moving to Santo Domingo with family of 5

nostradamnit

New member
Sep 21, 2012
8
0
0
I have a job offer in Santo Domingo for 75k/m. I've been told that I should be able to live well (not royally, just well) with this salary. I have 3 young teenagers (11, 13x2) plus my wife. I have a friend in LT who thinks it's doable, and who has Dominican friends who concur and say I should be able to rent for around 15k in El Million or Mirador Sur. Does this sound doable to you all?

We have so many questions before I accept the contract. Is La Capital safe? stable? What are some of the things we should be aware of?

BTW, we are a french/american family. My wife speaks Spanish quite well, me less and the children are learning. We are currenty in Western France, but are ready for a change and willing to adapt our lifestyle (i.e. not expecting to eat the same as now, want to integrate as much as possible in the culture).

Thanks,
Sam
 
Apr 13, 2011
680
0
0
Possible: yes. But you will be on a very, very tight budget - especially for a family of five. And I hope you have some money saved for emergencies.
 

Givadogahome

Silver
Sep 27, 2011
4,397
2
0
75,000€, ? or $.
?75,000 you can live excellently
€75,000 you can live almost as excellently
$75,000 you can live very comfortably indeed

So no matter what, yes, you will be comfortable and have no money worries at all.

Oops, just clicked that is RD75,000 a month, lol, sorry, just woke up. Your initial investment might be high! But you could do it, I personally would want a '1' on front of that if I had two teenagers, but we as a family of 3 (child of three, two adults) could manage on around RD70,000 - 80,000 per month (if we had to), and we know the area well, and how to save money on things.
 
Last edited:

bronzeallspice

Live everyday like it's your last
Mar 26, 2012
11,009
2
38
On that budget you will have to adapt to the dominican diet,eating rice,beans platanos,etc.Don't
expect to eat meat everyday.
 

JohnnyBoy

Bronze
Jun 17, 2012
1,448
0
0
I have a job offer in Santo Domingo for 75k/m. I've been told that I should be able to live well (not royally, just well) with this salary. I have 3 young teenagers (11, 13x2) plus my wife. I have a friend in LT who thinks it's doable, and who has Dominican friends who concur and say I should be able to rent for around 15k in El Million or Mirador Sur. Does this sound doable to you all?

We have so many questions before I accept the contract. Is La Capital safe? stable? What are some of the things we should be aware of?

BTW, we are a french/american family. My wife speaks Spanish quite well, me less and the children are learning. We are currenty in Western France, but are ready for a change and willing to adapt our lifestyle (i.e. not expecting to eat the same as now, want to integrate as much as possible in the culture).

Thanks,
Sam
Thats not enough money. If you rent a house 15,000 food 30,000 youre halfway before you pay for electric or anything. If your contract included rent and a maid you would still be tight
good luck
 

bronzeallspice

Live everyday like it's your last
Mar 26, 2012
11,009
2
38
EL Millon and EL Mirador are expensive places to live in the Capitol,it's not cheap.Unless you're
looking for a one bedroom apartment,it will cost you more than $15,000 RD.
 

Givadogahome

Silver
Sep 27, 2011
4,397
2
0
I have a job offer in Santo Domingo for 75k/m. I've been told that I should be able to live well (not royally, just well) with this salary. I have 3 young teenagers (11, 13x2) plus my wife. I have a friend in LT who thinks it's doable

Yanadu gets around doesn't he:bunny:

Teenagers cost a lot to maintain also as their is not much they can do with themselves that doesn't cost. It is not an environment in SD that they will be able to just hang out. Those teenagers will experience the mother of all culture shocks, kids are tough in the capital, and the kids that aren't tough have extremely wealthy parents.
 

nostradamnit

New member
Sep 21, 2012
8
0
0
Possible: yes. But you will be on a very, very tight budget - especially for a family of five. And I hope you have some money saved for emergencies.

Thanks for your reply. I was worried it would be tight, especially as we'll have to find and furnish an appartment plus purchase a vehicle etc. I have a phone interview today so I'll discuss this :)
 

nostradamnit

New member
Sep 21, 2012
8
0
0
Thanks for all the replies. Unfortunately, it's looking unlikely that I'll be meeting you all soon :( Maybe another time...
 

Castle

Silver
Sep 1, 2012
2,982
1
0
Thanks for all the replies. Unfortunately, it's looking unlikely that I'll be meeting you all soon :( Maybe another time...

On that budget, if you really don't need to move, don't do it. 75k after taxes and all compulsory discounts becomes more like 60k...
 

Givadogahome

Silver
Sep 27, 2011
4,397
2
0
Sorry bout the bad news, try to negotiate your rent into the deal, a fuel allowance and a company car and you'll be talking business.
 

windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
42,211
5,966
113
Thanks for all the replies. Unfortunately, it's looking unlikely that I'll be meeting you all soon :( Maybe another time...

I think you are making the correct decision to not accept the job under your circumstances. Sorry to hear that, but a good choice.
 

nostradamnit

New member
Sep 21, 2012
8
0
0
Clarification, it's RD75,000 after taxes plus medical insurance plus visa. I'm not sure how much that changes things...
 

Givadogahome

Silver
Sep 27, 2011
4,397
2
0
Clarification, it's RD75,000 after taxes plus medical insurance plus visa. I'm not sure how much that changes things...

No, that's what I realised, I first thought you meant ?75,000 per year, which would have done you well for a life in DR. But $RD75,000 like I said is what we'd survive on as a family of three and the child being a toddler, and that wouldn't be a life of luxury, eat out once a fortnight, cinema once a fortnight. Like I said, negotiate your rent and a car into it and ou could manage, but your still not going to be doing well, I can't see the point in moving anywhere that is going to downgrade your lifestyle. It's not a lot of money in the capital. By all means if you have a crap life now then try it, but it's not gunna be easy.
 

bronzeallspice

Live everyday like it's your last
Mar 26, 2012
11,009
2
38
Clarification, it's RD75,000 after taxes plus medical insurance plus visa. I'm not sure how much that changes things...

It's the areas where you want to live in the capitol that'll make it difficult for you.What about
schooling for your children?
 
Last edited:

Africaida

Gold
Jun 19, 2009
7,775
1,341
113
I have a job offer in Santo Domingo for 75k/m. I've been told that I should be able to live well (not royally, just well) with this salary. I have 3 young teenagers (11, 13x2) plus my wife. I have a friend in LT who thinks it's doable, and who has Dominican friends who concur and say I should be able to rent for around 15k in El Million or Mirador Sur. Does this sound doable to you all?

We have so many questions before I accept the contract. Is La Capital safe? stable? What are some of the things we should be aware of?

BTW, we are a french/american family. My wife speaks Spanish quite well, me less and the children are learning. We are currenty in Western France, but are ready for a change and willing to adapt our lifestyle (i.e. not expecting to eat the same as now, want to integrate as much as possible in the culture).

Thanks,
Sam

If you plan to send your kids to the lycee Francais, they should be scholarships based on your income and expenses (through the embassy). It could help.

Bonne chance !
 

george1

New member
Jan 2, 2011
164
0
0
On that budget you will have to adapt to the dominican diet,eating rice,beans platanos,etc.Don't
expect to eat meat everyday.

On RD$75,000 you will be taxed by the government around RD$10,000 minimum.
An apartent w/ 3 bedrms in the areas described is minimum US$1,000. Most landlords will not ever think of excepting Pesos. RD$15,000 gets you best a one bedroom apartment in a very marginal area.
A halfway decent school in the areas described and surroundings is RD$10-15,000 a month.
I have a family rather similar to yours, our bi-weekly grocery bill is RD$17-20,000, no luxury goods and no alcohol.
What you have in mind could be done, but you will have to live in misery and embrace poverty.. Everything is more expenive than in the USA or Europe. A small bag of milk costs RD$500.
Good luck.
 

bronzeallspice

Live everyday like it's your last
Mar 26, 2012
11,009
2
38
On RD$75,000 you will be taxed by the government around RD$10,000 minimum.
An apartent w/ 3 bedrms in the areas described is minimum US$1,000. Most landlords will not ever think of excepting Pesos. RD$15,000 gets you best a one bedroom apartment in a very marginal area.
A halfway decent school in the areas described and surroundings is RD$10-15,000 a month.
I have a family rather similar to yours, our bi-weekly grocery bill is RD$17-20,000, no luxury goods and no alcohol.
What you have in mind could be done, but you will have to live in misery and embrace poverty.. Everything is more expenive than in the USA or Europe. A small bag of milk costs RD$500.
Good luck.

I agree with you.I have family members who live in EL Millon and most landlords want rent in dollars.
 

nostradamnit

New member
Sep 21, 2012
8
0
0
That's another issue - we discussed sending them to the French school, but apparently it is quite expensive as well, and we can't even apply for financial aid until we are there.
 

Africaida

Gold
Jun 19, 2009
7,775
1,341
113
That's another issue - we discussed sending them to the French school, but apparently it is quite expensive as well, and we can't even apply for financial aid until we are there.

I don't know how it works in SD, but...

Get in touch with The French Embassy (service social normalement). In NY, there are several "commissions" par annee qui examinent les dossiers.

Lycee francais is 25K/year in NYC :dead: