Moving to DR - need advice!!

bushit

New member
Dec 29, 2004
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Hi all! :)

Well, as the subject says, I'm going to be relocating to the DR and would appreciate some guidance. I'm in my mid twenties, Jewish and have been living in western Europe all my life.

Would someone be kind eough to give me a run-down of the basics. I'm not a millionaire and can count on about US$ 800/? 600 per month, which I think should be enough for a decent life. I'd also like to get an English-teaching or similar job there. In addition, I will have about US$ 60,000 at my disposal to buy an apartment. I'd like to live in a bigger city, somewhere safe and at the seaside, so I'm thinking Santo Domingo. Is there anywhere else I might want to consider? What is Santo Domingo like? From what I've seen on a few realters' websites, 60,000 bucks should get me a fair place to live. How about other expenses? What about services provision: broadband Internet, gas, water, etc? And just as important: what are some of the pitfalls I should most beware? BTW, my level of spoken Spanish is practically nil but I understand and read it well.

And last but not least, are there organized expat communities (US or European) in Republica Dominicana?

Thanks a lot. :D
Best,
Michael
 

Chris

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Oct 21, 2002
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Ay Ay - Leave your money in Europe - take a little bit of it and come and visit here... spend a few months - live cheaply - travel - speak to many people. Read these forums. After you've lived here for a number of months, make your decisions based on knowledge.
 

Ken

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Jan 1, 2002
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If your monthly budget is US$800, you had better come here to investigate before making your final decision. That amount doesn't go nearly as far as it did a year ago.

Regarding teaching English, there are plenty of places that will hire you, but the rate of pay is very low by your standards. It won't add as much as you think it will to your resources. What else can you do?

Santo Domingo is on the shore of the Caribbean Sea, but it is not a seaside town if by that you mean beaches for swimming.

Have you ever been to the Dominican Republic? What caused you to be interested in relocating here?
 

stallion

Mr. Main Event
May 28, 2004
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Ken said:
If your monthly budget is US$800, you had better come here to investigate before making your final decision. That amount doesn't go nearly as far as it did a year ago.

Regarding teaching English, there are plenty of places that will hire you, but the rate of pay is very low by your standards. It won't add as much as you think it will to your resources. What else can you do?

Santo Domingo is on the shore of the Caribbean Sea, but it is not a seaside town if by that you mean beaches for swimming.

Have you ever been to the Dominican Republic? What caused you to be interested in relocating here?

$60.000 you get you a nice house. I know in puerto plata you can get a two bedroom in a good area for $35,000. You will have to pay electricity, which some times can be high there since they had shortages lately. $800 plus your teaching earnings should be ok, but not the $800 alone. With your $60,000 you should invest ina business and rent a apartment. I mean you can rent apartment for like 300$ a month.
 

Snuffy

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May 3, 2002
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All The Info Is Right Here On DR1...

bushit said:
Hi all! :)

Well, as the subject says, I'm going to be relocating to the DR and would appreciate some guidance. I'm in my mid twenties, Jewish and have been living in western Europe all my life.

Would someone be kind eough to give me a run-down of the basics. I'm not a millionaire and can count on about US$ 800/? 600 per month, which I think should be enough for a decent life. I'd also like to get an English-teaching or similar job there. In addition, I will have about US$ 60,000 at my disposal to buy an apartment. I'd like to live in a bigger city, somewhere safe and at the seaside, so I'm thinking Santo Domingo. Is there anywhere else I might want to consider? What is Santo Domingo like? From what I've seen on a few realters' websites, 60,000 bucks should get me a fair place to live. How about other expenses? What about services provision: broadband Internet, gas, water, etc? And just as important: what are some of the pitfalls I should most beware? BTW, my level of spoken Spanish is practically nil but I understand and read it well.

And last but not least, are there organized expat communities (US or European) in Republica Dominicana?

Thanks a lot. :D
Best,
Michael


But sorry, you have to do all the work. Read read read.
 

Keith R

"Believe it!"
Jan 1, 2002
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stallion said:
You will have to pay electricity, which some times can be high there since they had shortages lately.
lately???? :confused: :confused: by "lately," I hope you mean the last 20 years or so, because there have power problems in the DR since before I first visited my relatives there in 1986....
 

bushit

New member
Dec 29, 2004
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locham.blogspot.com
Thanks for all the answers, especially Ken's and Stallion's.

So what are you guys saying: that a place like Panama (where I stayed for several months last year and where US$ 1,100 covered all my expenses, including rent) is more expensive than DR?!? I didn't tell you that I don't smoke or drink or go club-crawling so that eliminates a lot of expenses many other people incur.

What else can I do? Well, I've a Law degree from London, extensive computing knowledge and speak German and French alongside English. I would not want to do a "serious" full time job (ie. a career-type of thing). I just need something fun and easy-going to keep my mind active, socialize with people and earn a bit of money. After all, I'm not coming to the DR to get rich but to enjoy the kind of quality of life I can't get in Europe. :D
 

Timex

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May 9, 2002
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Hola Bushit!!!

DR1 has---
Threads: 34,231, Posts: 249,923, Members: 9,955
Welcome to our newest member, B. Arias


Do your homework (Search, Search, and Search again!)
Ask your questions.
And Good Luck!


A Good Place to Start.
Popular Post's / Past Sticky's. Required reading for Newbies!!! NEW! NEW! NEW!

With Topics Like.....
MEDICAL / MONEY / ADVICE
MOVING TO THE DR
* WORKING IN THE DR / AND WORK RESOURCES.*
*ENGLISH / SPANISH PHRASE GUIDE.*
And more!!!!


Bushit, don't forget to check out the page 2 link on moving.


By the way---
Welcome to DR1!!! :cool::cool::cool::cool:

Thanks
Tim H.

Help, and be Helped.
That?s why were here!!!
 

Ken

Platinum
Jan 1, 2002
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With your language skills, you should be able to get something in the tourist industry. Have you thought about bar tending in a resort community like Cabarete? that pays better than teaching English and open the doors to a lot of socialization.
 

bushit

New member
Dec 29, 2004
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Timex-Tim, thank you SO much for those links. I'd visited some of those sites before but only had a cursory link. Great stuff and most of my questions answered. At the risk of sounding stupid, what exactly did you mean by "Bushit, don't forget to check out the page 2 link on moving"; which page 2? :confused:

Ken: no, I didn't consider it and it wouldn't really be my thing. I'm more of an office or classroom type of person. Teaching English, I hear, is one of the easiest jobs to come by and it suits me fine. I'd prefer teaching computer science or even international law, and I'll look into that. There's no rush. :D I'm not too worried about the pay; it's the experience that matters as well as keeping my brain active. :D