Living Costs in the Dominican Republic

[IamZon]

With respect, my objective is to "subsist". Rather, it is to design as good of lifestyle as possible. Staying in one place, and using a moped is not even close.

I imagine a weekend trip every other weekend. A nice place - not a penthouse with 2 bedrooms that never are used. Car Rental / Driver when needed. Certainly a maid/cook. Classes - always classes for something (dance, language, music, yoga). And, doing things - which i always found to be as costly in the DR as in the USA. So, 3 - 3.5K a month is a realistic budget.

Hey! here is a question: when I lived in Cali, Colombia, I enjoyed the fact that one could buy things from factories in town - everything from furniture to shoes. They may not have been AS GOOD as New York, but most of the time the items were very fashionable and nice. Is that local manufacturing in the DR? Another revealing point: In Colombia, dentistry programs are everywhere. Most young people have braces, or good teeth. Dentistry services in Colombia are good (and much less expensive than in the USA). I did not notice this type of service in the DR ... but, again I was not looking at the time. (I was drinking and having to much fun)

 

[curious29]

ok then... feel free to spend as much as you want..it's your money and sky is the limit

 

[IamZon]

I have been patiently reading, and probing to get some usable, forcastable info on life / living in the DR. Let me be a little more direct:

1, Obviously, it is a bad idea - most of the time - for a foreigner to move to the DR looking for a "job" or "opportunities" such as a bar, hotel, ect... I hardly ever see a success of these small businesses started and managed by foreigners in the DR, Panama, Costa Rica, or Colombia.

But, of 4 countries I mention, the DR seems to be a little more fair to foreign businessmen.

Comments?

2, Although there is a tendency to reduce things to the extreme, I do not think the DR is CHEAP! Other places in Central America / South America are far more inexpensive - and provide an equal (or better) standard of living. I do think that the lifestyle one can enjoy in the DR for a "normal monthly expense" of +/- 3K is higher than one receives for the same (or higher) monthly expenses in most descent first world cities.

Comments that illustrate this, or supply recent examples?

3, When I was in the DR several years ago, there were many many real estate projects and speculations from Punta Cana, to Samana. In light of the the new economic realities in Europe and USA ... those plans must be getting drastically revised?

Comments?

4, Several years ago, when I was exploring the DR, there was a massive amount of infrastructure improvement - cell phone towers, interstates, subways ... has that enormous investment produced forward momentum and hope - a better place to live for the middle classes OR the wealthy? Or, is it more like quite controlled "insider's game" to extract money and have nice homes in Miami / New York?

Comments - recent examples?

5, Several years ago in the DR, you could see a little expat / foreign influence creating social classes and communities that were not so primitive / ghetto in feel ... have those expanded, or stopped altogether?

I apologize in advance if my questions seem rude, or too direct.

 

[pollogringo]

Hey! here is a question: when I lived in Cali, Colombia, I enjoyed the fact that one could buy things from factories in town - everything from furniture to shoes. They may not have been AS GOOD as New York, but most of the time the items were very fashionable and nice. Is that local manufacturing in the DR? Another revealing point: In Colombia, dentistry programs are everywhere. Most young people have braces, or good teeth. Dentistry services in Colombia are good (and much less expensive than in the USA). I did not notice this type of service in the DR ... but, again I was not looking at the time. (I was drinking and having to much fun)

Ummmmm. I think if you're moving from Colombia to RD you're going backwards. And I love RD dearly.

 

[IamZon]

Ummmmm. I think if you're moving from Colombia to RD you're going backwards. And I love RD dearly.

- For natural beauty, it is a tie. (hard to beat the Cafe Triangle)
- For beautiful women (forgive me, I am a single man), an edge to Colombia - but then again, a man only needs one woman.
- For cost of living, Colombia wins hands down
- For "unpredictability," it is a tie providing you know what you are doing. Otherwise, the DR is a safer place for more serious crimes.
- For real living / small business opportunities that require land purchase, licensing, etc... It seems that the DR is a little less crappy to me.
- Colombia does have a few cities that offer a higher standard of living, a casual elegance reminiscent of older times ... places where it is easy to live and forget the rest of the world. I am not so sure the DR measures up in this regard.

 

[Criss Colon]

As one "Smart Guy" to another,and having lived and worked in the DR for 17 years,either stay in Colombia, (The Devil You Know!) rather than come to the DR, (The Devil You Don't Know!) or maybe try Thailand.
Thigs are bad here, and have been getting worse for the last 8 or 10 years.
Starting in January, huge tax increases will take affect.
I pay between 4 and 500 USA dollars a month for electricity!
Many pay a lot less, but I love being comfortable, and pay accordingly.
Tough to run any kind of business with that kind of bill.
The Miami Chamber of Commerce once stated that the DR is the worst place to try and start a business.
It has only gotten worse.
Your Dominican competitors won't take kindly to foreign competition, and will often take DRASTIC means to destroy what you have worked to establish.
"Google" world ranking in ANYTHING reguarding the DR.
Might help you make an informed decision.
Cris Colon
That said, I will continue to live here, and raise my 4 kids here.
I would never like to work-for-a-living here again.
Than god I have US Dollars to support our lifestyle.

 

[yapask1]

Some items of the cost of living is definitely rising. Residence visa is now $800 for 4 years on renewal or $4 a week up from approx $2 a week.
Other items are getting cheaper.
Much is thriving - tourism up, range of goods up in shops, medical services improved, more air transport links, better roads, etc. etc. Few developing countries take kindly to foreign competition. Thailand is at least as difficult an
d there the owner / director if foreign is not allowed to work in the business - work must be done by Thais and often a Thai partner is required as well. Ownership of land is very limited for non-Thais.
yapask1


yapask1

 

[gandolf50]

Thailand is a disaster since the tsunami. Between that and aids it a good place to avoid!

 

[MikeFisher]

Some items of the cost of living is definitely rising. Residence visa is now $800 for 4 years on renewal or $4 a week up from approx $2 a week.
Other items are getting cheaper.
Much is thriving - tourism up, range of goods up in shops, medical services improved, more air transport links, better roads, etc. etc. Few developing countries take kindly to foreign competition. Thailand is at least as difficult an
d there the owner / director if foreign is not allowed to work in the business - work must be done by Thais and often a Thai partner is required as well. Ownership of land is very limited for non-Thais.
yapask1


yapask1

listen arshole,
just to give a very short and non detailed answer to your ridiculous out of this world statement above.
some things are rising in costs????
did your outer space station realize that basic costs for basic foods like chicken and rice and BEER went up up to over 30% during the last 4 weeks??
and some stuff went cheaper??????????????????????????????
heck , here i could fill 3 pages with question marks, what product needed for the daily live went cheaper??
i think it is time that we open on DR1 a section named "the wishful thinking of the Aliens", that would be very suitable to post your crap right there.
til that happens i would recommend you just take your solar oven up to the top of the mountains and cook the Cow Paddies there without posting about it, and the rest of the world will be just fine.

oooh, btw, how's da seaweed soup these days?, as there's a good load been washed up da shores the last many weeks, i hope they did not raise the price on that fav of yours, other than the raised ITBIS, but luckily seaweed is not on the taxed list, yest.

Mike

 

[MikeFisher]

gandolf50,
even that i agree on that,
but what the heck has the Thailand situation to do with a DR1 topic titled "living costs in the DR"???

Mike

 

[curious29]

Thailand is a disaster since the tsunami. Between that and aids it a good place to avoid!

when were you in Thailand last time ? 2004 ? Did you saw 1000's of tourist there on every island and every 1000 km2 ? I was there in 2009 and the infrastructure, service all things are excellent....unless by Thailand you mean Ko Phi Phi and its surroundings?

 

[DRob]

I've always wanted to visit Thailand, hear it's one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Problem is, it takes about 30 hours to get there from Atlanta, and I don't think my rear end would survive the journey.

Until then, the DR is a great option to live and play in. And, it's only three hours away. Add the fact that the language is easier to learn IMHO, and the "scenery" is much better :bunny::bunny:, then I'm a VERY happy camper.

 

[malko]

The dominican republic is not cheap. My dominican wife and I live half the year in a small village in the POP region. We have a nice house and alot of land and a big pick up, all bought like 7 or 8 years ago by my wife for just a bit more than peanuts. We are both low/middle salary workers in switzerland. There is no way today that we could do that again, I go to buy my cigarettes on my motorbike so expensive is diesl here....If u can live off platonos, yucca and chicken life is not to expensive. Every thing else is like twice the price for half the quality-send everyfhind u can from us or europe...I m always amased how people here can live on dominican salary.....even in a wooden house.
Truth is a minority of well off dominicans live like europeens and the huge majority live like africans...(brugal seems to be the local way to acceptence of a hard life). This country needs to change, and fast or civil unrest could get worse

 

[yapask1]

Got a good deal on yams, salad veg, prawns, imported pasta last week - cheaper now and less in dollar terms than 5 years ago. Some 1/3 NY prices. Also electricity if generated through solar is cheaper now due to solar panals and controllers 50 % of prices 3 years ago.
Under $1,000 pesos a month elec.when $1000 has been invested in solar is achievable for household even with 17 pesos unit charge.
Cheaper tarifs of internet offer high speeds now suitable for watching TV.
Due to improved roads some intercity bus services have reduced in price in dollar terms.

Rice I havn't noticed go up in price - due to world price sugar is down.

I have to resign myself to prawns(shrimp) ta and salad, avacado followed with pineapple cake - oh dear - about 80 pesos to make one serving. And of couse seaweed dressing.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/18/dining/seaweed-salad-recipe.html?_r=0

yapask1

 

[curious29]

Add the fact that the language is easier to learn IMHO, and the "scenery" is much better :bunny::bunny:, then I'm a VERY happy camper.

thats true ...but massage is better in Thailand and after few weeks of your stay you start to develop desire even to Asian ladies, if "normally" they are not in your taste ;]

 

[Criss Colon]

Key word in "Yappi's" price list???
"In Dollar Terms"!
I shop nearly everyday, for food.
Things are getting a LOT cheaper now!!!
American imported "Things" that is!
Nice to see that after a months "Vacation", his "Tin Foil Hat" is still receiving the same distorted micro wave messages from outer space!!!
Don't bother reminding him that this is "DR1", not "Everywhere Else1".
Chip must always make it about "Obama/abortion", and "The Tin Man" must bash the USA, and tell us how "Worse" things are everywhere else than in the DR!
Can you spell, "Personal Agendas"??????/
________________________________________________________________________
I lived in Thailand in the early 70s.
LOVED the ladies, but not the "Lady boys"!
First wife was THAI!
Dominicanas are better in the "SACK", but Thai Ladies are much better to live with!
Sooooooooooooooooo, an hour a day of "Better", vs. 23 hours of "Living"????
Tough call!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
ps., Thailand has a great variety of dishes, from all over Asia.
The seafood is unbeatable!
So are the "Curries"!
the DR, has "La Bandera", and "Pan con Chocolate"!
Day,after day,after day, after day..............................................................................after day!

 

[yapask1]

Thai food is very good - gringo setting up a small business there can be very difficult.
There are other expensive places bar the US. Taxes, electricity, water, charges for my place in London UK are about $4,000 a year and it is difficult to get a restaurant meal for two under $50. No beach and indifferent weather much of year.
In DR even with current price rise a grande beer at a beach bar is cents over $3 , much the same as 6 years ago.
10years ago at Munich beerfest a very large beer was $15.
yapask1

 

[La Mariposa]

Thai food is very good - gringo setting up a small business there can be very difficult.
There are other expensive places bar the US. Taxes, electricity, water, charges for my place in London UK are about $4,000 a year and it is difficult to get a restaurant meal for two under $50. No beach and indifferent weather much of year.
In DR even with current price rise a grande beer at a beach bar is cents over $3 , much the same as 6 years ago.
10years ago at Munich beerfest a very large beer was $15.
yapask1

Seems to me that yanandu or whatever is back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

 

[mountainannie]

With respect, my objective is to "subsist". Rather, it is to design as good of lifestyle as possible. Staying in one place, and using a moped is not even close.

I imagine a weekend trip every other weekend. A nice place - not a penthouse with 2 bedrooms that never are used. Car Rental / Driver when needed. Certainly a maid/cook. Classes - always classes for something (dance, language, music, yoga). And, doing things - which i always found to be as costly in the DR as in the USA. So, 3 - 3.5K a month is a realistic budget.

Hey! here is a question: when I lived in Cali, Colombia, I enjoyed the fact that one could buy things from factories in town - everything from furniture to shoes. They may not have been AS GOOD as New York, but most of the time the items were very fashionable and nice. Is that local manufacturing in the DR? Another revealing point: In Colombia, dentistry programs are everywhere. Most young people have braces, or good teeth. Dentistry services in Colombia are good (and much less expensive than in the USA). I did not notice this type of service in the DR ... but, again I was not looking at the time. (I was drinking and having to much fun)

I see all that possible for that budget liiving in Santo Domingo. Here. lots of middle age people are having braces done.. there is a lot of high end dentistry but it takes time. Cheaper than the States, for sure but nothing here is as fast as the US. .. the drive through everything.

They manufacture lots of stuff here and have great antique furniture etc... Everything is available at various flea markets and open air markets. Just the adventure of shopping the flea market is great.

Your weekend trips will strain your budget , Particularly, of course, if you are paying for two.

 

[mountainannie]

There are lots of campo built style furniture.. both in pine and rattan and even fine woods. Mattresses, furniture, and used everything is available. The Dominicans can keep things in service forever it seems. Which is amazing to me.