Please somebody straighten me out, cuz I am lost...
A. Living expenses
I am probably going to get ?corrected? now, but? I did some calculus and I just can?t help being confused! Let me show you!
First, to simplify comparisons, I have translated all figures into Dominican pesos, using the latest rate on this board. The calculation is meant to reflect the cost for one person. Okey ,here goes?
Earlier today, I called a Dominican friend in Santo Domingo and asked him for a typical price for a good apartment in a good neighbourhood. He said 2.000.000 pesos. Then I asked the price of a good car (=4WD Jeep type of car), that will take you through Santo Domingo traffic (incidentally, the worst traffic I have ever seen, and I have seen a lot!). He said 1.000.000 pesos.
About cost of living, people on this board have mentioned a wide variation of figures. Let me suggest an average of 50.000 pesos per month (that is for one person). That adds up to 600.000 pesos per year.
(A normal month for me includes restaurant 4 times, bar/pub at least 4 times, movie twice, concert/theater/show once. Is 50.000 pesos enough for that plus normal living expenses in Santo Domingo?)
A ?normal? person, from where I come in Europe, can save? hm?? maybe up to 10.000 pesos per month, if you really go Scrooge about your life. Most of my friends in my native country save nothing at all, which indeed was my situation before I left Europe.
So? just to buy the house and the car requires saving for 30 years? And the dream ends right there!
WHERE DID MY CALCULATION GO WRONG???
B. ?To check things out?
I just can not help making this comment?
Someone advised that one should go to DR for 3 to 6 months to check things out, before making the big move. Okey, good advise! ?if you are a student, unemployed or retired with a pension. But, what about the rest of us, with a job, a home, a dog etc! Which employer would allow you to leave for 6 months to check thing out in another country?
Or maybe I missed something here?
A. Living expenses
I am probably going to get ?corrected? now, but? I did some calculus and I just can?t help being confused! Let me show you!
First, to simplify comparisons, I have translated all figures into Dominican pesos, using the latest rate on this board. The calculation is meant to reflect the cost for one person. Okey ,here goes?
Earlier today, I called a Dominican friend in Santo Domingo and asked him for a typical price for a good apartment in a good neighbourhood. He said 2.000.000 pesos. Then I asked the price of a good car (=4WD Jeep type of car), that will take you through Santo Domingo traffic (incidentally, the worst traffic I have ever seen, and I have seen a lot!). He said 1.000.000 pesos.
About cost of living, people on this board have mentioned a wide variation of figures. Let me suggest an average of 50.000 pesos per month (that is for one person). That adds up to 600.000 pesos per year.
(A normal month for me includes restaurant 4 times, bar/pub at least 4 times, movie twice, concert/theater/show once. Is 50.000 pesos enough for that plus normal living expenses in Santo Domingo?)
A ?normal? person, from where I come in Europe, can save? hm?? maybe up to 10.000 pesos per month, if you really go Scrooge about your life. Most of my friends in my native country save nothing at all, which indeed was my situation before I left Europe.
So? just to buy the house and the car requires saving for 30 years? And the dream ends right there!
WHERE DID MY CALCULATION GO WRONG???
B. ?To check things out?
I just can not help making this comment?
Someone advised that one should go to DR for 3 to 6 months to check things out, before making the big move. Okey, good advise! ?if you are a student, unemployed or retired with a pension. But, what about the rest of us, with a job, a home, a dog etc! Which employer would allow you to leave for 6 months to check thing out in another country?
Or maybe I missed something here?