Hello, I'm new here! living in DR vs. Tenerife(Spain)

stevex

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Apr 28, 2012
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Hello everybody, my name's Steve. We currently live in Tenerife (with my wife and daughter) and actually have been contemplating the idea of relocating to DR - any advice from you would be really appreciated:). The main reason is cost of living here compared to DR. At lease based on what I read from posts on this forum and from other websites. Mainly accomodation and school tuition fees. We were on holiday in DR a few months ago so we know at least partially what the enviroment and the climate is like. Basically we are at the point when we have to decide whether to purchase a property here or move somewhere else. The average cost for buying a property in Tenerife is 1000EUR/square meter in a good location ( by good location I mean non turistic area, but still no further than 10Km from the beach and school). School tuition fees are 380EUR/month for english or bilingual school. These two factors are the most important criteria for us. From what I read, the DR comes much cheaper on these compared to Tenerife. Please let me know your opinions, etc. Thanks.
 

Chirimoya

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Dec 9, 2002
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Welcome to DR1.

by good location I mean non turistic area, but still no further than 10Km from the beach and school
That is not going to be easy. The only places I can think of in the DR that are within 10km from the beach and an English or bilingual school are pretty much all touristic: Sosua, La Romana, Punta Cana. The school fees are similar to what you quote for Tenerife at that level.
 

mountainannie

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Dec 11, 2003
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I have met a couple of people from the Canaries who love it here.. in fact there were many very first settlers here from those islands. One older couple used to go to the old all inclusive for three months .. since at $60 a day, it was cheaper for them than staying home. They said that what they loved most about the DR was the SPACE.. that back home they felt very crowded.

So you should be fine here - should fit in and adapt well. Since there are many similarilarities... and Spanish is your first language. And since you have English as well, you will be able to find work... most likely.

The issue will be finding out which part of the island suits you best since there are huge differences between city or beach life, and each little beach town has its own peculiar character.

The two pressing factors will be where you will be able to find lucrative work and where to find good education.

I do not know what your field is but since Tenerife is a tourism based economy, perhaps it is that field?

Anyway, let us know and we can help you more on that front ..

And we are all going to advise you that you should rent first for at least the first 6 months to a year to see how well you adapt and whether or not your family likes it and give yourselves the option of moving about the country a bit within your first year,

Welcome to DR1!
 

Hillbilly

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Jan 1, 2002
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I always push Santiago. It is not 10 km from any beach but it is close enough so that beaches are just one alternative. Equal distance are the mountains and their wonderful rivers and waterfalls.

Besides this, top of the line rentals are available at 1300 US$ a month plus $140 maintenance fee, water and electric. (Furnished), and schools are nearly 45% less expensive for accredited schools like Saint David or Santiago Christian School (the only accredited ones in Santiago-well, almost, St. David is going through the process).

Plus excellent health facilities--always important with children.

Plus very interesting intellectual activities at the Regional Theater, 37 en Tablas, and Centro Leon among other things.

Plus good to very good shopping

Plus outstanding connectivity with the rest of the world out of STI international airport.

Plus very good to excellent Internet connections.


There is nothing available in the rest of the country that can match that.


HB
 

mountainannie

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Well, HB...I do think that SD can both match and top that .. because we have the sea breezes even if I personally will not swim off the Malecon -- there are folks that do!

but I know that Santiago has its pluses..

all depends on what the
OP
is looking for in terms of work, I would suspect.

The bilingual education and non tourist requirements do sort of limit the choices to either Santo Domingo or Santiago.. all other bilingual schools are in the tourist areas.
 

stevex

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Apr 28, 2012
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Hi thanks for the welcome.
That '10km' criteria is not that rigid, basically we don't want to spend the whole days on the road from home to school.
I'm more concerned about the fees - you mention that the fees are similar - from what I read on this forum in a section about schools it looked much cheaper (or my maths skills are poor :) - i saw something between 2500-5000 DOP/month tuition
 
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Chirimoya

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Annual fees for the good English/bilingual schools in the areas mentioned will be over US$5,000 per year.
 

stevex

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Apr 28, 2012
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Work is not an issue. I source all my income from the web (working from home), so we won't be looking for work in DR.
 

Hillbilly

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At New Horizons (currently under an Embargo), the fees are RD$11,000 a month; at St. David they are RD$10,000/US$250 (more or less) and at Santiago Christian School, they are higher. At the top schools in Santo Domingo (only Carol Morgan is accredited) the fees are much higher, but the facilities are huge and modern. You get what you pay for.

I gave you a figure for a 3 BR/3 Bath fully furnished apartment. There are lots of other options.

Main difference between Santiago and Santo Domingo is the fact that you lose 4 hours a day moving children back and fourth to school. Both have the best services. And you are just as far from a nice beach in Santo Domingo as you are in Santiago, but you don't have the option of the mountains quite so close.

Good luck...and you really should check this out before making the move.


HB
 

stevex

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Apr 28, 2012
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thanks

At New Horizons (currently under an Embargo), the fees are RD$11,000 a month; at St. David they are RD$10,000/US$250 (more or less) and at Santiago Christian School, they are higher. At the top schools in Santo Domingo (only Carol Morgan is accredited) the fees are much higher, but the facilities are huge and modern. You get what you pay for.

I gave you a figure for a 3 BR/3 Bath fully furnished apartment. There are lots of other options.

Main difference between Santiago and Santo Domingo is the fact that you lose 4 hours a day moving children back and fourth to school. Both have the best services. And you are just as far from a nice beach in Santo Domingo as you are in Santiago, but you don't have the option of the mountains quite so close.

Good luck...and you really should check this out before making the move.


HB

hi Hillbilly, thanks a lot. Hopefully I'll figure out what's best for us
 

AlterEgo

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Jan 9, 2009
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Just wanted to throw out there the possibility of sending the kids to a Catholic/private school in Santo Domingo since they probably speak Spanish, should be dramatically cheaper than an English school. Our nieces and nephews did that, and took English classes several afternoons a week.

If the OP is interested, I can find out where they attended.
 

stevex

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Apr 28, 2012
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I have met a couple of people from the Canaries who love it here.. in fact there were many very first settlers here from those islands. One older couple used to go to the old all inclusive for three months .. since at $60 a day, it was cheaper for them than staying home. They said that what they loved most about the DR was the SPACE.. that back home they felt very crowded.

So you should be fine here - should fit in and adapt well. Since there are many similarilarities... and Spanish is your first language. And since you have English as well, you will be able to find work... most likely.

The issue will be finding out which part of the island suits you best since there are huge differences between city or beach life, and each little beach town has its own peculiar character.

The two pressing factors will be where you will be able to find lucrative work and where to find good education.

I do not know what your field is but since Tenerife is a tourism based economy, perhaps it is that field?

Anyway, let us know and we can help you more on that front ..

And we are all going to advise you that you should rent first for at least the first 6 months to a year to see how well you adapt and whether or not your family likes it and give yourselves the option of moving about the country a bit within your first year,

Welcome to DR1!
hi MA thanks for the welcome. You're right SPACE is definitely another important factor, sometimes it feels really overcrowded here. We'll rent for the first months until we get to know the country better. I'm a bit concerned now after reading the thread: OP asking for advice regarding relocation to DR :)
 

stevex

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Apr 28, 2012
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Just wanted to throw out there the possibility of sending the kids to a Catholic/private school in Santo Domingo since they probably speak Spanish, should be dramatically cheaper than an English school. Our nieces and nephews did that, and took English classes several afternoons a week.

If the OP is interested, I can find out where they attended.
Thanks AlterEgo. My daughter learns Spanish, we're not native Spanish speakers. After reading another thread about the single mother asking for advice, it looks like DR is far from the ideal place where to raise children (especially girls) :) - security in DR such an issue?
 

Hillbilly

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Jan 1, 2002
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RE: schools

There are five or six nice schools for Spanish speakers in Santiago. And there are several excellent schools for keeping up their English. ELI; John F. Kennedy; Dominico-Americano are perhaps the three best that I know. These, combined do not reach 10,000 pesos ($250) a month.

I look at primary and secondary education as a necessary evil and place a lot more importance on what they learn at home. Reading, reading and more reading. And then writing, writing and more writing. Anything else is a bonus.

In Santo Domingo, you would be talking another three hours going from one school to the English class back and forth to home!! Traffic is a real mess and the worst thing about a nice city...

HB
 

Taino808

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Oct 10, 2010
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Besides this, top of the line rentals are available at 1300 US$ a month plus $140 maintenance fee, water and electric. (Furnished), and schools are nearly 45% less expensive for accredited schools like Saint David or Santiago Christian School (the only accredited ones in Santiago-well, almost, St. David is going through the process).

HB


With all due respect HB, but "O&M Hostos" is another US accredited school. It's curriculum is totally in English, with Spanish being the second language.

This school/ University is very close to you, on "Bartolome Colon" near Ave. Texas.
 

La Rubia

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Jan 1, 2010
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Thanks AlterEgo. My daughter learns Spanish, we're not native Spanish speakers. After reading another thread about the single mother asking for advice, it looks like DR is far from the ideal place where to raise children (especially girls) :) - security in DR such an issue?

The key difference, imo, is that you've said your income is Internet based and both you and your wife will be coming as a family.

Much different than coming to look for work as a single parent.

And, of course, when you start your post with "am I crazy" you gotta know it's going to get ugly.
 

pi2

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Oct 12, 2011
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Other places can be considered - Las Terrenas has an excellent French school with much individual attention plus there are several good schools where the tuition language is Spanish.
$100,000 should buy nice vills, $300,000 3000 sq. ft. with swimming pool, 3,000 sq. metres gardens, ocean view etc.etc.

pi2
 

Hillbilly

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Jan 1, 2002
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RE: O&M Hostos

They do not show up on SACS accreditation lists on-line, but neither do New Horizons or Santiago Christian School. I am going to check on this subject since it is one thing to say you are accredited (and then by whom????) and another to really be accredited.


HB
 

Taino808

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Oct 10, 2010
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RE: O&M Hostos

They do not show up on SACS accreditation lists on-line, but neither do New Horizons or Santiago Christian School. I am going to check on this subject since it is one thing to say you are accredited (and then by whom????) and another to really be accredited.


HB


Please do check, because my two daughters attend this school, my oldest daughter has been attending this school for the past 4 years and it is my understanding that it's accredited by some high school in Texas and in the state of California.

As a matter of fact, my daughter says "a bunch of Texas teachers are to arrive on the 21st of May to help review some upcoming test". And just this past week my eldest daughter began some testing (either for "pruebas nacionales" or SAT) anyhow she claims that the test were administered by the California school board. And the test booklet read "California test prep"
 

kampinge

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Jan 18, 2012
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Hillbilly, please explain the problems with New Horizons for me. I have my 3 children there and have already paid for next year.
Are there serious problems with the school. I ask 2 month ago when I read something in the papers about problems with their landlord about the rent but the school told me it is not seriously. They also told me they are accredited, as well as in Santo Domingo.

So please all information you have will be great.
Thanks in advance.