The food costs are higher than the US, but you can go to a colmado for fruit. My food costs are less in the US along with everything else. If you shop for food where the Dominicans shop prices will be lower, but then you'll have to eat like a Dominican. You can still rent very inexpensively. As previously said at one time the DR was relatively cheap but that time has passed. If you plan to move make sure you have the money.
- Thread starter Robert
- Start date
Living Costs in the Dominican Republic
I agree with Boston Mary. It is not only the prices for all importers stuff. The quality is very often bad too regarding to imported fruits or meat. Sometimes I have the feeling they sell stuff here they cannot sell in the States or Europe.
Beside of this Power cost three times Florida prices, Water and Gas are more expensive too. Imported clothes, they sell stuff you can buy much cheaper at Ross or other low prices stores in US.
All together, for coming here you must have other motives the low cost of living
Beside of this Power cost three times Florida prices, Water and Gas are more expensive too. Imported clothes, they sell stuff you can buy much cheaper at Ross or other low prices stores in US.
All together, for coming here you must have other motives the low cost of living
Water at 40 pesos per 5 gal container is not expensive. My electrical bill over the past year has averaged 900 pesos per month, no air-conditioning. Gas for the car is definitely expensive. American apples of good quality are 30 pesos each. Grapes are really expensive, but local watermelon, mangos....etc are not expensive at all. The real expensive stuff is mouthwash, tooth paste, shampoo....etc. Only meat I eat is local chicken at 45-50 pesos per lb. I eat nothing out of a can.
I just saw it the other day -- the 5 gal water are $5 in Canada.... ice too.
Cdn gas is $1/gal less... not a big deal....... US gas is MUCH cheaper, many Cdns cross the border to fill up.
Cdn gas is $1/gal less... not a big deal....... US gas is MUCH cheaper, many Cdns cross the border to fill up.
My electric has creeped up to almost 1500 dop. But thats running ac every night and some during the day. Got a price smart membership. Saves me a lot of money over carre four and la sirena. And unlike sams in america u can actually park and get in and out with out much hassle or waiting in line. I think overall living here is cheaper. The 1200USD i save each month on rent and the 375USD i save on electricity. Pays for a lot of the more expensive things. Like gasoline, beef, pork and toothpaste. I buy my clothes when i am in the us along with a lot of other more difficult to find or expensive items here. Funny, the plane leaving the US for here always feels like its struggling to get off the ground.
Agreed..... overall, I find the cost of living to be less.
Yes, I import a considerable amount... but mostly big stuff... but some 'luxury ' items
Yes, I import a considerable amount... but mostly big stuff... but some 'luxury ' items
just a lil addy to all above, in general, doesn't matter which area you live:
i sounds to me that some do still not know about the best price shopping, like some posters above recommended to purchase stuff at the little colmados, heck, those are the for sure by far most expensive places to shop, as they do their purchases at the bigger marketsand/or get the stuff delivered by middlesmen, small colmados do not even run their purchases in big quantities, so they do not even have the best prices on their purchases and add to that what they need to make as profit themselves.
sure it always depends where someone lives and how mobile someone is to do the best price purchases.
here on the far east, i purchase fruits at one single fruit stand in Veron, as they are the same family as the producers, so the stuff is always fresh and for fantastic prices. meat takes some time and testing to find a appropriate place, i have since years one butcher nearby where the Beef never failed, it did fail at every other place i tried in the area one day or an other. best bet for beef is for most the imported Beef at the big supermarkets, acceptable quality for good prices.
as for clothing and household stuff etc, for best prices, some mentioned the typical cheap Dollar Store styled shops at home, here you purchase your cheap clothing on specific Marketplaces, often even run by Haitians, in Higuey, the cheapest stores at home come out expensive to those marketplaces, but you need your time 9n the community to figure all such stuff out in your surroundings, it is not that someone can give you a map, mark some points and from there on you get everything for the best rates.
for example the small Flee Market we have here in the lil Town of Cabeza de Toro twice a week, they seel used clothes and new stuff of very good quality, on first approach a Gringo will be asked for 10 bucks for a nice shirt, once really living in the community the same shirt will cost 50 pesos and you can preorder what you want(color, fishing motives etc etc) and a week later they have it ready for you in their Truck.
as for prices to rent appartments and houses, that varies a lot from area to area of course.
here on the East(i can't comment on the rest of the Island for that) the last several years the rents went down very significantly, it is def a buyers and renters market, very bad for someone who bought some years ago and wanna sell now.
very good gated residencies offer 2 and 3 bedroom appartments fully furnished with good nice furnichures (often even the coffee cups, spoons, knifes etc etceverything in littchen included) for $400.- -$500.- per month. stand alone houses, for example 2 bedrooms, small garden, walled in with big gate for the carport for one Truck, furnished with no high quality furnichures, run for $400.- - $500.- per month. great big property houses, 3 1/2 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, own pool, big garden, all walled in, carport for 2 big cars/trucks, unfurniched, run for $600-$700.- per month.
those properties bee a few years ago at least 50% more expensive to rent.
if you look on the more economic side of rentals, without the need of a gated community with a guard at the entrance 24/7, ten you find here 1-3 bedroom appartments from around RD$6.000.- -RD$10.000.- all around to live in the middle of the DR daily life.
that's all on the East which is considered costy compared to many other areas.
daily costs for the usual foodies etc really depend on what level you want to live.
if you lived at home on consumption of cheap local products(local beef, local fruits etc from your homecountry), then you can not compare those prices from home to the prices for the same products here, because here they are Imported stuff and for that more expensive than at home. you need to compare those items to the Local DR items available, and then the DR is sure not more expensive than your life was at home on the same level.
if you look on the prices for imported meats, imported frenchfries, imported apples etc etc in the DR, then you have to compare those prices to the rates for Imported Meats from Australia, french fries or potatoes from Europe, apples from Russia etc etc in the USA/Canada/where ever home is.
if you want the same products from your homecountry, then you need to keep in mind that they will be Imports here and tho they will cost more than back home.
Mike
i sounds to me that some do still not know about the best price shopping, like some posters above recommended to purchase stuff at the little colmados, heck, those are the for sure by far most expensive places to shop, as they do their purchases at the bigger marketsand/or get the stuff delivered by middlesmen, small colmados do not even run their purchases in big quantities, so they do not even have the best prices on their purchases and add to that what they need to make as profit themselves.
sure it always depends where someone lives and how mobile someone is to do the best price purchases.
here on the far east, i purchase fruits at one single fruit stand in Veron, as they are the same family as the producers, so the stuff is always fresh and for fantastic prices. meat takes some time and testing to find a appropriate place, i have since years one butcher nearby where the Beef never failed, it did fail at every other place i tried in the area one day or an other. best bet for beef is for most the imported Beef at the big supermarkets, acceptable quality for good prices.
as for clothing and household stuff etc, for best prices, some mentioned the typical cheap Dollar Store styled shops at home, here you purchase your cheap clothing on specific Marketplaces, often even run by Haitians, in Higuey, the cheapest stores at home come out expensive to those marketplaces, but you need your time 9n the community to figure all such stuff out in your surroundings, it is not that someone can give you a map, mark some points and from there on you get everything for the best rates.
for example the small Flee Market we have here in the lil Town of Cabeza de Toro twice a week, they seel used clothes and new stuff of very good quality, on first approach a Gringo will be asked for 10 bucks for a nice shirt, once really living in the community the same shirt will cost 50 pesos and you can preorder what you want(color, fishing motives etc etc) and a week later they have it ready for you in their Truck.
as for prices to rent appartments and houses, that varies a lot from area to area of course.
here on the East(i can't comment on the rest of the Island for that) the last several years the rents went down very significantly, it is def a buyers and renters market, very bad for someone who bought some years ago and wanna sell now.
very good gated residencies offer 2 and 3 bedroom appartments fully furnished with good nice furnichures (often even the coffee cups, spoons, knifes etc etceverything in littchen included) for $400.- -$500.- per month. stand alone houses, for example 2 bedrooms, small garden, walled in with big gate for the carport for one Truck, furnished with no high quality furnichures, run for $400.- - $500.- per month. great big property houses, 3 1/2 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, own pool, big garden, all walled in, carport for 2 big cars/trucks, unfurniched, run for $600-$700.- per month.
those properties bee a few years ago at least 50% more expensive to rent.
if you look on the more economic side of rentals, without the need of a gated community with a guard at the entrance 24/7, ten you find here 1-3 bedroom appartments from around RD$6.000.- -RD$10.000.- all around to live in the middle of the DR daily life.
that's all on the East which is considered costy compared to many other areas.
daily costs for the usual foodies etc really depend on what level you want to live.
if you lived at home on consumption of cheap local products(local beef, local fruits etc from your homecountry), then you can not compare those prices from home to the prices for the same products here, because here they are Imported stuff and for that more expensive than at home. you need to compare those items to the Local DR items available, and then the DR is sure not more expensive than your life was at home on the same level.
if you look on the prices for imported meats, imported frenchfries, imported apples etc etc in the DR, then you have to compare those prices to the rates for Imported Meats from Australia, french fries or potatoes from Europe, apples from Russia etc etc in the USA/Canada/where ever home is.
if you want the same products from your homecountry, then you need to keep in mind that they will be Imports here and tho they will cost more than back home.
Mike
16/20 count shrimp is more expensive all over. In Atlanta, it's about $15 USD a pound.
Mike,
The advice of just walking around a favorite neighborhood and looking for rent signs has often been given on this thread. That's a great suggestion, but doesn't work so well with gated communities. How do you recommend finding the nicer units you mentioned, without having to pay the gringo tax?
Well Bob, I think its depends how ones live here. I can only describe my living cost here and compare with my costs and quality of live in Miami. In my case it is in favor of Miami
DRRob,
no walking around and looking on for rent/for sale signs, those signs anyways would not show any prices/rents, just a phone number.
to avoid the Gringo price on rentals you need to live since a while in a area to be known by the people/Landlords/their renting assistants etc.
i know about actual prices in some gated communities because i am since some months on the search for a new home for myself, the kittens grow up and i need more space, so i am shopping around to find the right place for the right price to move around years end or during january. of course without any time pressure, and several units wnet significantly down on their rates since i asked for the first time earlier this year. shopping around is consuming time but well worth it, and it has to be done in person, it is important to stay in touch with the renters in person.
PC has so many empty units of all sizes available, and new ones on the finishing edge all the time.
Mike
no walking around and looking on for rent/for sale signs, those signs anyways would not show any prices/rents, just a phone number.
to avoid the Gringo price on rentals you need to live since a while in a area to be known by the people/Landlords/their renting assistants etc.
i know about actual prices in some gated communities because i am since some months on the search for a new home for myself, the kittens grow up and i need more space, so i am shopping around to find the right place for the right price to move around years end or during january. of course without any time pressure, and several units wnet significantly down on their rates since i asked for the first time earlier this year. shopping around is consuming time but well worth it, and it has to be done in person, it is important to stay in touch with the renters in person.
PC has so many empty units of all sizes available, and new ones on the finishing edge all the time.
Mike
"BOB", finds it virtually impossible to make any negative comment about the DR, OR Dominicans.
Therefore he has become ONE of our resident,.... "Cherry Pickers"!
He picks a few items that cost less here in the DR, and extrapolates that to mean, the "Cost of Living in the DR is "LOW".
I look at the entire monthly costs.
They were high, and became MUCH Higher last January because of DR gov's tax increases.
They will jump yet again next January, AND some of the few items that were not already taxed, will now be taxed.
Mostly food items, and cleaning supplies.
The very items that the poor use everyday!
"900 pesos a month for electricity"????? :cheeky::cheeky::cheeky::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:
"WTF"??????????????
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Therefore he has become ONE of our resident,.... "Cherry Pickers"!
He picks a few items that cost less here in the DR, and extrapolates that to mean, the "Cost of Living in the DR is "LOW".
I look at the entire monthly costs.
They were high, and became MUCH Higher last January because of DR gov's tax increases.
They will jump yet again next January, AND some of the few items that were not already taxed, will now be taxed.
Mostly food items, and cleaning supplies.
The very items that the poor use everyday!
"900 pesos a month for electricity"????? :cheeky::cheeky::cheeky::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:
"WTF"??????????????
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
My bill was "Down" to 17,900 pesos this month!
I feel "Blessed"!
"Blessed",that 50% of that pays for those who pay "NADA"!!!
3 , A/Cs running!
I gotta do something with my blankets!
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I feel "Blessed"!
"Blessed",that 50% of that pays for those who pay "NADA"!!!
3 , A/Cs running!
I gotta do something with my blankets!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
24.000 Peso this month for me from 6th of sept to 6th of out. 4 AC at night only and one pool pump running 6 our a day
Thanks "Kampinge", because of you, "I'm ONLY # 2"!!!!!!
At least we sleep COOL at night, and wake up refreshed.
Just like the people in the "Barrios" who ALSO have "A/C",yet pay nothing!!
And they run their's ,"24/7/365"!!!!!
My barber has a split "A/C", 2 ceiling fans, a BIG "flat screen", a ceiling full of lights, a small "Fridge", in his shop.
We should feel proud that we are able to provide all that for him!!!
Gives him more money for, "Cervesa", "La Loteria", "Dominos","Celular", Tenis", "Ropa de Moda",and ,"Hair Extensions" for his wife,
AND girlfriend!
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At least we sleep COOL at night, and wake up refreshed.
Just like the people in the "Barrios" who ALSO have "A/C",yet pay nothing!!
And they run their's ,"24/7/365"!!!!!
My barber has a split "A/C", 2 ceiling fans, a BIG "flat screen", a ceiling full of lights, a small "Fridge", in his shop.
We should feel proud that we are able to provide all that for him!!!
Gives him more money for, "Cervesa", "La Loteria", "Dominos","Celular", Tenis", "Ropa de Moda",and ,"Hair Extensions" for his wife,
AND girlfriend!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
if i would run the A/C's on daily/nghtly bases i would sure pass the $500.- per month easily.
but i hate to sleep in A/C, came out to be very bothersome for my health, so luckily i am very fine with the ceiling Vents running 24/7 in all rooms, it safes a lot on the elec bill, yes.
here on the east we do not have the everywhere else present problem with the stealing buggers connected without paying, which of course is included in the elec bills of the ones who pay their Bill, here you are connected correctly with your meter and pay the amount shown, or no elec at all, it's the advantage of a privately owned elec Net in a small area.
the biggest advantage of that privately run electricity network is that we have zero powerouts, nobody here needs a inverter system or runs a Planta, so under the line i say they are worth the higher prices per KWHr paid for their really rliable great services.
it helps of course also a lot to have quality A/C's running, in case of consumption of elec, there are units available which consume as running A/C what some very old fridges in combination with a Korean manufatored elec waterheater would consume. some of those waterheaters eat your elec meter even if nobody takes a hot shower all day long, they eat only because they are connected, found that out myself the hard way a few years ago, when the good ole heater died, and the Landlord surprisingly brought a new one(really new, in da unopened box), manual been in letters i could not read(hey, my korean mandarin chin chong is rosty), connected and the next elec bill been several times higher than the usual bill, so i put a darn switch on its connetion to shut it down(no automatic heating when nobody is using hot water in da house), to be turned on 10 minutes prior to a planned hot shower etc, since then it came down on the normal level. if you buy a quality machine you need no switch, as it will not consume anything unless in use, and even when in use the good ones consume just a fraction of what the cheapies from far east eat 24/7.
Mike
but i hate to sleep in A/C, came out to be very bothersome for my health, so luckily i am very fine with the ceiling Vents running 24/7 in all rooms, it safes a lot on the elec bill, yes.
here on the east we do not have the everywhere else present problem with the stealing buggers connected without paying, which of course is included in the elec bills of the ones who pay their Bill, here you are connected correctly with your meter and pay the amount shown, or no elec at all, it's the advantage of a privately owned elec Net in a small area.
the biggest advantage of that privately run electricity network is that we have zero powerouts, nobody here needs a inverter system or runs a Planta, so under the line i say they are worth the higher prices per KWHr paid for their really rliable great services.
it helps of course also a lot to have quality A/C's running, in case of consumption of elec, there are units available which consume as running A/C what some very old fridges in combination with a Korean manufatored elec waterheater would consume. some of those waterheaters eat your elec meter even if nobody takes a hot shower all day long, they eat only because they are connected, found that out myself the hard way a few years ago, when the good ole heater died, and the Landlord surprisingly brought a new one(really new, in da unopened box), manual been in letters i could not read(hey, my korean mandarin chin chong is rosty), connected and the next elec bill been several times higher than the usual bill, so i put a darn switch on its connetion to shut it down(no automatic heating when nobody is using hot water in da house), to be turned on 10 minutes prior to a planned hot shower etc, since then it came down on the normal level. if you buy a quality machine you need no switch, as it will not consume anything unless in use, and even when in use the good ones consume just a fraction of what the cheapies from far east eat 24/7.
Mike
Ok "Criss" I will start to try to see it this way. " If you can't beet them join them"
I know I could lower my consumption with some effort about 10%, but after reading Chriss post it would break my heart not to support that poor barber
Evidently i have a dominican energy bill discount. 
hell i might even turn on the water heater.
hell i might even turn on the water heater.