Relocating

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Robcameron321

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Jul 7, 2015
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I am considering relocating to Sosua.. for the past year i was living near Dumaguete in the Philippines. I was very happy there but it is such a long way from family. One of the reasons and a big one at that for living in the Philippines was cost of living. While i do not expect the cost in Sosua to be as low i do expect them to be lower then what i have seen represented by many people here. some that represent Sosua to be as expensive as the USA are just off and probably insincere though i do not know the motivation. After considerable research here i do not feel i have anything close to a realistic idea of what the cost of living will be there.. i am not sue what the secrecy is about.perhaps there is some type of paranoia.. very few people will state what they pay in rent.. as if this is some sort of top secret item that they do not want anyone to know..? Instead they give ranges of rents that often seem high to me.. $500 to $600 per month for a single studio or one bedroom seems high to me as a base line number.. i understand that rent can be anything you want high to low.. but that is why real numbers on what people are actually paying would be helpful.. so i will come down to visit and would like to know where would i go for a beer or a meal where i may run into some reliable expats willing to share some information with a new comer. i have a low tolerance for losers and deadbeats.. and i am street smart enough to recognize these individuals quickly. my Budget there will be around $2000 / month. and while i lived quite well in the Philippines on this. i feel i should at least be comfortable in Sosua and not struggling. any comments and guidance will be appreciated.
 

the gorgon

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Sep 16, 2010
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I am considering relocating to Sosua.. for the past year i was living near Dumaguete in the Philippines. I was very happy there but it is such a long way from family. One of the reasons and a big one at that for living in the Philippines was cost of living. While i do not expect the cost in Sosua to be as low i do expect them to be lower then what i have seen represented by many people here. some that represent Sosua to be as expensive as the USA are just off and probably insincere though i do not know the motivation. After considerable research here i do not feel i have anything close to a realistic idea of what the cost of living will be there.. i am not sue what the secrecy is about.perhaps there is some type of paranoia.. very few people will state what they pay in rent.. as if this is some sort of top secret item that they do not want anyone to know..? Instead they give ranges of rents that often seem high to me.. $500 to $600 per month for a single studio or one bedroom seems high to me as a base line number.. i understand that rent can be anything you want high to low.. but that is why real numbers on what people are actually paying would be helpful.. so i will come down to visit and would like to know where would i go for a beer or a meal where i may run into some reliable expats willing to share some information with a new comer. i have a low tolerance for losers and deadbeats.. and i am street smart enough to recognize these individuals quickly. my Budget there will be around $2000 / month. and while i lived quite well in the Philippines on this. i feel i should at least be comfortable in Sosua and not struggling. any comments and guidance will be appreciated.

if you have 2000 per month, you can live fine in the DR. let us just say that for that amount you can live as well as a guy with 5000 per month in the USA.
 

Criss Colon

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Jan 2, 2002
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I have lived in both places, last 20 years here in the DR,but my stay in the "PI" WAS DECADES AGO, I know men who have lived there in the last few years!!!!!
I lived in Thailand for years, I TOO LEFT BECAUSE IT WAS A 2 DAY TRIP TO GET TO THE USA.(BOSTON)
I should have stayed in Thailand!!!!!
If finding a woman is high on your agenda, move to the DR,if finding a "GOOD WOMAN" IS HIGH ON YOUR AGENDA,definately stay in the "PI's"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
 

HUG

Silver
Feb 3, 2009
3,940
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I tend to agree. Sosua has one class of women, maybe that is who you are looking for, but remember if you're fishing in filthy waters you'd be best of throwing them all back. None of them are keepers. None!

I think the point your considering DR concerning and can see you've limited options. But to choose Sosua, I know you aint researched at all. $2000 in sosua is probably alright if you limit your going out, don't have a vehicle, and limit your time with women.

When I lived in Sosua, some 8 years ago, I'd have gone through $2000 in 10 days. my rent was above afriends bar, studio $250per month.
 
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windeguy

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Jul 10, 2004
42,211
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To the OP. I see no reason that posters on DR1 would be disingenuous on how much it costs them to live here.
 

mountainannie

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Dec 11, 2003
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the problem with renting in a tourist area is that the rents will always go up to what the market can bear. When I first went to Las Terrenas, I could rent a one bedroom for $350 but those days are long gone. So unless you can buy an apartment - which, i think in Sosua - starts around $40k - you will always be at the mercy of the landlords and the market. However - there are really nice places - even places near the water, such as Luperon, which are kinda off the beaten track - not so much tourist destinations, and where rents are probably pretty cheap.

That said - I do not know Sosua - only Las Terrenas - and Sosua may not be always raising the rents. However, by law in the DR, a landlord can raise the rent 10% a month, so that can be a pretty stiff hike for someone on a fixed income.

Plus - it all depends on what you want as a living situation - how caliente the barrio is - what you feel comfortable with'

But 2k for a single person is fine. Not opulent - well maybe it would be opulent in the campo - but not here in the Capital.
 

drescape24

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Nov 2, 2011
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Welcome, I wish you all the best in your relocation.
As a landlord, $500.00 per month for a newer studio, within walking distance to everything in town is correct.
That means you have $1500.00 per month for food and fun. That's a very comfortable life in Sosua. I drink and eat what I want while I am in town and I do it on $1200.00 a month. But I own my own condo. My electric bill is between $15.00 and $25.00 a month. That running 2 split units.
Good luck.
 

mountainannie

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Dec 11, 2003
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the problem with renting in a tourist area is that the rents will always go up to what the market can bear. When I first went to Las Terrenas, I could rent a one bedroom for $350 but those days are long gone. So unless you can buy an apartment - which, i think in Sosua - starts around $40k - you will always be at the mercy of the landlords and the market. However - there are really nice places - even places near the water, such as Luperon, which are kinda off the beaten track - not so much tourist destinations, and where rents are probably pretty cheap.

That said - I do not know Sosua - only Las Terrenas - and Sosua may not be always raising the rents. However, by law in the DR, a landlord can raise the rent 10% a month, so that can be a pretty stiff hike for someone on a fixed income.

Plus - it all depends on what you want as a living situation - how caliente the barrio is - what you feel comfortable with'

But 2k for a single person is fine. Not opulent - well maybe it would be opulent in the campo - but not here in the Capital.

sorry too late to correct my post .. I meant that the landlord can raise the rent 10% per year

not per month

there are posters in some areas - such as Jarabacoa- who always say "rent rent rent"

and that would certainly be my advice in the Capital

but if you are going to pay $500 for a studio - then $25 for electric - then cable -- then health insurance -
plus money for trips back to the States - is it? -

and will you be happy living full time in a studio?
 

DRob

Gold
Aug 15, 2007
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and will you be happy living full time in a studio?

Excellent point, which comes down to the question of: what kind of lifestyle do you want?

There is a difference, and not a subtle one, between "simplifying" and "downsizing." If you've spent many years in a spacious house, it's hard to go to a studio, or vice versa.

If you're set on the move, come on an initial trip for 1-3 months, and try out the lifestyle. It may be perfect, or you may make some tweaks. Some people come dead set on being close to the beach, and end up in the mountains.

So take your time. Best of luck!
 

danytravel

New member
Sep 14, 2010
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I am considering relocating to Sosua.. for the past year i was living near Dumaguete in the Philippines. I was very happy there but it is such a long way from family. One of the reasons and a big one at that for living in the Philippines was cost of living. While i do not expect the cost in Sosua to be as low i do expect them to be lower then what i have seen represented by many people here. some that represent Sosua to be as expensive as the USA are just off and probably insincere though i do not know the motivation. After considerable research here i do not feel i have anything close to a realistic idea of what the cost of living will be there.. i am not sue what the secrecy is about.perhaps there is some type of paranoia.. very few people will state what they pay in rent.. as if this is some sort of top secret item that they do not want anyone to know..? Instead they give ranges of rents that often seem high to me.. $500 to $600 per month for a single studio or one bedroom seems high to me as a base line number.. i understand that rent can be anything you want high to low.. but that is why real numbers on what people are actually paying would be helpful.. so i will come down to visit and would like to know where would i go for a beer or a meal where i may run into some reliable expats willing to share some information with a new comer. i have a low tolerance for losers and deadbeats.. and i am street smart enough to recognize these individuals quickly. my Budget there will be around $2000 / month. and while i lived quite well in the Philippines on this. i feel i should at least be comfortable in Sosua and not struggling. any comments and guidance will be appreciated.

Just to answer your question.
I own two places that I rent in Caribe Campo ( right in front of the Super Pola supermarket).
the 1st is a 330 sq ft studio that I rent for 350$ a month ( everything included but electricity) and the other is a 700 sq ft apartment that I rent when I am not there ( $600 a month). They are in a place with security and two swimming pools. The residence is not new but it's clean. The apartment has been renovated last year when I bought it and the studio has been freshly repainted. This should give you an idea of the prices as you asked....
Food and other things are really dependent on the type of restaurant and places you go. You can have a nice meal for 15$ in many places, but if you go to a fancy restaurant you can go as High as 100$...
 

drescape24

Bronze
Nov 2, 2011
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sorry too late to correct my post .. I meant that the landlord can raise the rent 10% per year

not per month

there are posters in some areas - such as Jarabacoa- who always say "rent rent rent"

and that would certainly be my advice in the Capital

but if you are going to pay $500 for a studio - then $25 for electric - then cable -- then health insurance -
plus money for trips back to the States - is it? -

and will you be happy living full time in a studio?
Most of the units in Sosua have cable, internet, water , sewer included. The only bill my tenits pay is electric. I have central hot water and propane.
So the cost should be much higher than $525.00 per month.
 

keepcoming

Moderator - Living & General Stuff
May 25, 2011
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OP I doubt that posters are not "honest/clear" on what they are paying for rent. The problem is your need may not be the same as someone else's. Rent can vary by needs, wants, area, etc... I live in the Capital and while I own my property, I would be hard pressed to give you a figure unless you are clear on what type of lifestyle you are looking for. Plus budget can vary month to month, but I am sure you are accustom to this. My SIL (brothers wife is from Angeles? in PI) has spent time with us here and prefers the DR. Actually they are looking for a place in PC. But again budget depends on your wants, needs, etc.....
 

jd426

Gold
Dec 12, 2009
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No disrespect to anyone , but I have met only ONE person who claimed to live on approx $1800 a month in Sosua.. and he took the time to lay it out for me, every single item, down to laundry.. the man was meticulous with his finances, in fact thats what he did for a living before Retiring.. managing peoples money.
.. He went from a life in Florida to Sosua.. small apt, had health insurance, no car, Good Internet, Tv, cell , A/C always on of course..no reason to sweat like a farm animal with only a Fan... Refrigerator was always stocked with some food, etc. Go out to eat couple times a week.
. He was NOT cheap per se, but it took some doing.

Everyone else has told me its $2,500/ month MIN... and they all seem to come up with the same exact same figure. so I dont see how they could be making it up out of thin air..
imho, no way you can live in Sosua on $2K a month. especially the first 6 months of living there. no way.
 

MikeFisher

The Fisherman/Weather Mod
Feb 28, 2006
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Punta Cana/DR
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just so i don't misunderstand the OP's "concern" about rental prices.
he/she/it did Never Visit the DR,
but wanna tell that posters LIE about their monthly paid rentals?
WTF,
on what bases does it calculate to even think to tell that someone's rent is too high or too low to be true?
mayeb too much phillippine puzzies causes such termites in da head.

i pay myself $600.- USD per month, for a large 3 bedroom 2 bathroom monster veranda plus smaller balcony appartment.
veranda and one of my 2 office windows and all the living room and kittchen look straight on da beach.
the sand begins where the last step of the stairs to he 2nd floor ends.
it includes 24hrs security and would even include cable. i say "would" in case of the cable, as some years ago i did decide to not buy the boxes of the cable company(they did not require them before) and use the Claro TV as a residential plan with phone and internet plan instead.
name it a lie or whatsoever, it is what i pay on the table every month.
my biz partner and his wife live a few miles away in a Villa on the Bahia Principe Golf course, also 3 bedrooms, they have 4 bathrooms, they are located back from the Ocean and have a pool instead, 24hrs security even with guarding dogs included(but they had at the residency 3 burglaries earlier this year, lol), nothing else included, they pay $2.500.- USD per month.
that's also no LIE!!!!, just a fact of life.
btw,
my rental includes full furniching, theirs not.
what a Studio is worth as a rental, depends simply on you, the renter, what you want and what you are willing to pay for it.
but the first action required is of course to come down and get situated in an area to earn the local rental rates to be given.
if you come tomorrow to our residency and ask for a similar appartment as mine, (there are 2 more existent here on da beach, even without the vioew, but the same size and equipment), then you will start at least at $750.-, not completely furniched, and you need to pay several months in advance.

decide yourself why some may "lie" to you on their rentals.

but maybe you better just get a bit more realistic with the world, manage some days without anything smoked in the philippines, then some stuff may look more "real" to you.

thinking back in da day, when i was a single hooking around da island's 'hoods,
2KUSD would have been very fine for a great life living in a nice furniched studio right by da beach, and thats here in punta cana, where some say life would be more expensive(not that i would agree with any of 'em), including riding a Truck, hanging out most nights etc etc.
good ole days.
Man, back in time the chics been company for a whole weekend just becaue you brought 'em down to Juanillo Beach.
todays i hear(not my cup of tea since a long time, ole fart now) chic get paid a fortune just to open the legs.
i guess on that theme the 'hood got fukced by getting americanized.

Mike
 
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