so i't Time to get back on Topic, as correctly ordered by HB, and the darn Crap should just be send on Vaca.
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the Topic is ""Living Costs in the DR"".
so here come's my actual Spendings for an average Month.
Household contains one mid aged Couple, She's Dominican and He doesn't know where to belong to but feels very fine to be called Dominican, a 13 Months old Baby and most Time of the Year we have one or 2 Teenagers in the House which are Boys and Girls we find out there on the Streets, accidentally, in need of getting Azzkicked into the right direction of Life, so we keep 'em for a while, sometimes a couple weeks, sometimes several Months, the longest period been 14month, to send 'em to school or serious Work and get their Act together without their Nuthead Parents.
we live in a 2 Bedroom Beachfront Appartment on the East.
monthly Rent including Gardening and Cable TV and 24/7 Security Guard at the Door is $600.-
Electricity Bill (1 Large modern lowconsuming Fridge and Freezer plus a separate big Deepfreezer, 4 Ceiling Ventilators, A/C only used to cool down the sleeping Quarter before the Baby get's asleep, 3 TV's, 1 PC, 1 Laptop and a Hundred something cellphones charging) varying between 4.300-5.500 Pesos per Month($120-$150.-US)
for Internet I run a 8MB Claro connection which I share with my next House Neighbour over a Wireless Router, Total Coast is with Taxes somewhere over 4.000.- Pesos, so my Share a good 2.000.- Pesos($55.- - $60.-)
2 Cellphones, both with Claro Plans, together around $100.- per Month(Yes, I use mine very often for Business)
Hairdresser/Fingernails etc for the Mrs and the Parttime "Nannis" (the Baby is the only Female in the House not requesting money for such, YET!), runs at around $70.- per Month
for Food Shopping with always extra Eaters stepping by we spend on average $1.200.- per Month, which includes that we like a bottle of good wine once in a while and we buy aside of home grown "Meaty animals" as for the most part the average Angus Beef etc as available at Super Pola, no Fancy Delicatess Store Purchases. the very few Times we eat out of the House You can include in the Bill, there is just no Chef which can keep up with the Mrs, so I prefer to eat Home with the Kiddies.
Gas for my Truck(a 2001 Mitsubishi L200 PickUp, Diesel) runs around 16.000.- - 20.000.- Pesos per Month($$400.- $500.-US), but very most spent on the Road due Business, if I would drive the same Truck just privately the Gas Bill would stay on around $150-$200.- per Month as the Max driving around PC/Bavaro/Cap Cana/Macao on the East
cost to purchase such ole Truck Today ranges $9.000.- - $10.000.-, spareparts available everywhere, a reliable working vehicle.
school costs really vary from Zero to many K's$$$ per Year depending where you send Your Kiddies to school, research that on the separate Topic "Private schools in the DR"
while we purchased over the Years very most of the Furnichures on our oqn, the Appartment's Rent shown above is for the Furniched Appartment, just don't expect the TV to be a 50" LED Flatscreen then.
so what's the Total of above?
around $2.300.- per Month for an average Lifestyle.
we live here with much less Luxury/Amenities than I had available in Germany, but I like/prefer the way to be much happier with the lil bit less here than it was with the bit more there.
most of our Friends spend much more for Living, specially for rents and Eating Out at Fine Dining Places, it is just not Our weay of having Fun, so we seldom participate, even that we coul financially without a problem.
we own as a pleasure sideeffect a little Ranch in the Hills, have Horses and start this Spring a Orange Plantation, but no need to describe Costs for such here on the Topic as I guess it would not be of interest to the average Expats moving to the DR and seeking Info about Living Costs.
I had Times when I spent double of above for myself only plus the Family then inaddition, I also had Island Times when I lived myself only off a Fraction of above costs, all Variations possible, upwards and downwards, by 17 years of Island Life I would say we are located more or less in the Middle of spendings as an average small Family.
oooh yes, I forgot the Medic Insurances.
1200 Pesos for the Wife
1200 Pesos for the Baby,
1200 Pesos for each of my Wife's 3 Sons from Her first Marriage,
4500.- for mine
per Month of course, and very important to have when far away from Mommies Place.
I hope that brings us back On Topic
Mike
