3 financial ways to live in the DR

[marliejaneca]

Easier than one thinks

When I moved to POP, (at the age of 30)I didn't have a job, a place to live, 1000.00 Cdn $ in my pocket - I just went for an adventure and to learn the language. 2 days after arriving, I had a job, a place to live and many new hurdles to overcome. I started out at 6000 pesos/mth and just when I thought I should head home because of a motoconcho accident (Ay, a true dominicana now), my employer gave me a raise to 7500 pesos to stay. That was my sign, I went home and sold all my material belongings that didn't mean a thing anymore and returned.
I lived quite comfortably, shopped at the "farmers market" , could afford to buy clothes, have a bottle of Barcello always handy, and truly enjoy life. I could afford to eat out ocassionally and even hit the complex for a night of dancing in the tourist discos.
The second year I was down there I managed to stumble on a job that paid in US dollars and life became grand. I bought a pasola, hired a maid and moved to an apt/hotel so I could have a pool. I still ate the same food, still lived the same lifestyle and managed to save money. I travelled home every six months to keep up my Canadian health benefits.
You can live well, eat well (meaning don't get caught up in the Supermercado high prices - go to the market or find a good neighborhood store), play well - set your limits, budget like you would anywhere else in the world and don't sweat the small stuff.
I agreee with the fact that you should not buy until you are sure, and take advantages of living in a Dominican neighbourhood so that you immerse yourself in the culture and better understand the way of life you are heading into, otherwise your expectations could be a little high.
The moral of the story is if you want something bad enough - work for it - you will enjoy the fruits of your labor.
And.... if you are so worried about what lower/middle/upper class is , you are still way too wrapped up in your country of origins mindset, let it go - this is not a "keeping up with the Jones'" style country!
Marlie

 

[Escott]

See threads about Anoeca. It is a finance house in Puerto Plata that a lot of us have money in. I get much better than 10% and have been doing this for several years. 100k should get you the return you want. Banks in Aruba pay about 7% on US Dollars and I am thinking about bringing some money there as I take more money out of the US with retirement and fleeing in mind.

 

[Tony C]

WHERE one lives in the DR has alot to do with how far the pesos go. To me the capital is, financially speaking , a seperate reality from the rest of the country. Small towns and the campo offer soooo much more "bang for the buck". So before one can determine the price of a middle class existance here, you need to ask WHERE? Santo Domingo is not Los Higaldos-and thank God for that K

Can a person live "Middle Class" in the Campo? I don't think so. To live at that level in the Campo you would need a Upper class income.
Middle class in the DR is:
OWN your House or nice Condo.
Reliable source of electrical power.(Generator/inverter)
A Nice Car.
TV/Cable/Sat, PC, Cel phone,....all of the common toys.
Your bills are paid.
Residential security.

Having a finca on a dirt road in Mao is not "Middle Class"!
You may get more "Bang for your buck" in the Campo but that is if your "Bang" is a small firecracker!

 

[Kozy]

Tony
You need to get out of the big city more often. There is a thriving middle class, per your specifications, in vitually every town in the Cibao and the north coast as well. I assume it to be that way in other parts of the country but cannot verify personally, even though I have traveled throughout the country many times.
The most common #1 expense- renting and/or buying a house or property is most definately cheaper. The difference in land prices between the capital and say, Los Higaldos is extrodinary.
The price of going out is cheaper also- discos, comedors, resturaunts, enjoying an evening in parke central, ect. ect. Its just a whole different life style. Enjoying the company of friends and family without spending alot of money is an art form long ago perfected by small town people everywhere.
True, other large expenses like a car, insurance, tution for college, ect. are the same all over the country. And most big ticket retail items are cheaper in the city. But people outside the city buy these items when they visit Santiago and bring them back.
I understand the reasons for the massive migration over the last 25 years , which has transformed Santo Domingo from a small city to the incredibly congested blob of 3 million which it is now. One must eat. One must survive, so they came.
I just don't understand the mentality of city folks in general so please don't take my comments personal. Why any well adjusted,educated person would choose Santo Domingo over rural / small town life in the DR is a mystery to me, unless they HAD to. The increadible georaphic beauty of the DR, in all of its marvelous aspcets, is free to enjoy every day of the year if you live outside the city. What is the value of that?

 

[Escott]

I agree. Only people with NO choice would live there or people that HAD to make a living. Gosh, why would anyone choose to make a living in the DR for heavens sake! LOL

 

[georgesoles]

This is my first posting.
I live in baja california north in mexico. i am 64 an american citizen and retired with a steady income. DR has been recommended and i would like to spend a year in your country. The north coast away from the city sounds more to my liking. Can anyone steer me to a source for info regarding housing etc. I have had an operation that has taken my voice so phones are out. bye the way, i am in good health. thank you all.

 

[Tony C]

Tony

The price of going out is cheaper also- discos, comedors, resturaunts, enjoying an evening in parke central, ect. ect. Its just a whole different life style. Enjoying the company of friends and family without spending alot of money is an art form long ago perfected by small town people everywhere.
True, other large expenses like a car, insurance, tution for college, ect. are the same all over the country. And most big ticket retail items are cheaper in the city. But people outside the city buy these items when they visit Santiago and bring them back.
I just don't understand the mentality of city folks in general so please don't take my comments personal. Why any well adjusted,educated person would choose Santo Domingo over rural / small town life in the DR is a mystery to me, unless they HAD to. The increadible georaphic beauty of the DR, in all of its marvelous aspcets, is free to enjoy every day of the year if you live outside the city. What is the value of that?

Some people need culture, excitement, intelligence. The thought of sitting in a comedor listening to repetitive bachata makes me want to gag. I have lived and traveled the DR from end to end. I have spent much time in the Campo. Nice place to visit for a few days. Pretty countryside. Nice SIMPLE people.
Santo Domingo is a vibrant metropolis with an energy that only a large capital can provide. Art, Culture, education is to be found there. Don't even get me started about the women. If you like quiet evenings with no mental stimulus that is great but it is not for me on a regular basis. Why would any well adjusted, educated person want to live in the Campo? I much prefer the suburbs with what I want within reach.
Remember what they say in the US! "Do you know why they call it the HEARTLAND? Because their ain't no brains there!"

 

[Escott]

I have to say Tony, I much prefer the North Coast. Nicer place for "me" to live. If I want the Capitol for under 4 Bux US I take a A/C Bus with a Movie in English and in 3 hours I am there. I wouldnt even do the DRIVE. Why would I when I can have Jose or Josb drive me for next to nothing in comfort. I can stay over in a nice place in the Colonial Zone for $45-US, go to dinner with friends get all cultured up for 2 days and go back to the peace and serenity I so enjoy of the other side of the country.

Same thing when I feel like visiting friends in Santiago. Get in my Jeepeta and spend one hour going over the mountain, pick up a pretty lady to keep me company (they just flag you down when you drive) and I am there. Have dinner, go out to see the sights and drive back in one hour to sleep in my bed.

There isn't a thing in the Capitol for me on a full time basis I need when I can get all the dirty, smelly, rat infested cities with NO beaches I need so easily. Even if I went one weekend a month it wouldnt matter to me. If I decided I wanted to have 2 homes in the DR like I have had in the States most of my adult life I would have a home on the Beach and another in the Mountains. Still wouldnt choose to live in the City.

It is close enough to be so easily attainable because it is still an Island albeit a large one with diverse geography it isn't necessary to live there to get what a city has to offer. It isn't exactly a NYC you know. You have no NBA games to just jump on a subway for 15 mintutes before tipoff which I use to do at the last minute when I lived there. Nothing you cant plan to be there for anytime or anything you desire with the least inconvienence.

I know you think yourself as some sort of snob Tony but it seems you just don't think about being able to achieve the positives without having to endure the negatives. Snobs get to suffer, I don't

 

[Chris]

Re: Easier than one thinks

And.... if you are so worried about what lower/middle/upper class is , you are still way too wrapped up in your country of origins mindset, let it go - this is not a "keeping up with the Jones'" style country!
Marlie

And this is one of the nicest things for me in the DR. I really don't have to 'keep up' -- I can simply live my own life at my own standard and enjoy the things in life that make me happy.

 

[Tony C]

Escott

It is all a matter of tastes and tastes do change.
I have done the "beach bum" thing. It was enjoyable but after time I needed more. Likewise the Campo. I have worked farms and Ranches. I can break a horse and palpate a cow with the best of them.
Right now I my tastes are directed at more cerebral pursuits. I still do enjoy escaping to Nature. I am a avid back-country fisherman. I love to sail among other things.
I admire and salute you for making the change that most people do not have the guts to make. At least you are not like the millions of idiots who sit at the corner tavern, get drunk,listen to a Jimmy Buffet song and swear that one day they will chuck it all and live on a beach in the Caribbean. 99% never do.

 

[Escott]

Re: Easier than one thinks

Originally posted by marliejaneca And.... if you are so worried about what lower/middle/upper class is , you are still way too wrapped up in your country of origins mindset, let it go - this is not a "keeping up with the Jones'" style country!
Marlie

I am not worried at all. I am fortunate to be at the financial top of the food chain and have no worries at all. My only thoughts are what to do with my time when I am not relaxing, reading, dining and hanging with friends etc..

Just think of this thread as informational and educational instead of trying to label it as something distasteful.

Knowing what it takes to live in the DR and how much it costs is important to a lot of people that actually give thought to what they do and don't take off only to have to contemplate going home after having a car accident.

This has nothing to do with mindsets of country of origin but rather liking yourself enough to not want to put yourself through what you went through.

I am happy that you are happy now but if others can get though a small downturn and NOT have to contemplate returning home out of dire need because possibly finding out what it takes in advance and what opportunities are "really" there I think it would be better for them. Forwarned is Forearmed.

 

[Escott]

Escott

It is all a matter of tastes and tastes do change.
I have done the "beach bum" thing. It was enjoyable but after time I needed more. Likewise the Campo. I have worked farms and Ranches. I can break a horse and palpate a cow with the best of them.
Right now I my tastes are directed at more cerebral pursuits. I still do enjoy escaping to Nature. I am a avid back-country fisherman. I love to sail among other things.
I admire and salute you for making the change that most people do not have the guts to make. At least you are not like the millions of idiots who sit at the corner tavern, get drunk,listen to a Jimmy Buffet song and swear that one day they will chuck it all and live on a beach in the Caribbean. 99% never do.

Thanks Tony. It is nice to finally be able to follow your dreams in a responsible manner.

I was just trying to point out that for others there are other places to live other than the capitol and many others would RATHER live somewhere else. I do not live the life of a beach bum although I am located very close to the beach but enjoy the fact that I am just a 2 minute walk from there. Although I have not a whole lot going on most times I sometimes don't even walk the beach for a week. When I want to I don't have to make arrangements to do so. That is the beauty of living by the beach.

I just can't figure out why some people just push a City. You and AZB both do this even with the understanding that it isn't for everyone. I think AZB does it to rationalize the fact that he has to for business reasons. One of the nice things about the DR is that it is so diverse you can have it all at anytime if you have the money not to work.

Regards,
Scott

 

[marliejaneca]

Escott

WOW

Not liking myself, running away, message board as distasteful !!

Where did that come from?

1) I wanted to return to Canada as I was not healing properly and needed more care.

2) Never did I "put myself through anything" that could even be construed as "not liking myself"

3) I think this message board is simply fantastic and I have learned so much from it that would have taken me years to find out on my own.

4) A response to my very first post encouraged me to share my experiences while living in the DR but maybe I will rethink that.

Sorry if I got off topic on this one - but I had to respond.

Thanks for the PM - I replied.

 

[jsizemore]

cost of living

I have been to the Dominican Republic twice. I am looking to move down in a few years so I am researching this well.
I have family in West Virginia that live on the same money as the local rice farm hands in the D.R. They have the outhouse and a spring for their water and so forth. So I feel the cost of living is based on the expectation of standards rather than what it actually cost.
Basically I feel a family can live comfortably on $1500 a month Because al the luxuries that the rich have are so far out of reach that once the basic needs are met there is not the cash to spend on luxuries so the rest of the cash can be on food.
The easiest way for me to explain it is when I was a kid I remember my mom looking at a Microwave oven and saving for it for a year because it was like a $1000 in 1977. Since it was way out of reach for most of us we did not feel we needed it. Now that microwaves are under $60 everyone either has one or expects it.
A poor family makes it on $100 a month or so if they have it and if they don't they make it on less. The lifestyle difference between $100 a month and $200 a month is not measurable to us. Either way they eat and get some beer but that is about it.
A $1500 a month income will let you do fine but a $2000 a month will not really get you into the high-class neighborhoods from the middle class neighbor hoods.
So if a family has $1500 to spend that will serve there needs. And having $2000 gets spent on partying but will not really increase the class status.
My opinion.
John

 

[Juan_Lopez]

I believe there really are no true middle class in the DR or there are so few it is hard to count. Also the culture I feel is such that 'classes' as north Americans are concerned don't mean as much here unless it is where you hail from then it might have alot to do with it and needed to gauge a proposed move.
*
I could list about 50 people none of whom are making over 5,000 pesos a month.

The below 3 positions could be middle class here and are all known to me.

12,000 organizer? for purple party
10,000 first year government doctor
8,000 secretary in a local justicia-courthouse

If you look at my monthly nut below, some folks (locals) might think I am wealthy, rich or whatever, BUT in the USA I might only be working poor or lower-middle class.

<li>4500---food monthly visit (nacional)
<li>4500---health insurance (4 people)
<li>3500---car insurance
<li>3500---rent
<li>3000---food local (100 pesos x 30 days)
<li>2000---milk and diapers
<li> 800 ---salon
<li> 500 ---lights when we have them
<li> 500 ---tank of diesel
<li> 200 ---cable
<li>5000---misc.

I have 'lived' on under 10,000 pesos in the DR and is probably about what a single / tourist / cringo 'type' might expect to make even with some skills. My secretary friend above understands computers, can operate Microsoft Office programs and probably uhum performs a few favors for the local fiscal.


* All figures are in pesos and monthly

 

[DRdiving]

Are you saying that your rent is only 3500 pesos per month? What kind of place does that get you?

 

[Juan_Lopez]

Brand New 3bdrm,2ba house. Note that I locked in before the peso really started to fall. Now the house would be 5,000 per month.

 

[Adrian Bye]

Thats a house far from the center of the city, in a new development area. Its probably also quite far from the street, so at night you have to walk 5-6 blocks through dark areas to get home.

I also doubt its in Santo Domingo, probably in one of the smaller towns.

But, these houses are very nice inside.

 

[Juan_Lopez]

We are a ways out of town closest to Salcedo past Moca. We do enjoy the luxury of lights on ALMOST every other corner

Below a photo of house.... CBS construction, security bars around, tile floors and oak doors etc... I will say this after living in at least 6 different places. The locals can build a strong house but when it comes to finish work they are sloppy or don't do it LoL

 

[AZB]

When I first moved to Puerto plata (actually costambar). I was so proud to be living in an apartment with an ocean view, being able to walk to the beach etc. I too enjoyed the walks at the beach in late afternoons and often went swiming at night as well.
All that changes after a few months. Then going to the beach is not really a big deal anymore. In fact, it gets boring. In the north coast, you will never find any classy dominicans. All the women are either dirt poor chopas or hookers.
If you need to buy anything to repair your car, you have to come to santiago. You need to improve your house, come to santiago, you need to buy clothes, come to santiago, you need to see night life, come to santiago, you need anything at all, you have to come to santiago. It seems puerto plata, sosua etc are nothing but campos with a beach. There is no intelligent life there. Even the majority of foreigners living there are either alcoholics or hooker chasers or both (i know there are exceptions everywhere so save your comments).
Now living in santiago has its advantages too. First of all, you get to meet the real dominicans and the decent educated women. We have everything here what a big city has down south (on a smaller scale). Our campos are minutes away and mountians are seen from my house. the rivers are also within 30 mins away. So if you are a nature lover, you are not far from it. If we need to go to the beach, we just head over to sosua or cabarete. Many santiagueros prefer the rivers in the mountians. I am personally tired of the beach after living in the north coast for over 2 years.
Santo domingo is a very vibrant city and i can see why some people are hooked to it. I personally don;t care for traffic jams so I stay away from there.
There is no comparison between santiago beauties and the north coast slimy hookers. If you fancy one of these ugly hookers, better see a shrink because you guys have a genetic defect or something of that kind; in that case even a shrink can't even help you. I just don't see what you folks see in those disgusting women. I rather have sex with a Vira lata that to be even seen with one of them.
Viva santiago.