Ouch!!! At my gym one day is high but not that high. They encourage you to buy the month for sure. It's $350/day, $600/week and $850/month in pesos. In fairness, most folks probably have a bigger entertainment budget than I do as well. Since I still work I don't go out every day. One night per week and Sunday at the beach is the norm. The Sunday at the beach is very cheap.
- Thread starter Robert
- Start date
Living Costs in the Dominican Republic
All right that we have lived around a year here's how things changed....
If I remember back then we used to spend like $1500 per month...
But now with car, son's school and as my wife and I wants to live and eat a little, cost of living grew considerably larger.
Just like last year it's average.
Sometimes we spend more sometimes we spend less but it's generally what we spend.
Mind you we do have some specialty food brought in from US and some US bills but is not included here.
Rent - $550/mo ($6600/yr)
Food - $1000/mo ($12000/yr)(supermarket, drinks, ordering in, eating out, baby needs, household items and pet needs etc
Edenorte - $300/mo ($3600/yr)
Water - $50/mo ($600/yr)
Internet/phone/cable - $100($1200/yr)
2 Cell phones one with 1GB data - $50/mo ($600/yr)
Propane Gas - $200/yr
Gasoline - $100/mo ($1200/yr)
Auto insurance - $1000/yr
School - $5000/yr (Tuitions, Activity and some BS "donations" they want us to bring in.)
Wife - $100/mo ($1200/yr)
Hospital - $100/mo ($1200/yr)
About US$34000-$36000/yr
If I remember back then we used to spend like $1500 per month...
But now with car, son's school and as my wife and I wants to live and eat a little, cost of living grew considerably larger.
Just like last year it's average.
Sometimes we spend more sometimes we spend less but it's generally what we spend.
Mind you we do have some specialty food brought in from US and some US bills but is not included here.
Rent - $550/mo ($6600/yr)
Food - $1000/mo ($12000/yr)(supermarket, drinks, ordering in, eating out, baby needs, household items and pet needs etc
Edenorte - $300/mo ($3600/yr)
Water - $50/mo ($600/yr)
Internet/phone/cable - $100($1200/yr)
2 Cell phones one with 1GB data - $50/mo ($600/yr)
Propane Gas - $200/yr
Gasoline - $100/mo ($1200/yr)
Auto insurance - $1000/yr
School - $5000/yr (Tuitions, Activity and some BS "donations" they want us to bring in.)
Wife - $100/mo ($1200/yr)
Hospital - $100/mo ($1200/yr)
About US$34000-$36000/yr
my average daily budget for travelling on 110 c bike from beg. of January:
30 usd/ day
so far 5,000 km of mileage.
usually staying in 300-400 pesos hotels.
eating - normal, sometimes i cook something for myself (rarely), sometimes I eat dominican comida, sometimes I spot Italian guy/girl who sells good pasta/ pizza.
visited 2/3 of provinces.took 1000's of photos
never got robbed and 95 % of people are honest
30 usd/ day
so far 5,000 km of mileage.
usually staying in 300-400 pesos hotels.
eating - normal, sometimes i cook something for myself (rarely), sometimes I eat dominican comida, sometimes I spot Italian guy/girl who sells good pasta/ pizza.
visited 2/3 of provinces.took 1000's of photos
never got robbed and 95 % of people are honest
So your overhead is roughly RD$1,440,000/yr. From what I've read in this place, the average wage in RD is not even half that.
And I guess this is the hidden little secret in RD... The difference between those who can afford a comfortable life and those who scrape by, even after accounting for the cost of living between someone who came from the states and someone who's a native Dominican.
In New York, if I wanted to get an idea of what I can expect for a salary in my field of expertise, all I need to do is log on to Monster or Careerbuilder and search the jobs listed. And based on what I find there, I can get an idea of what kind of life I can reasonably sustain for myself.
It seems in RD, the only way to form some kind of perspective or expectation of personal economic sustainability is strictly word of mouth, or do what a lot of people seem to be doing; scraping by. And this is what makes that kind of move a scary one for me, personally.
I'd say you got yourself a very good deal:cheeky:
hahaha,
right, sounds like the perfect deal, very reasonable priced, lolz
Mike
i don't know about your hooker rates,
but i know if i would leave my legal wifey with a monthly allowance of just $100.-/RD$4.000.- pesos, then i sure would be very soon forced to be single again, haha.
seriously,
Koreano's list sounds well reasonable to me.
Mike
but i know if i would leave my legal wifey with a monthly allowance of just $100.-/RD$4.000.- pesos, then i sure would be very soon forced to be single again, haha.
seriously,
Koreano's list sounds well reasonable to me.
Mike
You should see the make up bills from US and the bills from quarter annual NYC shopping sprees. My head aches just thinking about that.
You are right it's kind of high but like I said it's average. These days we don't get high bill but summer time are definitely higher. And with guests it goes even higher. And I just cant forget $20k bill we got last year.
Koreano, looks about right to me.
I spend double that per year, but with eight "PLUS" people, including 3 kids in school, and one at university it adds up FAST!
And I own my house and vehicle.
My electric is between 3 and 400 US a month!
Gotta keep Cooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool!
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I spend double that per year, but with eight "PLUS" people, including 3 kids in school, and one at university it adds up FAST!
And I own my house and vehicle.
My electric is between 3 and 400 US a month!
Gotta keep Cooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool!
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that's right and it as fact make's a big different on the living costs, the electrictity bill, and what you use as eletrical consuming machine in da house.
as for myself, i get darn sick from any running A/C, so of course we do NOT run a freakin' A/C here at our home, aside of the cooling down the sleeping quarter for our Baby Gal before she goe's to slep during the summer months, i know that my ole Lady would prefer to sleep with da A/C on all night long, but long ago due my personal antipacy to da machines we run on suitable compromises, it's running to cool down da playground til da Boss comes to da playground, and we still stay ""HOT"" til da mornings, lol.
as shown on so many postings above, costs for scholar thingies depend the same as at home on the quality of scholarship you give to your sipplings, electricity bills depend on what you run in your house and how you use it, the same as home you can make differences on the bills by using the stuff wisely, and as for the foodie costs, heck, of course it make's a difference to eat on daily bases imported argentinian top shelf beef or just local breed(which i see as a beef fan of very good quality for the mid of the line meats compared to their costs), you get for a bit higher rate also imported good mid quality US american beef's on da plate(that i prefer the local breed over them may have sources on the fact that i eat Own Breed and Cut Beef here, so don't take that as usual for everyone shopping at a local supermarket, even that i find myself those sold local breeds on par to their higher priced imported counterparts), the same, at home you can buy expensive high quailty stuff and you also can buy good and reasonable priced average quality products.
my point still is, if i count all the expenses together, and i want to live on the same quality level(like A/C running and top notch school for kittens and drive a car of the year etc etc), then my living costs here in punta cana(and i can compare since 18 years/most of my adults life i lived Here, not in my birthcountry), then i say Punta Cana(I can not comment on other areas of the Island as i live all the time in PC) is at least the same expensive than it would be to get the same at home.
on my frequent visits back home to western europe i am often/yeah, so Often, surpirsed about bills on a hikeout so cheap compared to what i had expected/would have paid back home here on the island for the same level/quality.
stuff is on most cases very hard to compare, VERY hard/impossible,
so as for the THUMB RULE,
count on the same costs for the same things you would need to pay for the same service/quality in a first world country like the USA or Western Europe, add up a just in case 20% of a """Island Luxury settle in Fee"", so then you are very fine on your calculation.
what you should never do, NEVER, a mistake done by so many i met coming down here and shortlky after a few months/years coming crying back to Mommie,
do NOT expect that Island Life for the same quality woul be any cheaper than homelife.
to eat your homebreed Burger here means you need to import it from home,
hence such simple thingy here will be "expensive", while the better homebreed burger beef(at least in my own opinion/taste) is not available til you settled in and tasted the differences/heck, found out that something else than Mc D's exists.
Mike
as for myself, i get darn sick from any running A/C, so of course we do NOT run a freakin' A/C here at our home, aside of the cooling down the sleeping quarter for our Baby Gal before she goe's to slep during the summer months, i know that my ole Lady would prefer to sleep with da A/C on all night long, but long ago due my personal antipacy to da machines we run on suitable compromises, it's running to cool down da playground til da Boss comes to da playground, and we still stay ""HOT"" til da mornings, lol.
as shown on so many postings above, costs for scholar thingies depend the same as at home on the quality of scholarship you give to your sipplings, electricity bills depend on what you run in your house and how you use it, the same as home you can make differences on the bills by using the stuff wisely, and as for the foodie costs, heck, of course it make's a difference to eat on daily bases imported argentinian top shelf beef or just local breed(which i see as a beef fan of very good quality for the mid of the line meats compared to their costs), you get for a bit higher rate also imported good mid quality US american beef's on da plate(that i prefer the local breed over them may have sources on the fact that i eat Own Breed and Cut Beef here, so don't take that as usual for everyone shopping at a local supermarket, even that i find myself those sold local breeds on par to their higher priced imported counterparts), the same, at home you can buy expensive high quailty stuff and you also can buy good and reasonable priced average quality products.
my point still is, if i count all the expenses together, and i want to live on the same quality level(like A/C running and top notch school for kittens and drive a car of the year etc etc), then my living costs here in punta cana(and i can compare since 18 years/most of my adults life i lived Here, not in my birthcountry), then i say Punta Cana(I can not comment on other areas of the Island as i live all the time in PC) is at least the same expensive than it would be to get the same at home.
on my frequent visits back home to western europe i am often/yeah, so Often, surpirsed about bills on a hikeout so cheap compared to what i had expected/would have paid back home here on the island for the same level/quality.
stuff is on most cases very hard to compare, VERY hard/impossible,
so as for the THUMB RULE,
count on the same costs for the same things you would need to pay for the same service/quality in a first world country like the USA or Western Europe, add up a just in case 20% of a """Island Luxury settle in Fee"", so then you are very fine on your calculation.
what you should never do, NEVER, a mistake done by so many i met coming down here and shortlky after a few months/years coming crying back to Mommie,
do NOT expect that Island Life for the same quality woul be any cheaper than homelife.
to eat your homebreed Burger here means you need to import it from home,
hence such simple thingy here will be "expensive", while the better homebreed burger beef(at least in my own opinion/taste) is not available til you settled in and tasted the differences/heck, found out that something else than Mc D's exists.
Mike
I wanted to share my expenses here because from reading so many posts on here I'm actually pretty amazed by how much people spend. I live very comfortably in a nice neighborhood in Samana and don't spend even 1/4 of what most people are spending. This is all per month in pesos:
Rent (3BR 1BA house): $6000
Cable (64 channels)/Internet (1mbps)/Phone (400 mins): $2444
Cell phone: Paid for by work but I usually spend about $1000 on phone cards
Food: $7000
Electricity: $650
Transportation (public): $3500
School costs: $2000
Entertainment:$2000
I can't think of any more expenses right now, but that's for 2 adults and one child.
Rent (3BR 1BA house): $6000
Cable (64 channels)/Internet (1mbps)/Phone (400 mins): $2444
Cell phone: Paid for by work but I usually spend about $1000 on phone cards
Food: $7000
Electricity: $650
Transportation (public): $3500
School costs: $2000
Entertainment:$2000
I can't think of any more expenses right now, but that's for 2 adults and one child.
This is what I was anticipating for costs. In my experience, this would be a nice decent apartment (2bd), in a decent relatively quiet neighborhood. From my point of view $400/500US in utilities means you live in the very expensive side of town, so it's appropriate. Even if I was working a contract in the U.S., I could hold down an apartment like this all year around.
For a single guy, the DR can be "FUN", a "HOLE Lot Of FUN!!!"
BUT, with responsibility, come costs, BIG COSTS!!!!!!!
It's one thing to visit the DR, MUCH different to actually live here 24/7/365!
All the things that used to be so much "FUN", can quickly become a giant "Pain-In-The-CULO"!
It's not that much "FUN" to have to get up and go to work in the am, when you haven't been able to sleep all night, due to "Street Noise", and no electricity to run a fan, and no water to bathe!
"Living" in the DR is not easy, and definetly not for everyone.
I was looking at the "Names" of all the DR1 "Posters" from "Back-In-The-Days", not many of us still here!!!!!!!!
The same posters who were so in love with the "Simple,poor, but Honest Dominicans", LEFT!
Those who saw, and still see, the REAL DR, learned to adapt and SURVIVE, and SOME, even to prosper!
THIS is NOT Paradise, No Place IS!
THAT should speak Volumes to those of you who are still enjoying your "Courtship",or "Honeymoon" with the DR!
"Be Very Careful What You WISH FOR, You Might GET IT!"
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You wanna come to the DR and be happy?
Decide the MAXIMUM amount of money you will need to have to live the lifestyle you want, then DOUBLE IT!!!!
Orrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, as we tell newbees who want to start a busines/invest here,
Do you know how to leave the DR with a million dollars???
Come with TWO!
BUT, with responsibility, come costs, BIG COSTS!!!!!!!
It's one thing to visit the DR, MUCH different to actually live here 24/7/365!
All the things that used to be so much "FUN", can quickly become a giant "Pain-In-The-CULO"!
It's not that much "FUN" to have to get up and go to work in the am, when you haven't been able to sleep all night, due to "Street Noise", and no electricity to run a fan, and no water to bathe!
"Living" in the DR is not easy, and definetly not for everyone.
I was looking at the "Names" of all the DR1 "Posters" from "Back-In-The-Days", not many of us still here!!!!!!!!
The same posters who were so in love with the "Simple,poor, but Honest Dominicans", LEFT!
Those who saw, and still see, the REAL DR, learned to adapt and SURVIVE, and SOME, even to prosper!
THIS is NOT Paradise, No Place IS!
THAT should speak Volumes to those of you who are still enjoying your "Courtship",or "Honeymoon" with the DR!
"Be Very Careful What You WISH FOR, You Might GET IT!"
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
You wanna come to the DR and be happy?
Decide the MAXIMUM amount of money you will need to have to live the lifestyle you want, then DOUBLE IT!!!!
Orrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, as we tell newbees who want to start a busines/invest here,
Do you know how to leave the DR with a million dollars???
Come with TWO!
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"ps"..................................
AND, I really hate to admit THIS!!!!!!
I got up to "PEE" last night about 4 am.
I left my VERY COLD air conditioned bedroom to find the bathroom.
It was actually "COLDER" outside my bedroom!
Sooooooo, and very reluctantly, I turned off my air conditioner, opened the windows and doors, and went back to sleep!
My mother-in-law said she slept under two blankets!
Only good thing about this cold snap, lots od Dominicans will be shivering at the beach, get pi$$ed, and go home before they get drunk.
"Naaaaaaaaaaaah!" :knockedou:knockedou:knockedou:dead::dead::dead::dead::dead:
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AND, I really hate to admit THIS!!!!!!
I got up to "PEE" last night about 4 am.
I left my VERY COLD air conditioned bedroom to find the bathroom.
It was actually "COLDER" outside my bedroom!
Sooooooo, and very reluctantly, I turned off my air conditioner, opened the windows and doors, and went back to sleep!
My mother-in-law said she slept under two blankets!
Only good thing about this cold snap, lots od Dominicans will be shivering at the beach, get pi$$ed, and go home before they get drunk.
"Naaaaaaaaaaaah!" :knockedou:knockedou:knockedou:dead::dead::dead::dead::dead:
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
Well.. That's precisely why I'm curious as to what it entails to live in DR.
To me personally, you wouldn't catch me dead in PR where I'm from, even just to take a vacation. It's a beautiful touristy place, and there are things to do. But to live there, you will literally starve to death there without the right kind of help. I have young cousins with brand new Bachelor degrees in teaching and nursing and can hardly find work or are very underpaid.
Based on what I'm reading from others here, DR is starting to sound the same to me. Beautiful touristy place that masks the unfortunately realities of the average person there.
And it's a shame 'cause I really did enjoy my time there. Not only with the lady I went to see, but with the locals. Except for getting taken at Boca Chica, the locals in Santo Domingo were super friendly.
But the working hours on average seem to be super long unless you're a teacher... my lady friend works from 8am to 6pm... for a measly US$250 per month.
The beauty "salon" where she gets her hair done is actually someone's converted car garage or marquesina... and only RD$500 to get her hair washed and blow dried. In New York, that would cost US$20 on average.
I observed many women well dressed headed for work... taking the moto concho or one of the many super-busted carro conchos... makes me wonder if they're paid just as much if not less than my lady friend... and makes me wonder if that's "the life" that many people aspire for or are able to achieve based on their situations or life ambitions.
I don't know... I guess my perception is severely skewed living in New York City... Except for the handful few around where I live, you couldn't tell a middle class worker from an upper class worker other than the car they're driving or if they're wearing an expensive business suit.. Except for a period of time between 2009 and now right at the height of the US recession, the local restaurants are always bustling as apparently people don't know how to cook at home or don't want to. There's always something going on. People seem to have money to do stuff.
In DR, I get the perception that you're lucky to have a roof over your head and the basic necessities of life, and if you do have those, you are considered the ever-growing elite minority.
I just don't get it... How do things cost almost just as much there.... electric, Internet, phone, etc etc... as they do in New York, yet the incomes are extremely less there than they are here?
To me personally, you wouldn't catch me dead in PR where I'm from, even just to take a vacation. It's a beautiful touristy place, and there are things to do. But to live there, you will literally starve to death there without the right kind of help. I have young cousins with brand new Bachelor degrees in teaching and nursing and can hardly find work or are very underpaid.
Based on what I'm reading from others here, DR is starting to sound the same to me. Beautiful touristy place that masks the unfortunately realities of the average person there.
And it's a shame 'cause I really did enjoy my time there. Not only with the lady I went to see, but with the locals. Except for getting taken at Boca Chica, the locals in Santo Domingo were super friendly.
But the working hours on average seem to be super long unless you're a teacher... my lady friend works from 8am to 6pm... for a measly US$250 per month.
The beauty "salon" where she gets her hair done is actually someone's converted car garage or marquesina... and only RD$500 to get her hair washed and blow dried. In New York, that would cost US$20 on average.
I observed many women well dressed headed for work... taking the moto concho or one of the many super-busted carro conchos... makes me wonder if they're paid just as much if not less than my lady friend... and makes me wonder if that's "the life" that many people aspire for or are able to achieve based on their situations or life ambitions.
I don't know... I guess my perception is severely skewed living in New York City... Except for the handful few around where I live, you couldn't tell a middle class worker from an upper class worker other than the car they're driving or if they're wearing an expensive business suit.. Except for a period of time between 2009 and now right at the height of the US recession, the local restaurants are always bustling as apparently people don't know how to cook at home or don't want to. There's always something going on. People seem to have money to do stuff.
In DR, I get the perception that you're lucky to have a roof over your head and the basic necessities of life, and if you do have those, you are considered the ever-growing elite minority.
I just don't get it... How do things cost almost just as much there.... electric, Internet, phone, etc etc... as they do in New York, yet the incomes are extremely less there than they are here?