Mike, you made 6 posts in a row on page 111.
"Celebrating" a LITTLE????
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
"Celebrating" a LITTLE????
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
- Thread starter Robert
- Start date
Living Costs in the Dominican Republic
Yes, it would be nice if this third world island came with third world prices, regardless of the |ocean view"
This demonstrates the DR gov. mind set.
Take foreign aid and taxes from the few with money.
Meanwhile in the barrios tap into someone else's power line.
Mike I have been here over 20 years...I have learned the hard way believe me. When you first come here you want to try and help people (spouse extended family) it is natural to want to do that. After time you see it for what it is worth. These are not people from the barrio, these are people who work, have a career (for the most part) who always seem to have a "problem". What I began to notice in the beginning was the more I helped the less respect that had for me. I mean how much respect can they have with some of the stories they would "invent" for help. To me to think someone is that gullible to believe the story is showing a lack of respect. I mean how many times can you "kill off" tio Juan? Now they don't even bother asking me for anything because they know I am not going to help. Now with that said there have been times when help was truly needed and we helped. But for the everyday crap, no way. This game is just not confined to "barrio people", I have seen this game played by some of the upper-class, the only difference is the way they go about it. Living here especially in Santo Domingo is not cheap. I have bills to pay just like everyone else. So why people initially think that I am some kind of "bank" is at times beyond me. Most Sundays we cook quite a bit of food because people (extended family) just happen to always drop by. I don't mind doing this but everyone knows that this is the extent of it. Meaning come by have a meal, a drink, but don't bother with the "poor me, I really could use this" story. If you have those lines drawn I learned you will have a happier, stress free life (to a extent).
why should it?
it is with it's prices it has already effordable to almost everyone from any society level of the so named 1st world countries. heck, we have social security benefits receivers moving over and living here, if they can pay for life here, then everyone can and that means it is darn cheap, because at home they are the ones sleeping on a park bench or under da bridge.
and by the huge "Customers Demand", as it seems that so many more wanna do the move to DR, i would not expect anything to get cheaper, the opposite, high customers demand means prices go upwards.
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC,
no celebrations at the moment, but answering to each post one after the other with it's quote, or it all would get lost somewhere in the wide cyberspace.
here hoping that moving to the island will soon get much more expensive with much more paperwork to be done to move, as it looks like the former Paradise place get's flooded with movers, americanized and euopeanized, the worst that could happen to a nice not self named 1st world place, it sadly means Paradise is on the way to its sudden dead, time to move again the next 10 years or so.
Mike
what 30% taxes?
and since when 30% of taxes is a lot?
how much of a real employed workers wages go away for taxes and social security and unemployment secuity etc etc in your country?
in my times working in europe moe than 50% of my wages went away to the government for that, and what ever i purchased with the lil rest was of course highly taxed, too.
where are those so high cried out about DR taxes??
what big tax stuff do the foreigners pay here, the ones who move over to spend some bucks in the barrios on hookers and renting a "no taxes paid/non registered rental" 2-3 bedroom place for 500 dollars cash per month?
Mike
yes and no. as mike said, you need to run a valid comparison. a 3 bedroom house in POP can be 500 dollars a month. of course you will see nothing for that kind of money in NYC. but POP is not comparable to NYC. it's more like imarreidmysister, iowa.
yeah, DV,
some need to come to a reasonable priced Island with low taxes to realize
there IS a world out there outtha Kansas.
Mike
some need to come to a reasonable priced Island with low taxes to realize
there IS a world out there outtha Kansas.
Mike
Mike- On a Roll
Mike,
Aren't you one of those old geezers flooding the former paradise.
You worked hard made your money in Europe (Germany?) and now you enjoy the fruit of your hard work, good on you!
You live in luxury in Punta Cana enjoy your boats and play.
This island is not meant to be a retirement haven for old geezers with $$ or €€.
It is the home to Dominicans. The affordability should reflect average dominican incomes and not that of ex-pats.
Due to low incomes, few job opportunities, poor education and not many income producing industries Dominicans are struggling.
The spill over of discontent may one day also reach gated Punta Cana.
I can choose between an apartment for $RD 3000 with a fan and an electricity bill between 300-500pesos in Montellano or a villa in PC, most Dominicans can not.
I'm well of on the strengt of money earned outside of the DR.
Mike you got your slice of paradise, be nice if Dominicans could also have a taste.
Mike,
Aren't you one of those old geezers flooding the former paradise.
You worked hard made your money in Europe (Germany?) and now you enjoy the fruit of your hard work, good on you!
You live in luxury in Punta Cana enjoy your boats and play.
This island is not meant to be a retirement haven for old geezers with $$ or €€.
It is the home to Dominicans. The affordability should reflect average dominican incomes and not that of ex-pats.
Due to low incomes, few job opportunities, poor education and not many income producing industries Dominicans are struggling.
The spill over of discontent may one day also reach gated Punta Cana.
I can choose between an apartment for $RD 3000 with a fan and an electricity bill between 300-500pesos in Montellano or a villa in PC, most Dominicans can not.
I'm well of on the strengt of money earned outside of the DR.
Mike you got your slice of paradise, be nice if Dominicans could also have a taste.
that's not much of correct.
i brought no money and started with nothing in what you name the former Paradise.
investment been on my side zero in case of moneys, just the pure work, and that worked out nice over the decades.
but the theme been not about who brought how much and who works what or not,
my point was and still is that people do not compare in a fair way when they say it is expensive or cheap in the DR compared to back home, because on very most comparisons people make the mistake to compare one level/lifestyle on the Island with other levels/lifestyles back home, and my point is that you cant compare such.
you have to compare same locations/same surroundings from one country to the other to get a real comparison of living costs etc.
living in a one room with one Vent and 300 pesos stolen electricity for 3000.- pesos a month or in a Villa on 10 acres beachfront, what's the fuss? of course not every dominican can efford the beachvilla, many will not make in a year to pay the monthly electricity for such beachproperty, so what???
that's exactly the same everywhere else around the globe.
look on those big talking first world countries.
does every american spend the weekend in his penthouse in west palm beach or on his Yacht in Miami?
of course not, because 99% of americans could not efford to own such, not even to rent it for a week, and many just push their shopping cart thru the streets of DC with all their belongings in it.
that's the same in DR as elsewhere, there is always a level which we normal people can not reach, and there are also always many who can not even reach our normal level of a lifestyle.
as fact DR is very affordable, as long as you don't demand big luxury which the same person could not efford to have at home, the life on the same class as the life had at home, is not any more expensive in the DR than it was at home.
if the person also has to look for a job to make here those moneys for a certain higher lifestyle, then it starts to get harder.
Mike
i brought no money and started with nothing in what you name the former Paradise.
investment been on my side zero in case of moneys, just the pure work, and that worked out nice over the decades.
but the theme been not about who brought how much and who works what or not,
my point was and still is that people do not compare in a fair way when they say it is expensive or cheap in the DR compared to back home, because on very most comparisons people make the mistake to compare one level/lifestyle on the Island with other levels/lifestyles back home, and my point is that you cant compare such.
you have to compare same locations/same surroundings from one country to the other to get a real comparison of living costs etc.
living in a one room with one Vent and 300 pesos stolen electricity for 3000.- pesos a month or in a Villa on 10 acres beachfront, what's the fuss? of course not every dominican can efford the beachvilla, many will not make in a year to pay the monthly electricity for such beachproperty, so what???
that's exactly the same everywhere else around the globe.
look on those big talking first world countries.
does every american spend the weekend in his penthouse in west palm beach or on his Yacht in Miami?
of course not, because 99% of americans could not efford to own such, not even to rent it for a week, and many just push their shopping cart thru the streets of DC with all their belongings in it.
that's the same in DR as elsewhere, there is always a level which we normal people can not reach, and there are also always many who can not even reach our normal level of a lifestyle.
as fact DR is very affordable, as long as you don't demand big luxury which the same person could not efford to have at home, the life on the same class as the life had at home, is not any more expensive in the DR than it was at home.
if the person also has to look for a job to make here those moneys for a certain higher lifestyle, then it starts to get harder.
Mike
i side, yet again, with mike. yes, you can have cheapo cheapo life in DR, renting a zinc shack in a barrio with stolen water and electricity, eating 10 pesos meals on comedor economico. it is no different than sleeping in and on car in a junk yard and eating from macdonalds bins, a reality of many americans.
I know what you guys mean.
To be honnest i would never recommend to someone coming to DR without being ready to spend money, if you come here to SAVE... Dont think you are gonna enjoy life here too much!
I don't think i would enjoy my life here if money was an issue.
I think i spend more money here then i used to do in Quebec... But i do way more things and go outside in restaurant, discos etc a lot more here...
And... NO SNOW! Thats worth every $!
To be honnest i would never recommend to someone coming to DR without being ready to spend money, if you come here to SAVE... Dont think you are gonna enjoy life here too much!
I don't think i would enjoy my life here if money was an issue.
I think i spend more money here then i used to do in Quebec... But i do way more things and go outside in restaurant, discos etc a lot more here...
And... NO SNOW! Thats worth every $!
Agreed,
If sensible, my foreign income goes further in the DR and I can have a reasonable and affordable life in the DR.
MIKE, in the REAL, Civilized World", people pay high Taxes, that's right!
But, they also receive "High Benefits" in return for paying those taxes.
In the DR,..."Uh", Not So Much"!!!!!!
In the DR, the High Taxes are very "Regressive Taxes"!
Meaning the poor pay the same taxes as the rich, because the taxes are mostly on consumables & services, where everyone , regardless of resources, pays the same rate!
You want to tell me about higher rates on earned income, the more taxes you have to pay here in the DR???????
Years ago, when I was working here, they lowered the income ceiling limits on income.
I was going to have to pay over 10,000 pesos a month in new taxes!!!!!
I went to the head of accounting where I worked.
He said, "Don't worry, when we take money from one pocket, we put it back in the other pocket"!
I was actually getting MORE Money, After my taxes went up,...........If you include my "New Benefits", "PACKAGE"!!!!
:bunny::bunny::bunny::bunny::bunny::bunny::bunny::bunny:
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
But, they also receive "High Benefits" in return for paying those taxes.
In the DR,..."Uh", Not So Much"!!!!!!
In the DR, the High Taxes are very "Regressive Taxes"!
Meaning the poor pay the same taxes as the rich, because the taxes are mostly on consumables & services, where everyone , regardless of resources, pays the same rate!
You want to tell me about higher rates on earned income, the more taxes you have to pay here in the DR???????
Years ago, when I was working here, they lowered the income ceiling limits on income.
I was going to have to pay over 10,000 pesos a month in new taxes!!!!!
I went to the head of accounting where I worked.
He said, "Don't worry, when we take money from one pocket, we put it back in the other pocket"!
I was actually getting MORE Money, After my taxes went up,...........If you include my "New Benefits", "PACKAGE"!!!!
:bunny::bunny::bunny::bunny::bunny::bunny::bunny::bunny:
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
i agree it really helps..especially for those who are planning to move there and no idea on to what to expect..
I just finished my expense calculations for 2014 and accounted for all the money I spent living in the DR in 2013 so I wanted to provide an update. I think I did even better last year than I had done in the past. Total money spent ends up being about the same, but there was more fun money so that is good.
Rent = $650. It is a nice big modern home with a big yard. There is a lot of shrubbery walled around it so it is very private. It is not in a gated community but in a typical Dominican neighborhood. However we know most people around us and have not had a single problem so far with security, robberies, etc. Been there more than three years now. We walk on the streets at night and have no issues. It's a good find for $650.
Electric = $55. My disclaimer is we don’t use the A/C and only I shower with hot water. My wife tried it a couple of times and doesn’t like it unless she is sick. We have a Dominican style washing machine and don’t use a dryer. I do have an inverter. So yes the cost per KW is higher here, but we save other ways.
Cable/Internet = $80. Water = $8. Phones = $50.
Gas for cooking = $8. We spend about $70 to fill it once about every 9 months.
Gym = $17. Salon, etc. = $50. Clothes = $50
Grocery = $435. About $100 per week.
Drinking water = $7. We pay 35 pesos to exchange one of the big jugs when the truck comes by.
Health insurance / medical / dental = $85. We rarely ever go to the doctor. This is basically the health insurance premiums plus dental cleanings.
Transportation = $100. Mostly motoconchos and public cars. Very rarely a “tourist” taxi or a car rental. But if I do rent I don’t rent from agencies anymore. I just rent from a Dominican friend or relative and can get usually get something for a day for about $15.
Furniture = $80. More like nearly $1,400 for the year as we usually only buy once a year but that is about $80 per month. We usually change out one room each year. But this is also discounted a little based on we will sell our older furniture, usually for about a third of what we end up paying for the new stuff.
Misc = $150. This is mail, gifts, charity, etc.
Fun money = $1,200. This is the good stuff. Eating out, bar, disco, going to the beach, occasional vacation, etc. So far all vacations have been within the DR. One day, maybe this year, we plan to go to Tokyo so that will be a major expense.
Total = $3,025. So I’m a little short somewhere as I really ended up spending right at $38K total for the year last year so my monthly breakdown should really be $3,167 but that is pretty close to a very accurate assessment.
I really don’t have a $3K budget. I could spend more than twice that amount if I wanted to and not dent my retirement plans. That is the best part about it. I can spend more but don’t have anything that I need or want to spend it on. So I just keep it invested.
I am so happy that I can spend about 40% of all the money I spend here on fun and still live for less than I ever did back home in the States. Though I did give up some luxuries. The biggest being the car (don’t need it), A/C (wife didn’t adjust well to it and I started to like not having it as I was trying to get in better shape), very little hot water usage (but I have it when I want it), and a change in how we (I should say I) grocery shop. Shopping at the colmados and butchers and not buying imported brands cuts the grocery bill down big time. We eat basic meals at home and choose to spend the money when we go out.
Now that seems cheap to me, but this can easily become very expensive if you aren’t willing to make some adjustments. If you are only willing to live in gated communities you can figure on adding about $1,000 per month for rent. If you must have the A/C you can figure on adding about $300 per month for electric. If you must have hot water tank on all the time add another $300. If you can’t use the Dominican style washing machine and need a dryer you can add another $100. If you must shop at the tourist/expat popular grocery stores you can double the grocery bill. If you only want imported top notch furniture for everything then you can double the furniture budget. If you must have maid, gardener, etc. then you'll have to pay for that. And if you must have a car, well I used to and it was expensive. Insurance + Registration + License + Gas + Repair/maintenance = about $250/month. Then you have to factor in the cost of buying the car. So for me in my wife if I didn’t give up those things I would probably be spending about $6K a month here instead of $3K.
And I know many folks who have not been willing to part with any of their luxuries and do pay $6K or more per month so there is that side of the tale too. I also know some folks who hardly ever leave their house, have no fun money and live on $2K a month. It's all a matter of what works for you.
But of the stuff I gave up I don't need or miss any of them. And those things are easier to give up here than back home. The car is absolutely not necessary for me but would be back home. I could not find rent so low in an Oceanside town back home. So when people ask if I could just make all the same cuts back home and end up paying the same or less I always say no.
Rent = $650. It is a nice big modern home with a big yard. There is a lot of shrubbery walled around it so it is very private. It is not in a gated community but in a typical Dominican neighborhood. However we know most people around us and have not had a single problem so far with security, robberies, etc. Been there more than three years now. We walk on the streets at night and have no issues. It's a good find for $650.
Electric = $55. My disclaimer is we don’t use the A/C and only I shower with hot water. My wife tried it a couple of times and doesn’t like it unless she is sick. We have a Dominican style washing machine and don’t use a dryer. I do have an inverter. So yes the cost per KW is higher here, but we save other ways.
Cable/Internet = $80. Water = $8. Phones = $50.
Gas for cooking = $8. We spend about $70 to fill it once about every 9 months.
Gym = $17. Salon, etc. = $50. Clothes = $50
Grocery = $435. About $100 per week.
Drinking water = $7. We pay 35 pesos to exchange one of the big jugs when the truck comes by.
Health insurance / medical / dental = $85. We rarely ever go to the doctor. This is basically the health insurance premiums plus dental cleanings.
Transportation = $100. Mostly motoconchos and public cars. Very rarely a “tourist” taxi or a car rental. But if I do rent I don’t rent from agencies anymore. I just rent from a Dominican friend or relative and can get usually get something for a day for about $15.
Furniture = $80. More like nearly $1,400 for the year as we usually only buy once a year but that is about $80 per month. We usually change out one room each year. But this is also discounted a little based on we will sell our older furniture, usually for about a third of what we end up paying for the new stuff.
Misc = $150. This is mail, gifts, charity, etc.
Fun money = $1,200. This is the good stuff. Eating out, bar, disco, going to the beach, occasional vacation, etc. So far all vacations have been within the DR. One day, maybe this year, we plan to go to Tokyo so that will be a major expense.
Total = $3,025. So I’m a little short somewhere as I really ended up spending right at $38K total for the year last year so my monthly breakdown should really be $3,167 but that is pretty close to a very accurate assessment.
I really don’t have a $3K budget. I could spend more than twice that amount if I wanted to and not dent my retirement plans. That is the best part about it. I can spend more but don’t have anything that I need or want to spend it on. So I just keep it invested.
I am so happy that I can spend about 40% of all the money I spend here on fun and still live for less than I ever did back home in the States. Though I did give up some luxuries. The biggest being the car (don’t need it), A/C (wife didn’t adjust well to it and I started to like not having it as I was trying to get in better shape), very little hot water usage (but I have it when I want it), and a change in how we (I should say I) grocery shop. Shopping at the colmados and butchers and not buying imported brands cuts the grocery bill down big time. We eat basic meals at home and choose to spend the money when we go out.
Now that seems cheap to me, but this can easily become very expensive if you aren’t willing to make some adjustments. If you are only willing to live in gated communities you can figure on adding about $1,000 per month for rent. If you must have the A/C you can figure on adding about $300 per month for electric. If you must have hot water tank on all the time add another $300. If you can’t use the Dominican style washing machine and need a dryer you can add another $100. If you must shop at the tourist/expat popular grocery stores you can double the grocery bill. If you only want imported top notch furniture for everything then you can double the furniture budget. If you must have maid, gardener, etc. then you'll have to pay for that. And if you must have a car, well I used to and it was expensive. Insurance + Registration + License + Gas + Repair/maintenance = about $250/month. Then you have to factor in the cost of buying the car. So for me in my wife if I didn’t give up those things I would probably be spending about $6K a month here instead of $3K.
And I know many folks who have not been willing to part with any of their luxuries and do pay $6K or more per month so there is that side of the tale too. I also know some folks who hardly ever leave their house, have no fun money and live on $2K a month. It's all a matter of what works for you.
But of the stuff I gave up I don't need or miss any of them. And those things are easier to give up here than back home. The car is absolutely not necessary for me but would be back home. I could not find rent so low in an Oceanside town back home. So when people ask if I could just make all the same cuts back home and end up paying the same or less I always say no.
at the moment a large amount of prices for local goodies are running upwards.
expect for example to pay 170.- pesos per pack of Marlboro smokes where you paid til now 150.- per pack, just to take a common example of daily "goods". the same already happened with milk an many other products.
MIke
expect for example to pay 170.- pesos per pack of Marlboro smokes where you paid til now 150.- per pack, just to take a common example of daily "goods". the same already happened with milk an many other products.
MIke