Expenses

WaterRats

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Aug 21, 2005
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How well can you live over there on $2000 (US) per month? If we were to live on the north coast, on or near the water. What are your average monthly expenses there (electric, phone, internet, food, etc.), if you don't mind me asking?
Thanks!
 

Ken

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Jan 1, 2002
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How many people would the $2000 be supporting? Just you, or more? What about housing? You didn't include that on your list. Do you already have a place to live that doesn't come out of the $2000?
 

carina

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Mar 13, 2005
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This is a really difficult question to answer.
It depends on what you eat, how many persons you are, how you use electricity and for what facility, costs of schools if any, your interests and hobbies etc etc.
There is no fixed price of living here, not even on phones, it depends on what company you use, what plan you chose etc etc.
 

WaterRats

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Aug 21, 2005
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There are 4 of us, three adults, and one child. We're considering a small 3 bedroom home, near the water. We are planning on using mostly solar power. Basic phone service, or a cell phone if there is a signal there. Internet would be a must for us, wether it be via satalite, DSL, or cable, whatever is available. For food, we are pretty much vegeterians, eating meat only occasionally, and then it is usually chicken or turkey, maybe a little pork. I am considering putting my daughter into a private school, but I may continue to homeschool her, that option is up in the air right now.
 

carina

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Mar 13, 2005
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WaterRats said:
There are 4 of us, three adults, and one child. We're considering a small 3 bedroom home, near the water. We are planning on using mostly solar power. Basic phone service, or a cell phone if there is a signal there. Internet would be a must for us, wether it be via satalite, DSL, or cable, whatever is available. For food, we are pretty much vegeterians, eating meat only occasionally, and then it is usually chicken or turkey, maybe a little pork. I am considering putting my daughter into a private school, but I may continue to homeschool her, that option is up in the air right now.

Well, once again, costs of living are very individual.
Is the rent of a house to be included in the 2000 US monthly?

I live with 1 son ( teenager ) and I do not make it on 2000 US a month if I include rental costs, electricity, internet, phone, school, 1 trip per year to Europe, medical insurance, transportation, clothes, food, maintenance of home etc etc.
We live quiet in the meaning preparing the food ourselves, buying local products etc.
Some months I would make it on 2000 US for sure, but not if I take the yearly expences and divide it in 12 months.
 

THE GAME

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Jul 13, 2005
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carina said:
Well, once again, costs of living are very individual.
Is the rent of a house to be included in the 2000 US monthly?

I live with 1 son ( teenager ) and I do not make it on 2000 US a month if I include rental costs, electricity, internet, phone, school, 1 trip per year to Europe, medical insurance, transportation, clothes, food, maintenance of home etc etc.
We live quiet in the meaning preparing the food ourselves, buying local products etc.
Some months I would make it on 2000 US for sure, but not if I take the yearly expences and divide it in 12 months.

what's the most expensive item included in monthly expenses? housing? school?
 

aaaa

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May 26, 2005
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I find it very interesting to read about people who are saying that "it depends"
on what is your life style expectation. Keep in mind that an avarage salary of
a police officer, then a teacher is about $200 a month ( and I am streching here!) and they have to support their family, housing food etc.
It is interesting that the poorer the country the more expensive to live in (according to some) and then, of course, you have pay because you are an
outsider (thus you do not know any better, and you are rich).
Keep asking your questions and descern real answers.
good luck
 

carina

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Mar 13, 2005
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Why is it interesting that it depends on life style?
Do you suggest there are fixed costs of living just because the country is very poor?
Of course it depends on your lifestyle, for both locals and expats.
A local living in a big casa, having some money would spend a heck of alot more on a monthly basis than a family with maybe one source of income for many people.

Same goes for us expats. If you chose to live in a condo by the beach in Sosua, or the capital or if you live in a smaller village etc, the expenses will change because of that.

Yes, a local citizen would get by on 5000 pesos a month, having a social net, paying no rent as they usually have owned the houses for generations, eating lots of rice, platanos and chicken, prepare food on coal when they are out of gas and having kids in public school 3 hrs a day. But it is hard for them, believe nothing else. For most people coming here from another country that is not living, it is surviving.
And then there are local citizens that earn way more, and there lifestyles and costs of living are therefor different than for the one that earns 5000 pesos.

I, even though I don?t live a "gringo life" in the sense of buying imported food or simular, can never make it on 5000 pesos a month.

The OP was asking for a 3 bedroom house near water, internet etc.
Then it is only fair to give him an estimation of the costs of that.
A person with 5000 pesos a month would not have internet, as that only is 3000 pesos a month in costs.

If you suggest an immigrant to come and live here and expect the monthly costs to be 200 US a month, then you are way out of line.
 
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MrMike

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Mar 2, 2003
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aaaa said:
I find it very interesting to read about people who are saying that "it depends"
on what is your life style expectation. Keep in mind that an avarage salary of
a police officer, then a teacher is about $200 a month ( and I am streching here!) and they have to support their family, housing food etc.
It is interesting that the poorer the country the more expensive to live in (according to some) and then, of course, you have pay because you are an
outsider (thus you do not know any better, and you are rich).
Keep asking your questions and descern real answers.
good luck

What we're trying to say is it depends what you call living.

If you want to sleep on the street, pee against a wall, and eat whatever you find laying around you can "live" on nothing. Most of us don't want to live that way.

These people that live on the rediculously low salaries you mention usually live with a lot of family members and everyone contributes to the cost of living while sharing a small space with very little privacy and no luxuries. Often these low paying jobs only supplement another income from a small business that is attended by the person's relatives or children while they are away.

This is why "it depends".

It is a LOT more expensive to have the same standard of living one would expect in the US in the DR.

Want 24 hour electricity? bring your own.

Want a decent car to drive? 100% import tax.

Want the same foods you were used to eating at home? If you can find them at all you will pay 3 times as much for them.

Want a hot shower? I hope there's electricity for the water heater.

Want peace and quiet at night on the weekend? (snicker)

Want police protection against criminals? (good luck)

Don't imagine its cheaper here just because people are poor. Being poor means they do without, not that they can get whatever they want for a song.
 

NYerinDR

Member
Jan 9, 2004
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WaterRats said:
There are 4 of us, three adults, and one child. We're considering a small 3 bedroom home, near the water. We are planning on using mostly solar power. Basic phone service, or a cell phone if there is a signal there. Internet would be a must for us, wether it be via satalite, DSL, or cable, whatever is available. For food, we are pretty much vegeterians, eating meat only occasionally, and then it is usually chicken or turkey, maybe a little pork. I am considering putting my daughter into a private school, but I may continue to homeschool her, that option is up in the air right now.

Hi,

Living in DR is getting more expensive each month. I have been supporting a house in Sosua since last February while living back here in the State.

I live in a gated community and they provide 24 hours power service, but when the black out time is longer then 12 hours, they need to shut down the generator for 3-5 hours during the afternoon.

Here is the expense list:

Full time gardener (5 days) 5500 peso US$200
Part time maid (3 days) 3000 Peso USD$100
Pretty Cash (pool chemical, gasoline for the gardener?s motorcycle, cleaning products for the maid, etc?.) Average 4000 Peso USD$130
Telephone and DSL 3300 Peso USD$110
Electricity 7000 Peso USD$210
Water 1000 Peso USD$30
Monthly maintenance USD$200
Total USD$980

This is how much I have to pay while I am not living there. I turn off my direct TV while I am back in the State; it will cost me around USD$50 a month when I am back there next month. This is very real; my cost will go up when I come back. I hope this give you an idea how much it will cost to live in DR.
 

rellosk

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Mar 18, 2002
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NYerinDR, good post. I never realized how expensive it would be NOT to live in the DR.:)

$210 for electicity when you're not there. I pay half that in the US and that's running central air 24 hours a day.

Wow! I take that back, I just checked last months bill, $175 for electric.
 
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