there is plenty of opportunity here to make money and get ahead. Just like everywhere else in the world there is a segment of the population that are lazy sloths. Life is full of choices, working 70 hours a week is one and so is drinking a bottle of rum everyday and sleeping till 200p.m
- Thread starter scot_tosh
- Start date
Average wage in DR not enough for basic family budget
Okay, but those apartments don't stay empty after the building is complete. Most of them are rented, and in towers like Cumbre in Naco it's about 1600 USD per month for empty 3 bedroom apartment, I know the prices because I rented one in their tower for a couple of years. Furnished can be $2000-$3000 per month. So there are people who can afford to pay those rent prices. In less expensive towers here it's about $1200 per month for empty 3 bedroom unit, an $2000 for the nicely furnished one. And I am not talking about just a few buildings, the whole Poligono Central in Santo Domingo is like that. And it's even more expensive in Los Cacicazgos on Av. Enriquillo and on Av. Anacaona in front of the park. Also Bella Vista Sur, La Esperilla.... it's a lot of buildings, a lot of people. There are not so many Government officials or big business owners all together in this country. And as far as I know, in all buildings where I have lived, only three people were from the government.
This poster lives and realizes what life in Santo Domingo is all about; he gets it clearly.
You are correct. There are many people in the island with plenty of money to dispense for such things as being able to afford those places without pushing any limits. In fact for some, that is just chomp chain.
The monies flowing around the city is crazy scary to say the least. I mean, the amount of Toyota's Land Cruisers, Lexus, 4Runners, Tahoe's, Mercedes Benz, etc, etc that drives around town everyday is just an spectacle to see. Those are all highly expensive vehicles.
Sadly, the percentages of rich and poor aren't that well balanced, and by saying this am not advocating Progressive agendas nor Comunisn as I'm very pro Capitalism. But the fact of the matter is that richness (which is very high here) is not proportional to the existent lower class (which is also very high), its that the scale is just tilted.
A group of folks with plenty of money vs. a lot of folks with none.
Before Covid, I used to go on a road trip in US every year, driving more than ten thousand miles during one month in each trip, visiting every major city in each state on my way. I can say for sure that I have seen less luxury SUVs like Lexuses, Mercedeses, Range Rovers and Porsches during the whole trip than I see here during driving 30 minutes in Naco and Piantini.
I also used to stay a lot in Panama and Colombia, and I have never seen that amount of luxury SUVs there.
And the most funny thing is that they treat these expensive cars like sh#t. A guy on a moped scratched a new $160.000 Lexus? The guy who cleans the parking lot put a garden hose over the hood and scratched it? Neighbor hit your bumper while parking, then opened his door and made a dent on yours? Not a big deal, nobody cares, it was planned to buy another Lexus or maybe Range Rover tomorrow anyway.
Plenty of debts you mean. On all levels in the DR society the rule is “fiao”.
You are beginning to see the DR the way business people see it. That’s the start of seeing opportunities where others see none.
Hahah, yeah I know there's a lot of money around here, that's why IKEA opened their first store in Latin America here, not in Panama, not in Colombia. But... I never had any plans to start any business here and I am pretty sure that I will not. I just don't need it.
Folks driving them types of vehicles have no worries about monies owed, they have plenty. The fiao stuff is for people in the barrios. The middle ground in the country it isn't much, either one has plenty, has the potential to have more, or is lacking everything.
There is a majority of people who work 60 hours a week and are up at the crack of dawn, but don't get ahead. Getting ahead would be having a casa de "block" and a decent moto. It s not a matter of choices, so much as it is in developed countries.
Anyone who drink rhum and sleep till 2 pm would be a barrio's loser whom people would have little respect for, even in the so called barrios.
That s why prestamista are making a killing.
I know people muy trabajadores, who needs to use prestamo from these loan sharks (cause that s what they are), to get ahead. Their salaries just wont allow them to do otherwise.
Even if you saw 100 000 luxury vehicles, while out and about, even if you saw 100 000 people shopping for expensive imported ceramica or what not, even if there were 100 000 luxury apartments in high rises, that's still only 1% of Dominicans.......
Good point. Sacrifice is another decision that many refuse to make. Many put important emphasis on expensive vehicles, cloths, salon and partying. Couple that in with too many off spring and the likelihood of financial stability is slim. Additionally the refusal to learn and speak non slang Spanish also limits employability. Unless you inherit a large portfolio attaining financial independence always requires hard hard work and a significant amount of sacrifice.
Rather than call them idiots in reply to Africaida's post, can you not empathise with their plight and see the fact the are turning to loan sharks through desperation
Reading this, I have learned that only drug dealers, ball players, government and old money can afford to do such high end things like go to Ikea and live in Apartments worth 125 to 175 k
Santo Domingo apartments are very reasonable in price, people also take advantage of the local economy ie plato del dia to keep their day to day down and that provides room for nice purchases.
There are also nice apartments in 2nd or 3rd tierneighbourhoods where you can still have something new and nice from 4 million to 6.5 million pesos. These folks also drive nice cars ans can afford Ikea 😂
you are correct. That was mean. I should have said "not very smart". It is also not an act of desperation rather a desire to have a quick payoff instead of budgeting and planning. I have little sympathy for people that want to "live for today" and want hand outs and special consideration. Unless you have a mental or physical disability, get a job, or even a second or third job and don't be a loser, the world has too many.