Many questions about the DR :)

Lorin

New member
Apr 5, 2012
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Hi,

I am brand new here. :) My wife and I were looking at a position at the International School of Sosua and, having never been to the DR, we had some questions (that I have not been able to find answers to by searching). As it seems, from all of the posts I have read, the forums likes SPECFIC questions :), so I will ask them that way.

1) We would love some insight as to what it is like to work at International School of Sosua from anyone who has worked there, does work there, or interacts with the school.

2) It seems that a decent rental apartment (1-2 bedroom/furnished) in the Sosua/Cabarete area goes for approx US$450-500/month. Does that seem accurate?

3) Can two people live in that area on US$1200-1300/month? I recognize that everyone has a different standard of living, but this means rent, a meal out a week or so, and utilities, etc...

4) I am an RN with an Associates degree (we are from the US, BTW) and I have strong computer background. I also spent 10+ years in the restaurant business. Do you think I might be able to find any work....any at all, to earn an extra few hundred dollars (US) a month to supplement our income?

That's all I can thinkl of for now. Thank you all in advance for any advice you are able to offer!!
 

windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
42,087
5,914
113
I would be uncomfortable saying that $1,300 US a month is enough if that includes your rent. I take it your wife will have the job at the International School and you would be looking for something to do? Jobs are very hard to come by.

Planning on having a car?
 

frank12

Gold
Sep 6, 2011
11,847
29
48
Hey Lorin,

I'll give you my opinion but, listen to everyone here before you make up your mind becuase, well, let's face it, everyone here--as you pointed out--has different standards of living. I would say i live a pretty spartan lifestyle , so i'll give you my take.

1. You need at least U.S $2000 a month to live here. $550-$800 for rent, and then add electricity, cable, maybe Internet--but's its usually included, transportation costs, eating out occassionally, groceries, etc.

2. you need an extra $5000 to $25000 (and up!) to purchase a decent car. you'll need $1000 to $3400 top purchase a reliable, decent, good scooter. You'll need $4000- $8000 to puirchase a good, reliable, decent motorcycle with papers (Aduana/customs) papers. Now add insurance, a good set of tires, and upkeep costs to the total. Gas is around $5.50 a gallon

I'll have to leave it there because i have to go, but plenty of well-informed people here, can and will, tell you much more.

FRank
 

pi2

Banned
Oct 12, 2011
961
0
0
Hey, Lorin,

Many people have a good life on far less. Many items are half US prices. $5 a day each for food is typical.
A recent second-hand motorcycle is about $25,000 pesos, 6 - 700 $ New $900.

So $400 rent, $300 food, electric $60,gasoline $40 a month, gas $10 a month. You should get a condo with a nice pool for that. Nearly everyone does without a/c and definitely no heating! Fans are very economic.

Big beers on the beach are 2.5$ , even bigger beers for that elsewhere ( Jumbo). Restaurant meal of the day from 130 pesos - just over $3.

Cars are a big expense and trouble also parking etc. Bikes, Electic bikes or scooters, motorcycles, scooters, quads are good alternatives.

Social activities revolve round people at similar income levels - You soon get used to grilling seafood for entertaining etc.

Trips round the island by coach average $10 a journey and hotels from $25 a room. A motor concho ride in most towns is 60 cents. Metro is cheap in SD.

Jobs are there for those that work hard but pay is lower than the US by far apart from a few specialised occupations and for ace real estate salesmen.

Best wishes for your travel here.

pi2


Hey Lorin,

I'll give you my opinion but, listen to everyone here before you make up your mind becuase, well, let's face it, everyone here--as you pointed out--has different standards of living. I would say i live a pretty spartan lifestyle , so i'll give you my take.

1. You need at least U.S $2000 a month to live here. $550-$800 for rent, and then add electricity, cable, maybe Internet--but's its usually included, transportation costs, eating out occassionally, groceries, etc.

2. you need an extra $5000 to $25000 (and up!) to purchase a decent car. you'll need $1000 to $3400 top purchase a reliable, decent, good scooter. You'll need $4000- $8000 to puirchase a good, reliable, decent motorcycle with papers (Aduana/customs) papers. Now add insurance, a good set of tires, and upkeep costs to the total. Gas is around $5.50 a gallon

I'll have to leave it there because i have to go, but plenty of well-informed people here, can and will, tell you much more.

FRank
 

frank12

Gold
Sep 6, 2011
11,847
29
48
Hey, Lorin,

Many people have a good life on far less. Many items are half US prices. $5 a day each for food is typical.
A recent second-hand motorcycle is about $25,000 pesos, 6 - 700 $ New $900.

So $400 rent, $300 food, electric $60,gasoline $40 a month, gas $10 a month. You should get a condo with a nice pool for that. Nearly everyone does without a/c and definitely no heating! Fans are very economic.

Big beers on the beach are 2.5$ , even bigger beers for that elsewhere ( Jumbo). Restaurant meal of the day from 130 pesos - just over $3.

Cars are a big expense and trouble also parking etc. Bikes, Electic bikes or scooters, motorcycles, scooters, quads are good alternatives.

Social activities revolve round people at similar income levels - You soon get used to grilling seafood for entertaining etc.

Trips round the island by coach average $10 a journey and hotels from $25 a room. A motor concho ride in most towns is 60 cents. Metro is cheap in SD.

Jobs are there for those that work hard but pay is lower than the US by far apart from a few specialised occupations and for ace real estate salesmen.

Best wishes for your travel here.

pi2


PI2,

1.) I apologize, i may have misread your post...are you saying that both he and his wife can eat "good" for $5 each a day? If so, why not make it $3 each a day and have them only eat a bowl of rice each. this will be a win-win effect becuase not only will they loose weight but, hell, they will survive on only $90 a month in food cost!! PS- i hope you don't have growing children that you are bringing down here on $5 a day in food?

2.) Did i mention that i live fairly spartan? Ok, well, now that we got that out of the way, i couldn't live here on $5 a day in food if my life depended on it. Hell, i spend $5 a day just on chocolate!

3.) Yes, Pi2 is correct about being about to purchase a used scooter for $600, however, plan on getting it fixed regularly! Furthermore, if you buy a new "Chinese" scooter here for $900--as he suggested, plan on getting that one fixed regularly here as well after as little as 6 or 7 months...and then good luck trying to find parts for your "New" chinese scooter. I've done this route already--been there done that--with the chinese sh1t. do yourself a favor, buy either a honda or yamaha scooter or motorcycle..that way you can always find the parts for it. Period. everywhere!

4.) rent for $400? Yes, hell, you can find rent for $250! but you're not going to be inside a gated community, you're not going to be on the beach side, you're not going to have internet, cable, and electricity included in that price. So, whatever rent you do find acceptable, plan on adding the utilities to it. they can add up quite quickly!!

Did i mention that i live quite the spartan lifstyle here on $2000 a month?

PS I make are pet monkey survive on only 2 bowls of cereal a day. She's growing up quite nicely!

Frank
 
Last edited:

Chicagoan

New member
May 27, 2011
367
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0
Hey, Lorin,



So $400 rent, $300 food, electric $60,gasoline $40 a month, gas $10 a month. You should get a condo with a nice pool for that. Nearly everyone does without a/c and definitely no heating! Fans are very economic.

pi2

Since gas is over $5USD per gallon, you are saying they would use less than 8 gallons of gas per month?
 

Ken

Platinum
Jan 1, 2002
13,884
495
83
you don't need a car or even a scooter. Public transportation to almost everywhere is readily available and inexpensive when compared to the cost in the US. For example, you can go from Sosua to Cabarete for about US$0.50 per person. To go from Sosua to Puerto Plata costs little more than US$1 per person and to go from Sosua to Santo Domingo on a first class bus costs about US$10.

I have been living in the DR sincse 1985 without a car or scooter. Haven't driven a car sincse 1995. If you want to live cheap, one of the first things you have to do is to forget about having a car or scooter. Not only do you have to pay to buy them, but operating costs are expensive and you must also have insurance. Additionally, if you are involved in an accident, even though it was clearly the fault of the other person, you are going to pay if the other is a Dominican. There are a number of threads on the message board about that.

If one of you needs transportation to go to the International School, make a deal with a publico driver, not a taxi, to transport that person daily. You will still spend a lot less than if you have a car.
 
Aug 21, 2007
3,030
1,966
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Lorin- Why don't you ask the director of ISS, Craig Selig, to give you the email address of a couple of their teachers. You can write to them and ask your questions. I believe a fellow teacher would be able to give you a more accurate picture of the type of lifestyle that you could afford, should you accept this position. Another teacher might also give you some good information on possible housing,

Good luck! ISS is a great school community!

Lindsey
 

Givadogahome

Silver
Sep 27, 2011
4,397
2
0
I personally don't think any foreign 'couple' can live anywhere 'comfortably' in the country on $1,300 per month.

As far as job hunting goes, you have competition, it is not easy and I'd be doubtful, but hopeful.
 

frank12

Gold
Sep 6, 2011
11,847
29
48
No you don't and will never understand a spartan lifestyle!!

Ok, well, if were going to go into details here, i'll be the first one to offer my lifestyle living expenses. Allow me to break them down for you:

1. I survive on chocolate all day--18 hours a day. Occassionally, every now and then, i will splurge and treat myself to chocolate ice cream.

2. I survive on water and beer all day. It's part of the arrangement i've made with the owners at the restaurant where i work. i like to rotate, however. first i'll have a 10oz glass of water, followed by a 12oz beer. i start this ritual at 8am every morning and continue it until i pass out around 2am. However, i have a good friend here--Alabama Gary--he has a similar ritual between Jack Daniels and coffee. this has the comical effect of giving him a nice, comfortable buzz throughout the day, but keeps him up all night with an erection.

3. I don't buy soap or toilet paper. Period! No, this is not a joke, Ken (he responded earlier in this thread)--is a long standing member here--and will vouch for this. i seldom have never taken a shower at my driftwood shack. only occassionaly. Instead, i go to the gym everyday and shower there. Sometimes i shower on sunday (when the gym is closed) whether i need it or not.

I'm at work right now, so i'll have to continue this later.

Frank
 

Como_un_cameron

New member
Jan 8, 2011
271
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So let's wait until Lorin describes how "comfortably" she thinks she will be living...

Cars, distance to ..., etcetera.

Because I smell something!
 

Como_un_cameron

New member
Jan 8, 2011
271
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0
Ok, well, if were going to go into details here, i'll be the first one to offer my lifestyle living expenses. Allow me to break them down for you:


2. I survive on water and beer all day.
I'd like that but's that's a different kind of spartanic

However, i have a good friend here--Alabama Gary--he has a similar ritual between Jack Daniels and coffee. this has the comical effect of giving him a nice, comfortable buzz throughout the day, but keeps him up all night with an erection.

Now that's spartanic, but also different.

So you're an alcoholic who's spartanicly living of $2000 a month.
Seems to me a couple could do well without the A with $1300 in the most expensive place in the DR :).

Don't get me wrong:cool:
 

Ken

Platinum
Jan 1, 2002
13,884
495
83
3. I don't buy soap or toilet paper. Period! No, this is not a joke, Ken (he responded earlier in this thread)--is a long standing member here--and will vouch for this. i seldom have never taken a shower at my driftwood shack. only occassionaly. Instead, i go to the gym everyday and shower there. Sometimes i shower on sunday (when the gym is closed) whether i need it or not.

Yes, I can confirm at least this part of Frank12's post. Many times I have seen him come to the gym, spend 10 minutes doing sit-ups then take a cup from water cooler, put soap in the cup from the soap dispenser by the sink and take a shower.
Some days he does not even spend 10 minutes exercising, just arrives and goes into the locker room and takes a shower.

His girlfriend is very attractive and I used to wonder how she could put up with Frank's hygiene habits. But then I found out she is from Russia and my experience with Russian's at the gym tells me that showers are not important to many of them. So I concluded that she was used to being around folks who showered infrequently and so didn't feel there was anything odd about Frank's habits.

Other than that, Frank12 is ok. Except of course that he graduated from Ohio State University. But he has learned a few manners along the way, probably by modeling the patrons of the bar where he works, so you wouldn't know he once attended Ohio State.
 

CocoBoy

New member
Feb 23, 2012
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0
So you're an alcoholic who's spartanicly living of $2000 a month.
Seems to me a couple could do well without the A with $1300 in the most expensive place in the DR :).

Don't get me wrong:cool:

I believe that your perception of living expenses for a professional couple from the U.S. is way off. It would be interesting to know the experience from which you drawn your conclusion:

1) Do you live here?
2) How long have you lived here?

I have lived here for 7 years. Own my property, don't live extravagantly by any means, don't live in the most expensive area of the country. Well in excess of $1300 USD is gone in a flash every month. Realistically, living in the Dominican Republic is only inexpensive for those who are comfortable with a very different standard of living
 

pi2

Banned
Oct 12, 2011
961
0
0
5 dollars buys a lot.

All prices per portion.

Dinners like prawns, rice, yam or sweet potato, greens. 120 pesos.

chicken 3/4 lb seasoned wih fresh peppers, yam. fresh carrots, sauce. 60 pesos

pork chop, plantain, beans, salad 55 pesos

kofta curry and rice, fresh salad. 40 pesos.

Lasagne, salad. 40 pesos.

There are hudreds of main meals under 1.5$ per portion so $5 per day is more than enough allowing for roasts etc. at weekends.

Sweets - 1/4 pineapple with cocoa sauce 12 pesos.

Breakfast - porridge, milk, 2 eggs, toast, fresh fruit. 32 pesos.

Supper - spagetti bolognese 30 pesos

coffee about 5 p per cup.

Milk is about 1$ for a litre - should last 2 people more than one day

pi2


PI2,

1.) I apologize, i may have misread your post...are you saying that both he and his wife can eat "good" for $5 each a day? If so, why not make it $3 each a day and have them only eat a bowl of rice each. this will be a win-win effect becuase not only will they loose weight but, hell, they will survive on only $90 a month in food cost!! PS- i hope you don't have growing children that you are bringing down here on $5 a day in food?

2.) Did i mention that i live fairly spartan? Ok, well, now that we got that out of the way, i couldn't live here on $5 a day in food if my life depended on it. Hell, i spend $5 a day just on chocolate!

3.) Yes, Pi2 is correct about being about to purchase a used scooter for $600, however, plan on getting it fixed regularly! Furthermore, if you buy a new "Chinese" scooter here for $900--as he suggested, plan on getting that one fixed regularly here as well after as little as 6 or 7 months...and then good luck trying to find parts for your "New" chinese scooter. I've done this route already--been there done that--with the chinese sh1t. do yourself a favor, buy either a honda or yamaha scooter or motorcycle..that way you can always find the parts for it. Period. everywhere!

4.) rent for $400? Yes, hell, you can find rent for $250! but you're not going to be inside a gated community, you're not going to be on the beach side, you're not going to have internet, cable, and electricity included in that price. So, whatever rent you do find acceptable, plan on adding the utilities to it. they can add up quite quickly!!

Did i mention that i live quite the spartan lifstyle here on $2000 a month?

PS I make are pet monkey survive on only 2 bowls of cereal a day. She's growing up quite nicely!

Frank
 

Como_un_cameron

New member
Jan 8, 2011
271
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0
I believe that your perception of living expenses for a professional couple from the U.S. is way off. It would be interesting to know the experience from which you drawn your conclusion:

1) Do you live here?
2) How long have you lived here?

I have lived here for 7 years. Own my property, don't live extravagantly by any means, don't live in the most expensive area of the country. Well in excess of $1300 USD is gone in a flash every month. Realistically, living in the Dominican Republic is only inexpensive for those who are comfortable with a very different standard of living

Like I said let's wait till the OP's going to.....

Nighty Night
 

Lorin

New member
Apr 5, 2012
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0
I would be uncomfortable saying that $1,300 US a month is enough if that includes your rent. I take it your wife will have the job at the International School and you would be looking for something to do? Jobs are very hard to come by.

Planning on having a car?

That's correct. My wife is looking at the position at ISS. And...to be honest....I don't know about the car thing yet. Still more research to do :)
 

CocoBoy

New member
Feb 23, 2012
217
0
0
5 dollars buys a lot.

All prices per portion.

Dinners like prawns, rice, yam or sweet potato, greens. 120 pesos.

chicken 3/4 lb seasoned wih fresh peppers, yam. fresh carrots, sauce. 60 pesos

pork chop, plantain, beans, salad 55 pesos

kofta curry and rice, fresh salad. 40 pesos.

Lasagne, salad. 40 pesos.

There are hudreds of main meals under 1.5$ per portion so $5 per day is more than enough allowing for roasts etc. at weekends.

Sweets - 1/4 pineapple with cocoa sauce 12 pesos.

Breakfast - porridge, milk, 2 eggs, toast, fresh fruit. 32 pesos.

Supper - spagetti bolognese 30 pesos

coffee about 5 p per cup.

Milk is about 1$ for a litre - should last 2 people more than one day

pi2

In 7 years, I've never seen prices even close to those. Remember, this couple is talking about the Sosua/ Cabarete area. Maybe I'm living in a different DR.
 

AlterEgo

Administrator
Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
23,069
6,216
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South Coast
In 7 years, I've never seen prices even close to those. Remember, this couple is talking about the Sosua/ Cabarete area. Maybe I'm living in a different DR.

You're not the one living in a different DR CocoBoy. pi2 lives on another planet, where seaweed is a delicacy.

Lorin, please follow Lindsay Kaufman's advice and get contact info for current staff at the school.