Cost of living here vs. living in U.S.

Capt. Rob57

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Mar 22, 2006
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I have been reading the post about why many of us are moving back home some say it is the cost of living here are my thoughts.
Dominican Republic:
(1) My Apt. two blocks off ocean 4 bedroom 4 bath in the capital 300.00 mt.
(2) Eletc. 45.00 mt.
(3) Phone both home internet and cel. 150.00 mt.
mind you on cel I have 500 min. per month.
(4) Cable 30.00 mt
(5) Health care Ins. one of the best u can buy. 600.00 yr.
(6) Food Eat at home 300.00mt
(7) car runs on propane 100.00 mt
(8) Club membership with pool and boat in water 75.00 mt
So total around one thousand and 50 dollars per month now lets look at what it would cost in my home town of Tampa Florida.
Ran out of space I will post a new one
 

Capt. Rob57

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Mar 22, 2006
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Cost of living in Tampa Fl.

Apt. 1,200 per mt.
Eletc. 300 "
health care ins. 3,000 per year if you can get it.
Phone 300 per mt.
Cable 100.00 per mt.
Food 500.00 per mt.
Gas for car no propane 500.00 per month
Club bill 300.00 per mt.

Now you are looking at Three thousand and 50 dollars per month so you cannot tell me it is cheaper to live in the U.S. Just my thoughts on this matter.
 

MommC

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Depends on where you live and also your lifestyle.
Here in Juan Dolio I have neighbours who only spend about $350. a month while I spend about $2000.
Of course they don't have A/C, cable TV, Internet, don't eat out EVER, don't golf, no maid,no car, bake their own bread,eat rice and beans etc.etc.
Doesn't include rent as we both own our condos.......
 

Ricardo900

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Jul 12, 2004
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How about my hometown

I have been reading the post about why many of us are moving back home some say it is the cost of living here are my thoughts.
Dominican Republic:
(1) My Apt. two blocks off ocean 4 bedroom 4 bath in the capital 300.00 mt.
(2) Eletc. 45.00 mt.
(3) Phone both home internet and cel. 150.00 mt.
mind you on cel I have 500 min. per month.
(4) Cable 30.00 mt
(5) Health care Ins. one of the best u can buy. 600.00 yr.
(6) Food Eat at home 300.00mt
(7) car runs on propane 100.00 mt
(8) Club membership with pool and boat in water 75.00 mt
So total around one thousand and 50 dollars per month now lets look at what it would cost in my home town of Tampa Florida.
Ran out of space I will post a new one

(1) My neighborhood (Bklyn Heights) 2 Bed& 2Bath 2,200 mt.
(2) Elect. (No A/C) 55 mt.
(3) Cable (phone, Internet, TV) 150 mt.
(5) Health care Ins. (If you are not covered by an Employee plan) 450 mt.
(6) Food (Eat at home) Single 250 mt.
(7) Car (gas) depends if you commute with it or not 100 mt+
(8) Gym membership (NY Sports Club) 90 mt.


I just wanted to throw in New York, sorry for the Hijack.

Cheers,
 

Capt. Rob57

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Mar 22, 2006
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life style

Of course, I am just saying anyone who wants to bake bread so be it. I am a professional chef and I do to but, I like the AMERICAN life style and I can get it a lot cheaper here. I lived in Monte Cristi for 6 years and my house that I rented 3 bed rooms two baths cost only 60.00 dollars per month but, nothing to do. The sidewalks rolled up at six at nite.

Look my brand new boat 22 foot center console with a 100 h.p. Yamaha cost me 22,000 dollars the same boat in the U.S. would be around 35,000 dollars.
All I am saying if you think it is cheaper in the U.S. go back and please take one dominican with you under each arm.
 

MommC

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I wasn't saying it's cheaper in the US (BTW I live in Canada which is definitely more expensive than the US) however I was saying that I spend roughly the same amount to live here (with a much smaller accomodation) as I do at home in Canada.
It's all about maintaining lifestyle.......you can live cheaper in any location if you choose too however if you want to maintain a certain lifestyle it ain't that cheap here either!!
 

Capt. Rob57

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Mar 22, 2006
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I disagree

I live an American lifestyle. my boat is docked in the water at a cost of 65 pesos per foot per month a cost of 45 dollars anywhere in the U.S. it would be around 300.00 dollars. I belong to Club de Haina beautiful pool great rest. clean quite etc. 15,00 pesos to join 800.00 pesos per month dues. Last month I took my ex-mother in law, my brother, chofer, grandaughter to the club we had two cordon rue, two grouper filet dinners, and a cheese burger with fries all drinks, taxes and tip. Nine hundred pesos. I do not live cheap never have however, in this country if you know what you are doing and stay out of the resort areas you can live great. I have no housekeeper, no cook, fired my chofer because he did not want to work after 25 years of driving for me. I run my a/c every night and still my elect. bill is only around 2,000 pesos per month. It is knowing what and where to buy food beer etc. For example I buy beer at the factory a case of Bohemia small 24 to a case costs 768 pesos if you buy at the colmado you pay around 1,000 pesos per case. I do not deal with the dominicans unless I have to there is nothing they can do for me that I cannot do myself.
 

Don Juan

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Dec 5, 2003
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The best things in life are free.....

I wasn't saying it's cheaper in the US (BTW I live in Canada which is definitely more expensive than the US) however I was saying that I spend roughly the same amount to live here (with a much smaller accomodation) as I do at home in Canada.
It's all about maintaining lifestyle.......you can live cheaper in any location if you choose too however if you want to maintain a certain lifestyle it ain't that cheap here either!!


A person can soak up the wonderful DR climate, flora and topography out there, all for the taking. Did I mention, nude beaches?
However the financial freedom that comes with a padded bank account, is what makes it all possible.
If you have to work for a living there, it's expensive. If you don't it's cheap.....Go figure!
Time=money, Money=time......Huh?:paranoid:
 

PlantaFULL

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Oct 21, 2004
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I lived in Tampa as well for a period of 2 years before moving to SD, and overall I agree it ain't cheap here, but Tampa is a lot cheaper compared to the places where most of the other board members come from.

In Tampa:

300 electric a month would be with major central airconditioning for 4 bedroom apartemnt. If you want to be as cool in every corner of your 4 bedroom DR apartment, it will cost you more then does would in Tampa. You are probably comparing one small bedroom AC and energy-saver bulbs in the DR with Florida central AC + 100W bulbs.

Phone 300 a month. Only if you make a lot more phone calls in the US then in the DR. Basic phone service by itself is not far off between DR and Tampa. Internet service is way more expensive in DR however.
 

gamana

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Apr 24, 2006
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i think the expats moving back to their homeland might be claiming that the cost of living is the reason but i believe the real reason is more psychological than practical. Most of the expats move down here with some savings to enjoy a better life. Some have more than others but they sooner or later realize that they have become "spenders" and not "earners". it is very difficult, not impossible though, for expats to actually make a living down here. Regardless of the amount of savings you arrived with, it is a negative slope. After a while, the situation of inevitable depreciation of capital tends to bother some. It is foolish to think that one can leave on savings for the next 20,30 maybe 40 years of the life and just spend, spend, spend.

bottom line, i think, only my opinion, that expats returning to their homeland want to escape this feeling of financial dooms day increasing years after years.

to go back more to the topic of the thread, the cost of living is OF COURSE lower here than US, Canada or Europe, BUT, those countries are more "balanced", i would say, with the spend versus earn balance opportunities.
 

Prodical

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Apr 14, 2007
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This is a very interesting debate guys.....Thanks! :)

I will hopefully be moving down in the next year or so. I will be coming with a very modest savings account and a low paying job in the DR. However, I will be planning on coming back to the US to work in my trade for several months each year to replenish the savings. I think it may be cheaper though for me to live in the DR than many others as I am a 32 year old single male, with no dependants.
 
G

gary short

Guest
This is a very interesting debate guys.....Thanks! :)

I will hopefully be moving down in the next year or so. I will be coming with a very modest savings account and a low paying job in the DR. However, I will be planning on coming back to the US to work in my trade for several months each year to replenish the savings. I think it may be cheaper though for me to live in the DR than many others as I am a 32 year old single male, with no dependants.

Depends on your lifestyle. Going back to the US to work in order to replenish funds is a great idea. Why even work in the DR for shyte wages.....just curious.
 

Prodical

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Apr 14, 2007
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Depends on your lifestyle. Going back to the US to work in order to replenish funds is a great idea. Why even work in the DR for shyte wages.....just curious.

I would be working with/for a ministry organization in Santiago. Working out all of the compensation issues currently. It'd be more of a "serving" type of job, with the added benefit of something as far as compensation.
 

jackieboo

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Mar 18, 2006
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Ying and yang

For me the cost of living here seems to be much less than in the states.

However as some of the other posters have noted I do not believe it's possible to move here without a steady north american income. This is a country where a bank manager makes about $700.00USD a month. Unless you create your own source of revenue or are comfortable living as a poor Dominican, do not expect to move here and be comfortable.

Here are some of the most dramatic differences in costs I've noticed.

Please note these are my experiences on the north coast (Sosua) and may differ greatly to other areas of the country.

Cars: (5 year old SUV)
DR $15,000.00
US $8,000.00

Car repair:
DR $6.00 per hour
US $40.00 per hour

Housing: (Sosua/Cabarete) purchasing
DR $60 - $125 per square foot furnished - no financing
US $150 - $300 per square foot - (Scottsdale Arizona)

Electricity:
DR Really f'ing expensive. Not to mention the back up generating costs
US much, much less

Staff:
DR $200.00 per month, per person
US $40.00 per hour if you're lucky

Food:
DR locally produced - very reasonable
DR imported - very expensive
example;
DR $60.00 = 1lb of Romano cheese
US $10.00 = 1lb

The formula is pretty simple, anything imported is expensive and anything that is labor intensive is cheap. Almost exactly opposite of North America.

Jack
 

Rbh44

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Mar 28, 2007
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Pension

Is it possible to live a "decent" lifestyle on US$2300 per month? Not talking about a luxuary penthouse apartment or living like a king. Just a nice 2 bedroom apartment within easy travel distance to the beach. restaurants, nightlife and entertainment. Single and retiring soon. Really wouldn't matter to much which city I suppose. Although I am sure some places are better suited for what I am looking for than others.
 

Capt. Rob57

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Mar 22, 2006
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Please

Look guys like anything in the world you pay for what you get. When i first moved here 10 years ago I only had 500.00 dollars per month and rented a room in a nice house in Santiago with full access for 2,000 pesos per month. Hillbilly visited me it was very nice. A lot of you want to compare apples to oranges. If you want to live in a gated comuntiy in a Beach Resort town of course you are going to pay more. Just think of SOUTH BEACH MIAMI but, you can live excellent here on 1,000 dollars per month. With no problem. Now when I eat out I go to the malecon have a friend who has a stand I get fresh grouper filet grilled more than I can eat with salad,fries, or plantins for 250 pesos. I usually get three meals out of this. When you shop you must know the different cuts of meat here they are different than america. Dominican beef is ok if you know what to buy and how to prepare it. Like I said before my apt. is brand new two blocks from Ave. Espana 4-bed rms. 4- baths for 300 dollars per month. As far as cars goes I bought a 2003 Daywoo for 150,000 pesos and have had not one problem with it and, have had it for two years. Change it over to propane so gas only costs me 45 pesos per gallon instead of 4.00 dollars per gallon. VIVO LOS TIGRES !!!!
 

mart1n

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Jul 13, 2006
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living a quiet life stile

Life stile is every thing if you want to do the disco party stile. You are going to need money. If you want a nice quiet life stile you can do it very reasonable. I?m a Canadian who moved here 6 years ago and moved into the countryside. My pension is 1,600 per month, on that I built a 4 bedroom house married a beautiful Dominican lady and have all the comforts you could ask for. I still put money in the bank every month.
 
B

batich

Guest
Apt. 1,200 per mt.
Eletc. 300 "
health care ins. 3,000 per year if you can get it.
Phone 300 per mt.
Cable 100.00 per mt.
Food 500.00 per mt.
Gas for car no propane 500.00 per month
Club bill 300.00 per mt.

Now you are looking at Three thousand and 50 dollars per month so you cannot tell me it is cheaper to live in the U.S. Just my thoughts on this matter.

I know one Dominican who lives on $300 US per month. So life in DR is definitely cheaper than in Florida.
BTW, can you show me a healthclub in Fl with $300 a month membership? My Y- Wanderbild in Manhattan midtown on 47th street cost me only $65 a month and I cannot imagine a more expensive location in USA than Midtown Manhattan.
Cool! I love it!