD$210/gallon this week or about US$5.50. 9 gallons of gas/week is NOT alot of driving. If you got 25mi/gal, your 300 miles would cost you about $66 in the DR. ---------------- Gas here (Belleville Ontario is currently $1.15-1.18 per litre which makes it close to 5 dollars per gallon. I get 325 miles to the tank with my RAV4, and my wife gets around 450 per tank on her Honda Civic. Costs are all about lifestyle. Me I don't need air conditioning, nor do I get out alot or drink a lot. Golf is my biggest outside the house cost. Looking at the expenses of those that post from SD. Criss has about 12 people he's paying for, the other two have high restaurant and clothing costs. 1250 per month for food for two adults and two children- We spent 12,000 pesos for a month - feeding 4 adults full-time and anywhere from 4-8 adults for lunch, and yes we have Heinz catchup....etc.
It is expensive but you are spending a lot its your choice and luckily you arent forced to cut corner. I mean you are living a complete western lifestyle. I live in NYC and those are similar to my expenses.
If you want to live a expensive lifestyle then you will find one in santo domingo. All of those are still cheaper than what you would pay in most large cities around the world.
If you want to live a expensive lifestyle then you will find one in santo domingo. All of those are still cheaper than what you would pay in most large cities around the world.
SD is expensive.
That being said the OP is living the lifestyle that less than 15% do here in the DR and a comparative lifestyle in the US would be much more expensive. Also, SD has the majority of the "upper class" segment in the DR so much so that they outnumber the middle class, as defined by the DR government.
Therefore, if one wants to live here by comfortable Western Standards in the most expensive place in the country you have to pay the piper. Does this mean the DR is expensive - if you have to have all the Western amenities and have to live in the most expensive region in the country (not incl resorts) - yes
That being said the OP is living the lifestyle that less than 15% do here in the DR and a comparative lifestyle in the US would be much more expensive. Also, SD has the majority of the "upper class" segment in the DR so much so that they outnumber the middle class, as defined by the DR government.
Therefore, if one wants to live here by comfortable Western Standards in the most expensive place in the country you have to pay the piper. Does this mean the DR is expensive - if you have to have all the Western amenities and have to live in the most expensive region in the country (not incl resorts) - yes
I'm just sharing this data for other 'westerners' who don't want to 'rough it' to consider before coming here. Truth is we don't live in opulence. We still have rats on our street (I can see them out the window rummaging in the garbage). Our apartment is 3 bedroom - 1 home office for each of us and one bedroom. True we could save 1000$ on rent, but as I'm home alone as a woman a lot, we didn't want to compromise on security, or cleanliness - again things that a 'typical' westerner coming here on assignment should consider before factoring in their calculations.
Truth is, most Westerners moving here can't handle NOT having AC at night. A fan is just not enough if you're from anywhere north of Miami and not used to the humidity between Feb - Nov. Remember people from NYC fly here in Dec for a 'hot' break, and they think it's humid and hot, while we think it's 'cold'.
The salon is not 1800 pesos per visit, it's ~18$ per trip, including tip. Most places in the capital are 300-500 pesos.
CHIP -- I don't think it's fair to call NACO 'one of the most expensive places in the country'. Or to suggest our quality of living outside the country would be more expensive. Just start from the groceries -- it's all more expensive here than it was State side.
We don't actually drive so much. My husband drives 30 minutes to work. I drive to class in evenings. We go to art gallery or to the mall here and there. Truth is, much of the gas on the car (2008 nissan) is probably wasted sitting in tapon to and from work.
Truth is, most Westerners moving here can't handle NOT having AC at night. A fan is just not enough if you're from anywhere north of Miami and not used to the humidity between Feb - Nov. Remember people from NYC fly here in Dec for a 'hot' break, and they think it's humid and hot, while we think it's 'cold'.
The salon is not 1800 pesos per visit, it's ~18$ per trip, including tip. Most places in the capital are 300-500 pesos.
CHIP -- I don't think it's fair to call NACO 'one of the most expensive places in the country'. Or to suggest our quality of living outside the country would be more expensive. Just start from the groceries -- it's all more expensive here than it was State side.
We don't actually drive so much. My husband drives 30 minutes to work. I drive to class in evenings. We go to art gallery or to the mall here and there. Truth is, much of the gas on the car (2008 nissan) is probably wasted sitting in tapon to and from work.
Pichardo,
Yeah I said that total is on the high side for me, avg its about 1000-1100 a month, so really low middle class. I find it to be comfortable for me.
Thanks.
"Roughing it" - that's a good one.
The expenses you posted were the same as ours in Orlando for a middle class existence for a family of except we had none of the niceties you did and certainly did not spend near as much at the salons or eating out nor cell phones nor very much less maid service and private schools. If I wanted to live the way you do in SD in Orlando I would need to make probably at least US120k.
Sometimes it's better to get a real perspective as opposed to broad generalizations - especially when it comes to such a subjective topic as this one.
I assume NACO is the capital right?
At any rate it's not a matter of being fair but instead of facts as found in the studies that were posted in the Middle Class thread.
I can definitely see this amount of money being spent in Santo Domingo. The reality however is that you should be able to live a MUCH better life for that amount of money than here in The US and afford things that would cost you much more. For instance you spend about 300 USD in restaurants. I bet that's much better eating than what you could get here in The US (i.e. I spend close to 50 USD every week just going to the local crappy breakfast place here where I live in Michigan). 800+ for medical is VERY expensive considering you should be able to get full insurance for much less than that. It looks like that was an atypical month, but still...
46 for Salon? How much would the same thing cost in The US? About 5 times as much at least. 500 for education? Probably private tutoring...which costs an arm and a leg here in The US. 167 for a maid? How much would that run here and did you have one where you used to live? So yes you're spending a lot, but you're not living the same lifestyle you had...but a MUCH better one it sounds like.
46 for Salon? How much would the same thing cost in The US? About 5 times as much at least. 500 for education? Probably private tutoring...which costs an arm and a leg here in The US. 167 for a maid? How much would that run here and did you have one where you used to live? So yes you're spending a lot, but you're not living the same lifestyle you had...but a MUCH better one it sounds like.
Chip is right in that Naco is one of the better neighbourhoods in the capital. There are more expensive options, but we'd be talking penthouses or mansions in other upscale city neighbourhoods (Piantini, Arroyo Hondo, Cacigazgos) or in Casa de Campo, Corales and Cap Cana. Having said that I knew some expats who were paying US$3,000 several years ago for a penthouse in Bella Vista which was nice enough but nothing special.
OK, I get it now. But what about health insurance? A good policy with Universal or Humano would be not much more that US$1000 per year for both of you.kimbjorkland said:
Last edited:
Eating out restaurants - $300 a month gives us about the same 'mileage' that we'd get in NYC. (food plates a bit cheaper, but wine is more expensive here). We don't have kids so 'going out' is our end of week ritual that we do, just like back home...
Eating at home - I'm not trying to sound like a diva (or Obama when he complained about the price of arugula haha) but it's pretty simple - if you eat local fare, then it's cheaper. But if you want to maintain the same diet you had at home - feta cheese? Angus steaks? HP Sauce? A1 Sauce? Habanero Tobasco? etc, it's all imported, and close to double the price in the States.
NACO - Yes CHIP Naco is a neighborhood in the Capital. If you search supercasas, you can see the apartment prices aren't very different than other neighborhoods, but it's well lit and close to malls and safe'ish etc.
Salon + Maid - Yes definitely cheaper here than States.
Clothes - I should say in that clothes budget I include things like presents, personal stuff for myself house decorations stuff, just personal stuff that's for me not hubby. The truth is again, it's the same as the food - if you want something of decent quality, it won't be made here, and it will be imported, and that will mean it's more expensive than back home. A $300 purse here will cost $100 at Ross in Miami.
Health Insurance / Doctors - It's a bit complicated. Not all medicine is covered by insurance. Not all medicine is made here. Again if you're importing, you're paying more. Then there's the issue of the doctors themselves. Our test again is - we're here and not dropping our expectation on quality of living. So not all Dominican doctors are made the same... let's just leave it at that!
Eating at home - I'm not trying to sound like a diva (or Obama when he complained about the price of arugula haha) but it's pretty simple - if you eat local fare, then it's cheaper. But if you want to maintain the same diet you had at home - feta cheese? Angus steaks? HP Sauce? A1 Sauce? Habanero Tobasco? etc, it's all imported, and close to double the price in the States.
NACO - Yes CHIP Naco is a neighborhood in the Capital. If you search supercasas, you can see the apartment prices aren't very different than other neighborhoods, but it's well lit and close to malls and safe'ish etc.
Salon + Maid - Yes definitely cheaper here than States.
Clothes - I should say in that clothes budget I include things like presents, personal stuff for myself house decorations stuff, just personal stuff that's for me not hubby. The truth is again, it's the same as the food - if you want something of decent quality, it won't be made here, and it will be imported, and that will mean it's more expensive than back home. A $300 purse here will cost $100 at Ross in Miami.
Health Insurance / Doctors - It's a bit complicated. Not all medicine is covered by insurance. Not all medicine is made here. Again if you're importing, you're paying more. Then there's the issue of the doctors themselves. Our test again is - we're here and not dropping our expectation on quality of living. So not all Dominican doctors are made the same... let's just leave it at that!
You guys better stop posting your monthly living expenses or you'll get Chip started.:bunny:
NotLurking
not Chip, yanadu!!!!!!!!
OK...not denying Santo Domingo is expensive, cause it is, but you cannot compare your life in NYC and Santo Domingo. It's not apples to apples. Someone asked what your expenses were in NYC by comparison...I bet they were much higher if you did some of the same things you're doing in The DR. We all know what 1800 USD a month will get you in a nice area of NYC house wise. How about parking in NYC?...and of course maid, salon and education. I'm not even convinced you're going to the same quality restaurants in The DR as you were in NYC...from my experience you can easily spend 100+ a meal for two at any decent / run of the mill restaurant in NYC as the drinks alone have crazy prices (12-15 USD per drink)...Granted in NYC you have a lot more choices.
Thanks for posting your expenses BTW.
Thanks for posting your expenses BTW.
I agree. I live in Long Island, and my wife, daugther and I went to a really nice restaurant, PJ Changs. Two dishes (My 3 year old ate what we ate) + 2 coca colas bill was for $58US + 20% tip = $70US or about $2,680RD. Comparing this to DR, we went to an Italian restaurant while there last summer and spend $6000RD pesos....but that was for 10 people!! So about $600RD per person, and it included wine.