Thinking of moving to Sousa.

Wantsout

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Would like to hear from x-pats who have moved to the DR from Canada or anywhere. My family and I think it would be a great experience to move there for a few years. Any thoughts?
 

AK74

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Jun 18, 2007
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Great idea!

If you do not mind that your living will be two times more expensive in Sosua than in Canada (except girls) and quality of everything (except girls and beach) will be three times worse.

If for you it is not a big problem you will be happy here.

For me it is not a big problem and I am happy here!!!

;)

Would like to hear from x-pats who have moved to the DR from Canada or anywhere. My family and I think it would be a great experience to move there for a few years. Any thoughts?
 

Lambada

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Would like to hear from x-pats who have moved to the DR from Canada or anywhere. My family and I think it would be a great experience to move there for a few years. Any thoughts?

Yes and most of mine have already been posted :). Suggest you use search function, keywords 'moving', 'living on north coast' etc etc. Two to get you started:
http://www.dr1.com/forums/living/72190-first-investigative-visit-april.html

http://www.dr1.com/forums/north-east-coast/72812-las-terrenas-warning.html

And the name of the place is Sosua, btw.
 

Rocky

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Would like to hear from x-pats who have moved to the DR from Canada or anywhere. My family and I think it would be a great experience to move there for a few years. Any thoughts?
When you say 'family", are you bringing school age children?
Despite a poster who perceives Sosua as being double the price as Canada, I perceive it as being cheaper.
I guess it depends on what you spend your money on.
I don't buy many imported goods, and a lot of services are super cheap, as well as public transport.
Where in Canada could you get a flat fixed on you car for less than 2 bux?
 

SKY

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Apr 11, 2004
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When you say 'family", are you bringing school age children?
Despite a poster who perceives Sosua as being double the price as Canada, I perceive it as being cheaper.
I guess it depends on what you spend your money on.
I don't buy many imported goods, and a lot of services are super cheap, as well as public transport.
Where in Canada could you get a flat fixed on you car for less than 2 bux?


Rocky you are overpaying for the flat, a buck and a half will do.

Can you get a full time maid in Canada for less than $200 a month? Or a manicure and pedicure for $10?
 

AK74

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Jun 18, 2007
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If only it were possibe to live just by fixing flat tires without first BUYING A CAR , that will be at least two times more expensive than even in NYC!

If only it were possible to do pedicure all days long without eating. Without dealing with supermercados and restaurants of Sosua!

If only it were possible to have a $200/a month maid without later going to Sosua lawyers to settle a multi-thosand dollar claim related to liquidation!

With these three "IF`s" life in Sosua would be really beautiful. Like in old days when North Coast was under Germans` control and order.

Gone!

:ermm:

Rocky you are overpaying for the flat, a buck and a half will do.

Can you get a full time maid in Canada for less than $200 a month? Or a manicure and pedicure for $10?
 

Rocky

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If only it were possibe to live just by fixing flat tires without first BUYING A CAR , that will be at least two times more expensive than even in NYC!

If only it were possible to do pedicure all days long without eating. Without dealing with supermercados and restaurants of Sosua!

If only it were possible to have a $200/a month maid without later going to Sosua lawyers to settle a multi-thosand dollar claim related to liquidation!

With these three "IF`s" life in Sosua would be really beautiful. Like in old days when North Coast was under Germans` control and order.

Gone!

:ermm:
Used cars are an average of 20% to 40% above US prices and unless you drive it 'till it dies, you recover a lot of that when reselling.
I eat here as inexpensively or less than in Canada.
Maids do not qualify for liquidation, so you need not worry about that.
You imaginary scenarios are non applicable.
I lived in Canada for several decades and near 2 decades here.
I think that I'm in a pretty good position to know what the cost of living is in both places.
As for the days when Sosua was 90% German, it was cold and unfriendly.
There is now an actual warn & friendly community of expats in Sosua.
 

AK74

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Jun 18, 2007
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After two decades in Sosua those folks also will learn how to live and eat cheap. Especial if they also will have their own restaurante and their own hotel.

Until then I can only deplore and regret for those poor souls who will have to deal not with their dream paradise but with a cold NY-style predetor`s reality.

I love Sosua! For me it is the best place in the World!

Used cars are an average of 20% to 40% above US prices and unless you drive it 'till it dies, you recover a lot of that when reselling.
I eat here as inexpensively or less than in Canada.
Maids do not qualify for liquidation, so you need not worry about that.
You imaginary scenarios are non applicable.
I lived in Canada for several decades and near 2 decades here.
I think that I'm in a pretty good position to know what the cost of living is in both places.
As for the days when Sosua was 90% German, it was cold and unfriendly.
There is now an actual warn & friendly community of expats in Sosua.
 

SKY

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After two decades in Sosua those folks also will learn how to live and eat cheap. Especial if they also will have their own restaurante and their own hotel.

Until then I can only deplore and regret for those poor souls who will have to deal not with their dream paradise but with a cold NY-style predetor`s reality.

I love Sosua! For me it is the best place in the World!

Glad to here your happy in Sosua, I would hate to hear what you have to say about somewhere you are not.
 

sparky11867

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Jan 5, 2008
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cost of living...

The DR ain't a bargain. Sosua will give you some culture shock between the street smart hookers, scam artists and the noise and dust everywhere.

But the beach ain't bad and the beer is cold! Bring about 10,000 more than you think you will need per year!!!

I've been reading about the cost in the DR, and people's opinions seem to vary. From my perspective, it seems a LOT cheaper than where I live which is in Chicago proper. You can't even get a studio apartment here in a decent neighborhood for under $500, and a one bedroom condo in a decent neighborhood will cost at least 2-300K. Compared to that, rent/property costs seem downright cheap in the DR. I have been researching the cost of homes and I'm blown away to find 2 bdrm/2 bath villas with a big yard AND a pool for no more than $120K. So, I guess it all depends on perspective. Also, when I was in Sosua last, I found eating and drinking and smoking to be a lot less expensive than Chicago.....sometimes as little as 50% of cost in Chicago. So, I guess all I'm trying to say, is it depends on where you live....small town, USA or big town, USA. Just my two cents....

Rebecca
 

DavidZ

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While the cost of living in the DR, especially Sosua, may not be as cheap as other 3rd world countries, it is far less than most popular areas of the US and anywhere in Canada that I know of.

If you come here and try to live a 1st world lifestyle (all imported foods, luxury car, dining in fancy restaurants every day, etc)...that may be a different story.

Just about everything, including the restaurants are cheaper here than anywhere I've lived in the US except cars, gas, and Imported goods...especially food, OTC medicine, and Shampoo,lotions, etc. Rents, *most* real estate, just about ALL services, including medical and home help salaries, insurance, etc...are way cheaper here.
 

AK74

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Jun 18, 2007
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Glad to here your happy in Sosua, I would hate to hear what you have to say about somewhere you are not.


"somewhere you are not"

Such place does not exist. I love any place as long it is on the ground and not below yet.
It is not about places. It is about people. A new generation (or wave) of so-called Sosua "business owners" -

duenos of restaurants, who pushed up prices several hunderd percent in recent years and who take advantage of unaware tourists/babyboomers who need to eat somewhere and who overcharge them shamelessly. Forcing them to pay $25-$30US for a very basic meal in a country with normal customary monthly salary of $250-$350 US.

duenos of hotels who do not even repaint their rooms for decades (not mentionning changing furniture or niveras), but drastically increase prices. One of my former favorite hotels increased prices 66% (from $30 to $50) in little more than a year. Without doing even a little renovation to its totally delapidating rooms.

duenos of RE asgencies who make clients - fresh ex-pats to think that $150G-$250G US is a bargain for a casa. And poor people who trusted them later cannot sell their houses for decades.

Right, Marco, it was cold in "German times". For greedy business owners. When a good meal with beer used to cost $5 US. But it was warm for ordinary people.

Totally opposite now. With a dish of spagetty of $7 US, Cuba-libre $100RD, a piece of fried low quality breaded meat $20US.

Now it is cold for those who come to Sosua. To spend a miserable 7-10 day hard earned vacation. Or to see sunset of the life.
 
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apostropheman

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I find Sosua to be not unreasonably priced (certain exceptions do apply, as always) and find it compares favorably to what I pay for things in Canada.

On the weekend I paid $9 for Breakfast that I'd pay less than $4 for at Rocky's.

Lunch today was almost $9 for a crappy sandwich and an orange juice. I could eat lunch in many places in Sosua for $3-$4.

Dinner at anything better than a greasy spoon will run me $20-$40 here (or more). Dinner at a place like Bailey's was about $12-$20 last I checked.

A beer in a Bar is $5 or more here vs about $2-$3 at most places in Sosua.

A cheap apartment in a crappy location is at least $525 here. A room in a rooming house here is about $350. I've seen decent, smaller apartments in Sosua, unfurnished, for $5000 pesos and furnished from $7000 pesos. That's $150-$200 a month. They're not the Ritz but they're clean and safe. I bet most people could find something acceptable under $500 a month for a one bedroom or studio in Sosua.

I think it's all about expectations. If I wanted to continue to live a North American lifestyle I'd never even consider moving to the DR....or out of NA.

As it is I can hardly wait till I'm on the plane for the last time :D
 

bebeto007

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Mar 22, 2008
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Sosua living

Hello,

we did the major move this year and bought a house from Playa Laguna, Sosua. So far it has been excellent choise, and we love it! So I would recommend that you would take your family just a bit outside of town on the beach side of road to Cabarete and then everything should go just fine. The prices are n decent level when you know places where to buy tuff and eat.

Welcome to paradise!

Br. Pepe
 

AK74

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Jun 18, 2007
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I love dominican women too, but let`s try to be objective this time.

If we compare Canada and Sosua let this comparison be correct.

A major part of a restarant`s business expense is salary to staff. What is the average salary in Canada? Roughly $4000-$5000 US. And in DR ? $300-$400 US. Roughly ten times less.
I heard roumors that they do not pay to their waters/waitreses at all and they live on tips only. Maybe not true.

Another item - rent. Where rent is higher Manhattan/Montreal or Sosua? NO brainer!

Another major item - maintanace of premises/building. In Canada/NY owner has to pay for heating in winter and A/C in summer. To clean the floor, to dust the walls.

In Sosua there is no heating, no A/C, nor floors nor walls as there is no buildings. Just a roof and tables. In total business expense in Sosua is 15-20 (FIFTEEN-TWENTY) times smaller than in Canada or NY. So it must be expected the same difference in price for service. Is it the case? Not at all.

Prices are almost similar, and often higher in Sosua.

Why? Because of the pure archisymbolick shameless greed.

They smartly play on the inexperience of NA people in travelling and international life.

Most like yourself compare DR (price-wise)with Canada (or USA) although all the preconditions are different. So, "they" keep their prices just a bit lower than in NA to create for us an impression (illusion) of the cheap.

And "hated Germans" on the other hand used to smartly compare DR with DR. If in the country side a plate of spagetti is $45RD they would ask the owner of Baileys ( a very nice and beautiful woman, my admiration!!) - " why at your restarant it is $220 RD?!"

Indeed, why?

Because "those" newcomers who replaced Germans - obediently pay whatever they are told. Without asking questions. Because in their country they were trained to never ask questions but to obey.

Sorry for the long post and for explaining very basic and obvious things.

I love Sosua!! Best beaches and women in the World. Greed came and eventually will be gone. But beach and amour will stay forever!

I find Sosua to be not unreasonably priced (certain exceptions do apply, as always) and find it compares favorably to what I pay for things in Canada.

On the weekend I paid $9 for Breakfast that I'd pay less than $4 for at Rocky's.

Lunch today was almost $9 for a crappy sandwich and an orange juice. I could eat lunch in many places in Sosua for $3-$4.

Dinner at anything better than a greasy spoon will run me $20-$40 here (or more). Dinner at a place like Bailey's was about $12-$20 last I checked.

A beer in a Bar is $5 or more here vs about $2-$3 at most places in Sosua.

A cheap apartment in a crappy location is at least $525 here. A room in a rooming house here is about $350. I've seen decent, smaller apartments in Sosua, unfurnished, for $5000 pesos and furnished from $7000 pesos. That's $150-$200 a month. They're not the Ritz but they're clean and safe. I bet most people could find something acceptable under $500 a month for a one bedroom or studio in Sosua.

I think it's all about expectations. If I wanted to continue to live a North American lifestyle I'd never even consider moving to the DR....or out of NA.

As it is I can hardly wait till I'm on the plane for the last time :D
 
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apostropheman

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AK74,

You've obviously got your own agenda and even though your posts make almost no sense, to me anyway, I guess you're entitled to your opinion...but it would be really nice if you could actually support it.

Perhaps you should start your own thread instead of hijacking other's threads. ;):bunny::bunny:
 
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Rocky

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AK74,

You've obviously got your own agenda and even though your posts make almost no sense, to me anyway, I guess you're entitled to your opinion...but it would be really nice if you could actually support it.

Perhaps you should start your own thread instead of hijacking other's threads. ;):bunny::bunny:
On the other hand, the OP hasn't even come back yet to answer my question from post 4 in this thread.
Clearly, AK47 feels slighted by some hotel/rest. owner who allegedly raised his prices too high for his liking.
Although his arguments are completely invalid, I do see how they make sense to him, like the part about the rooms that "doubled" in price without the hotel owner having improved them or changed furniture, so he perceives it as gouging.
What few people from the outside know is that this increase had been anticipated and expected, you might even say prayed for by all who wanted the country to survive.
At the end of the Hippo's reign in terror, those of us who were living here, knew full well that the next President's job was going to be really tough, to repair the damage left behind.
We weren't even sure if it could be done and seriously worried about the country bankrupting and being followed by a revolution and becoming another Haiti.
All of our governments in the past have been corrupt and will surely continue to be so, but Hippo's gang took it to a new level, with "expenditures" grossly surpassing "incoming money".

Anyone who wants to argue that point, need not bother.
We know it happened, we lived through it, we saw the pesos go crazy and we watched the collapse.
Now we are trying to recover and are paying and will continue to pay, to save the country.

Sosua is cheaper than any other tourist town in the country, further negating AK's arguments.
Furthermore, his assessment of the economy in the days of the Germans "controlling" Sosua is so far off base that it is quite apparent that he has little info on the matter.
I was here in those days and I still remember the prices, and I can tell you this.
It cost more to rent a motorbike 20 years ago than it does today, and that's not even taking the dollar's devaluation into account.
Real estate still has not reached the highs we saw back in the "days of the Germans".
Imported goods were substantially more expensive in those days too.
Again, anyone who cares to dispute these facts, need not bother.
I was here and I still remember the prices.
I can even tell you how much my first TV cost, what brand it was and what it was worth in Canada or the US at that time.
We proportionately paid more then, than we do now.

Furthermore, Sosua had fewer services in those days, so the operating costs were far lesser than they are now, which helps to explain AK's hotel example of the rising room price.

What has shot up in price is fuel and everything related to it, but that's an international thing.
 

SKY

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The OP only needs to go 10 minutes East to Cabarete and he will see big time gouging.

Lax, which used to be very reasonable now charges 150rd for a beer. Any drink is 200-300rd.

Compare this to Sosua. You can get a Presidente for 50rd at Las Canas, or a local drink for 50rd. This is at the Pool bar.

I believe Rockys charges 60rd for a beer, but I may be wrong, Marco can correct me if I am off.

The bottom line is Sosua is higher than before, but prices have went up all over the DR. Still a bargain if you know where to go.
 

wishingiwasthere

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"Still a bargin if you know where to go" - and if you dont - its the finding out that is the fun part!
When you move there you WILL MAKE MISTAKES - you WILL OVERPAY at times - but thats called a learning experiance and you will be better off for it in the long run.

Read the site - go and enjoy the beautifull country!

( its cold and wet in the UK today and oh how i am wishingiwasthere! )
 

DavidZ

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AK47 is clearly delusional....just about everything he says is dead wrong...except that prices have gone up...as they have in pretty much the rest of the world....especially the US, Canada and Europe...

And by the way...normal drinks at Lax are not 200-300 pesos...and beers are not 150! Maybe you're thinking of Casanova's who inexplicably raised all there prices a few months ago by about 50%. Cabarete is, however more expensive on average than Sosua... Just like NYC is more expensive than Brooklyn and South Beach Miami is more expensive than Ft. Lauderdale... I like Sosua very much, but no offense to Rocky's and Las Canas - both of which I have been to many times... Neither place is a fairly upscale lounge/restaurant directly on the beach (like Lax)...would anyone expect the prices to be the same?