Can anyone explain why property prices in st domgo have not risen with everything else here,values relating to any other countrys capital ,just does not add up,houses in st domgo are cheap to buy,by comparason!!!!
- Thread starter billyidol
- Start date
Expensive living within the DR
Ay, bulldog, cheap by comparison withwhat? In my nabe and the colonial zone the price of a house has risen astronomically--in comparison with prices here five years ago. Now in the case of a New Yorker, say, who comes here looking around and finds that houses average 300,000 US -- well, he would find that cheap incomparison with the houses in the NY area, all running on average about 800,000 US. But that comparison is invalid, really. In fact, the arrival of foreigners here during Leonel's first adminstration helped to drive up prices because while they probably knew they were paying more than the Dominicans, they went ahead and invested because relative to their own economic scale the house would have been quite cheap. But that kind tipped the market here off kilter.
this has been an informative thread, thanks. i have bought in caberete, but don't have all my expenses down yet. i will share them when i do.
Cost of living depends
I'm starting a satellite company outside SD to take advantage of the labor costs compared to the States. When I tell people, their first remark is "it must really be cheap to live there". My reply is "correct, if you want to live like a Dominican". It all boils down to what YOU feel is a necessity and what isn't. The country is on an island with very little manufacturing and high import duties on many items. EVERYTHING has to be imported except foods. We complain about $2.35/gal gas To live like an exactly as you do in America will be expensive.
I'm starting a satellite company outside SD to take advantage of the labor costs compared to the States. When I tell people, their first remark is "it must really be cheap to live there". My reply is "correct, if you want to live like a Dominican". It all boils down to what YOU feel is a necessity and what isn't. The country is on an island with very little manufacturing and high import duties on many items. EVERYTHING has to be imported except foods. We complain about $2.35/gal gas To live like an exactly as you do in America will be expensive.
One of the things that I have noticed as to why my expenses are minimal is due to the fact that I married a Dominican. She is from a poor family and she does all the cooking. As we eat the foods that a typical Dominican family would the food expenses are therefore the same as for a typical Dominican. It is because of that that I have been introduced to a lot of foods that I hadn't eaten before. Some of these food took some getting used to but I have acquired a joy for Dominican dishes now.
As I too am a cook at sorts I will occasionally cook something American, German, Mexican or from some other country but my wife will never eat it. Her father and my son always love my dishes but most other Dominicans that I have experimented with don't like it because it isn't Dominican.
When I go on one of my American food binges my food expense goes up accordingly as I occasionally enjoy a good imported steak but my wife enjoys buying mondongo from her father and preparing that. We eat a lot of rice and beans as that is what the family likes.
Rick
As I too am a cook at sorts I will occasionally cook something American, German, Mexican or from some other country but my wife will never eat it. Her father and my son always love my dishes but most other Dominicans that I have experimented with don't like it because it isn't Dominican.
When I go on one of my American food binges my food expense goes up accordingly as I occasionally enjoy a good imported steak but my wife enjoys buying mondongo from her father and preparing that. We eat a lot of rice and beans as that is what the family likes.
Rick
Rick Snyder said:
Although I don't live in the DR yet, I'm sure my experience will be almost the same as your's. My mother-in-law lives with us and if it isn't a Dominican type dish she doesn't like it. Now my wife has found that she likes curry dishes, good canadian roasts, and love hot chili.
Rent - Cheap or Expensive Depends on You
I have been living in the DR for four years. I live in Santo Domingo in one the affluent neighborhoods. In contrast, my closest friend lives in another part of Santo Domingo, in a not so bad area.
I pay $900 USD for rent including maintenance for a two bedroom apt. I have security, covered parking, planta, hot water, etc..
My friend pays around $6000 DOP for his one bedroom apartment. He rarely has electricity, no water at times, no hot water, no parking, cement floors, etc....
Enough said.
I have been living in the DR for four years. I live in Santo Domingo in one the affluent neighborhoods. In contrast, my closest friend lives in another part of Santo Domingo, in a not so bad area.
I pay $900 USD for rent including maintenance for a two bedroom apt. I have security, covered parking, planta, hot water, etc..
My friend pays around $6000 DOP for his one bedroom apartment. He rarely has electricity, no water at times, no hot water, no parking, cement floors, etc....
Enough said.
Marcus said:
correct.. enough said... comparing ~RD$30,000 (your rent) vs RD$6,000
uhmmmm big diff just to get a parking space, security, hot water, nice floor.
DR is not alaska that many people need hot water. And cold water is not the
same colddd water as in USA; DR's cold water is more bearable.
So Rick,600 a month for gasoline,and 500 for electric????
Thats less than 5 gallons a month of gas! (Get Out Much???)You stealing your electric, or paying a "Fixed Rate" because you have no "meter"?? If I had to live like the "average" Dominican,I would have stayed in Boston!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
Thats less than 5 gallons a month of gas! (Get Out Much???)You stealing your electric, or paying a "Fixed Rate" because you have no "meter"?? If I had to live like the "average" Dominican,I would have stayed in Boston!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
Criss,
I'm on a fixed rate with no meter. One of those wonderful things that happened to me about 2 years ago. There is always, almost, enough street electricity to keep my 12 batteries charged up. I've only had to run my generator twice to charge the batteries and that was for one hour each time.
Rick
I'm on a fixed rate with no meter. One of those wonderful things that happened to me about 2 years ago. There is always, almost, enough street electricity to keep my 12 batteries charged up. I've only had to run my generator twice to charge the batteries and that was for one hour each time.
Rick
THE GAME said:
Well, I didn't move down here to take cold showers. I need hot water, electricity (the vast majority of the time), cable tv, etc.
I wont break down my expenses but I would say all together, I spend around 45,000 pesos per month and I am living pretty well. I am a single guy in my mid thirties living in the capital.
I could do it on much less if I went out less, took publicos instead of private taxis, lived in a cheaper neighborhood, etc. And by contrast, I could spend alot more if I allowed myself to.
Larry
Our electricity bill hovers round the RD$500 mark (there, I've jinxed it now) and where we live is posh! It'll go up once the weather gets warmer and we start using fans again, but this is what you pay if you use electricity rationally. In contrast, some of the neighbours complain of having to pay around RD$6,000 - but then, they use a/c as if it were hot and clothes driers as if it wasn't.
Marcus said:
Not quite enough really: there are all sorts of different arrangements to be had here if you know how to look, and if you know people, because radio bemba is often an excellent way to find things. When I started living here my wife and I paid exactly 3300 pesos monthly to live in a one bedroom apartment with a huge bathroom and a small kitchen plus patio/garden outside. Modest, but quite nice. that was in Ciudad Nueva -- now let me say up front that I have no wish to live outside of the older part of the city. Everything else was included. Later, when my daughter was born we moved to an apartment in Gazcue, and my rent went to 8,000 and change. Now it is at 10,000 and will stay there, as I made a deal with the owner. Not a huge place, but big enough for our needs, and our expenditures here are low: the phone with dsl is the highest expense I have. Lights come next, running from 800 to 1500 monthly ( I think the difference stems from the use of the water heater, but I am not sure).
I dont live on concrete floors, I always have electricity, etc etc. My only real complaint is that the bomba (water pump) is a bit old and sometimes gives the condo trouble, but they are too cheap to fix it properly or replace it. Maintenance here is ridiculously low: 600 pesos a month ( and I have argued they should raise it).
Of course, it is true the real criterion is finding that balance between what you feel you need to live well (enough) and what you can afford. That said, I personally wouldnt spend like a New Yorker to live in St Domingo, nor do I think you need spend so much if you know your way around (and btw, Marcus I am not implying that your rent is too high, not at all). But the capital is undoubtedly one of the more expensive "third world" (stupid term) cities that I know of. Bombay is more expensive, Rio, Sao Paolo, maybe Mexico City, but St Domingo is not as big or as cosmopolitan as those cities, so in my view it is not the bargain it once was.
Last edited: