I don't understand

Jan

Bronze
Jan 3, 2002
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Santo Domingo Este
www.colonialzone-dr.com
I see people posting that they need at least $2000 to $3000 usd a month to live in DR.

When I live in USA I had Budgeted to live $1000 a month. Why in the world does it cost more to live in DR than in USA? Please explain to me. I am saying for 2 people. I raised my son on this amount of money. Had my truck. Went on many vacations. And we ate out at least 2 times a month in a good restaurant so he could have the experience.

I just cannot understand why everyone needs so much money to live a normal good life.

But then I am from Mars and did live in a MOBIL HOME....trailer trach per se

In DR I had a studio apartment..good for 1 human. Didn't go out to resturants and such but enjoyed myself. I did eat out alot but in the cafeterias. Drank everynight and ate well. I lived on less than $500usd a month on the good months. It CAN be done. If you are careful.
 
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carina

Silver
Mar 13, 2005
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It is all a matter of where and how people prefer to live.
If we stick to the major cities, you can live for less than the amount you mention, if you skip car, skip invertor or generator, skip insurances, skip to save for vacations to your homecountry, skip internet, skip maintenance of your apartment or house etc etc.

I think though, most of us who have chosed to live here permanently want to have the above mentioned things.

If you start calculating in costs of living incl. car, medical insurances, internet & phonelines, rent and maintenance of your apartment or house, maintenace or buying of new households items/furniture etc, electricity, sometimes a night at a restaurant, school costs if you have children, books and uniforms, inscription fees to schools and activities, food, possible food for any pets, at least one trip back to your home country a year some clothes and other items...
Then you divide those costs in 12 months, and you will never end up in 500 US a month. More likely 2000-3000 US a month or more depending on your way of living.
This even if you have low costs of rental for an apartment or house.

My apartment is only 5000 pesos, but the rest of the costs ( as per above )
is always up to arund 2000 US/month. And I don´t drink every night, I am not out alot.
BUT, I do want to care about my home, I do want a phone landline, I do want insurances, I do want my son to go in a good school ( although it is a regular Dominican private school, not a gringo school ) , I do want to eat
well prepared food ( local, not imported ) , I do want to travel back to my home country once a year, I do want to have my friends over, and I do want to give my son some pocketmoney, buy christmas gifts, and I do want to be able to take my doggie to the vet, or do a haircut...

For 500 US a month ( 16.000 pesos )
- Rent 5000
- Electricity 1000
- Gas 200
- Cable TV 400
- School 2200
- Lunches for school 1000
- Books, uniforms for school, cost split in 12 month, 1100
- Internet & Land line 3000
- 2 cellphones incl. 75 min each 1600

That is 15.500
500 pesos in your calculation to feed me, my son, my dog, maintenance of my apartment, insurances, transportation, clothes, travel once a year, inversor, any outings, any additional calls, buy any new things to the apartment ( just because I want to or because something breaks ), hair cuts,
then we have birthdays, christmas, some pocket money for my son,
maybe a visit to the vet for my doggie.

NOT POSSIBLE.

If you just want a roof over your head, that you don´t maintain, eat a plato del dia once a day, and hang in a colmado with some drinks, of course 500 us would be enough. That is not a life for someone living here permanent though, we have all ingredients in our lives that comes with it as per above.

Finally your 500 US value would also depend on at what time you lived here.
 
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Fred

New member
Feb 20, 2002
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Let's see how long you last!

Most people on this board are dreamers. Let's see how long you last if you need some kind of medical attention? What happens if you are involved in a traffic accident, or a house fire? By the time they find gas and water for the fire truck your whole neighbourhood is burnt down. Same goes for the ambulance.

How do you raise your children there, once they are born there they will be exposed to the Dominican way of life. Mostly I am talking about tardiness, irresonsiblility and failure to own up to your mistakes.


If you do not have a good income you will not last long. Listen to Chris he has been there for a long time.

I worked and owned a business there for more than two years. Let me tell you something my leaving the DR was not from lack of hard work.
 

Jon S.

Bronze
Jan 25, 2003
1,040
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Whoa, Nelly!!!

Jan used to live in the DR as well so she's "made it" already. It's not a regular tourist looking thru rose colored glasses. She's speaking from experience and to an extent I agree with her, although the lifestyle that I have at this moment would be quite limited by the amount of money I made if that was the amount that I budgeted for. But then again, it all depends on the amount of people you have to feed and the comforts you'd like to have. I lived down there for almost 6 years, had jobs, went to schools and saw how much it costs to study down there, had to budget whenever I got paid, did just about anything any Dominican resident would do down there. It ain't easy but you adjust into it. If I had the means, then I would make the jump back to the DR but it ain't happening anytime soon :cry: ..............
 

Fred

New member
Feb 20, 2002
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The key work is "Used To"

Right Jan used to live there. Why is she no longer there? I am not saying that I cannot be done.


The best way to enjoy the DR is to have money from abroad that you can afford to spend. This way you dont have to work, or bother trying to run a business.

Unlike Chris the rest of the posters on this board no longer live in the DR.
 

Eddyx

New member
Sep 9, 2005
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Jan said:
I see people posting that they need at least $2000 to $3000 usd a month to live in DR.

When I live in USA I had Budgeted to live $1000 a month. Why in the world does it cost more to live in DR than in USA? Please explain to me. I am saying for 2 people. I raised my son on this amount of money. Had my truck. Went on many vacations. And we ate out at least 2 times a month in a good restaurant so he could have the experience.

I just cannot understand why everyone needs so much money to live a normal good life.

But then I am from Mars and did live in a MOBIL HOME....trailer trach per se

In DR I had a studio apartment..good for 1 human. Didn't go out to resturants and such but enjoyed myself. I did eat out alot but in the cafeterias. Drank everynight and ate well. I lived on less than $500usd a month on the good months. It CAN be done. If you are careful.

In which part of USA did you live?
My brother lived in NYC for three years and he paid just $1,000.00 a month, for a decent apartment with one bedroom. Now he live in Orlando, and has his own house, but when lived in this city in a rented apartment, paid
$1,200.00 for one with three bedrooms.
 
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buseouno

New member
Feb 22, 2005
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carina said:
Hey, I live here, and I posted!!

I also live here and agree 100% with carina, what is the point of living here if you have to give up almost ALL of the comforts and basic neccesities in life that you may be used to.
Yes, it's possible and maybe even a great adventure to come here for a year or two and live like the local poor on a temporary basis, but that's not how I percieve the rest of my life.
 

HOWMAR

Silver
Jan 28, 2004
2,624
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Jan said:
When I live in USA I had Budgeted to live $1000 a month. Why in the world does it cost more to live in DR than in USA? Please explain to me. I am saying for 2 people. I raised my son on this amount of money. Had my truck. Went on many vacations. And we ate out at least 2 times a month in a good restaurant so he could have the experience.
Since the $1000/month is below the poverty line in most parts of the country for a family of 2, did you utilize any of the social safetynet programs the government offers? Who paid for your child's medical care? Did you get food stamps? Did your child receive subsidised meals at school? If the child was young, did you place him in a subsidised day care or pre-school. Are any of these programs available in the DR?
 

carina

Silver
Mar 13, 2005
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buseouno said:
I also live here and agree 100% with carina, what is the point of living here if you have to give up almost ALL of the comforts and basic neccesities in life that you may be used to.
Yes, it's possible and maybe even a great adventure to come here for a year or two and live like the local poor on a temporary basis, but that's not how I percieve the rest of my life.

Let?s anyway keep this in focus a little more.
You know it, because you live here, I know it too.. What I described in my costs is NO WAY a life of the rich & famous... It is a normal life here that any person, immigrant or local, with a descent income would have.
My son is not alone in his school, there are about 600 locals ( only 2 immigrants in his school ) paying the same as me, I am not the only one having cable, buying food etc.
Very often we get replies such as, " yes, but that is not a local way of living, or that is a rich way of living..."
It is not. My way of living here is a very common way of living, that I share with many people here.;)
 

Fred

New member
Feb 20, 2002
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Heres why I dont live in the DR but like to vacation there

1. Substandard health care
2. Poor quality water, electricty.
3. Availabilty of products, for example, if you live in the outside of SD you have to travel there for certain things.

4. Lack of intellectial stimulation. No decent libraries, you can only talk about family and gossip for so long.

5. Lack of job opportunties.

6. Very limited access to credit: Ie getting a mortgage for a home.

7. Corrupt and inefficient government.

8. Limited opportunity for children.


I could list more, however, these are just some examples. Vacationing there is great but not to live.
 

planner

.............. ?
Sep 23, 2002
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Many of us who post on DR1 do in fact live here! Carina did a great job of laying out her costs of living. I do believe she is fairly typical for a foreigner but definately not extravegant.

Can you live on 1,000 US - absolutely. I do it but i am alone, I do not have a child, to clothe, educate and feed! I live very comfortably on less then 1,000 US .

I could and have lived on a whole lot less, but I choose not to.
 

carina

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Mar 13, 2005
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Planner, the issue is that the OP talks about 500 US/month.
And for 2 persons.
Can you live on that? With your rent, electricity, cable, car...?
 

HOWMAR

Silver
Jan 28, 2004
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carina said:
Planner, the issue is that the OP talks about 500 US/month.
And for 2 persons.
Can you live on that? With your rent, electricity, cable, car...?
Nor do I believe the OP was living as well as she stated in the US on 1000/month.
 

AnnaC

Gold
Jan 2, 2002
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Jan's post didn't say anything about 2 people living on 500 us a month in the DR. She lived in the DR for about three years on her own.
 

planner

.............. ?
Sep 23, 2002
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YOu are right Carina, I picked up the 1,000 US.

Could I do it on 500 US, I have in the past but with my lifestyle today - NOPE! I need 27,500 pesos a month to fund my lifestyle, not counting vacation fund savings. That is rent, gas, propane, electricity, insurance, food, entertainment, car maintenance etc.

It does not include anything out of the ordinary! So that comes to almost $900 US for just me!

To put it in perspective: I have a nice 2 bedroom apt, electricity almost 24/7, a bedroom air conditioner, small car, I don't eat in fancy restaurants, I don't entertain much, I have no expensive habits (dancing is cheap LOL)

There you go.
 

Robert

Stay Frosty!
Jan 2, 1999
20,574
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dr1.com
Fred said:
Unlike Chris the rest of the posters on this board no longer live in the DR.

Plenty of posters on the board live here, including myself.
Just because you have issues or can't "hack it" here, don't paint us all with your brush.

I have lived all over the world, 7 countries at the last count, so I have a few references when it comes to standard or living, lifestyle etc.
The DR offers plenty of opportunities and a great lifestyle, you just need to know how to work it and attain that lifestyle.
 

carina

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Mar 13, 2005
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Anna Coniglio said:
Jan's post didn't say anything about 2 people living on 500 us a month in the DR. She lived in the DR for about three years on her own.

Sorry, I read the "I am saying for 2 people" as she was comparing costs US/DR for 2 people.
 

carina

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Mar 13, 2005
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planner said:
YOu are right Carina, I picked up the 1,000 US.

Could I do it on 500 US, I have in the past but with my lifestyle today - NOPE! I need 27,500 pesos a month to fund my lifestyle, not counting vacation fund savings. That is rent, gas, propane, electricity, insurance, food, entertainment, car maintenance etc.

It does not include anything out of the ordinary! So that comes to almost $900 US for just me!

To put it in perspective: I have a nice 2 bedroom apt, electricity almost 24/7, a bedroom air conditioner, small car, I don't eat in fancy restaurants, I don't entertain much, I have no expensive habits (dancing is cheap LOL)

There you go.

500 US for about 2 years ago Planner, when you came here, was about the same ( not quite ) amount as 1000 is today. 2 years ago 1 uS was between 50-65 pesos. Before and after around 40-50.
And food, phone etc was cheaper 2 years ago as well.
If you add a nicer apartment, your car I think you would say, you live appr. like back then for the rest that costs... ( food etc ).