yes, some get lost in the chase for the stars, always wanting more. but many have a peaceful balance of living comfortably. i cannot imagine consciously deciding on downsizing so far that one does not know where their next meal will come from. there is simplify and there is cutting your heart medication in four so it "lasts longer".
- Thread starter Robert
- Start date
Living Costs in the Dominican Republic
my monthly budget in Las Terrenas:
apartment - 10,500 all included: gas, electricity, internet wifi
bike - gasoline & repairs - around 2,500 pesos month. there are almost no repairs if I drive around just in LT
food&cosmetics - around 12,000 pesos month. 2-3 times a week I cook, 2 times a week go to basic comedor, 2 times a week eat some italian stuff in bar.
that includes fruits, vegetables, breakfast, sweets, water, juices and so on.
drink& smoke - around 2,500 pesos month
med insurance from my country - 2,000 pesos/ month
girls - not more than 2,000 p/ month
in total - somewhere around 32,000 p/ month ~ = 750 usd month
I consider this life comfortable, I am so sorry&ashamed that I dont need more LOL. shame on me ! lol
apartment - 10,500 all included: gas, electricity, internet wifi
bike - gasoline & repairs - around 2,500 pesos month. there are almost no repairs if I drive around just in LT
food&cosmetics - around 12,000 pesos month. 2-3 times a week I cook, 2 times a week go to basic comedor, 2 times a week eat some italian stuff in bar.
that includes fruits, vegetables, breakfast, sweets, water, juices and so on.
drink& smoke - around 2,500 pesos month
med insurance from my country - 2,000 pesos/ month
girls - not more than 2,000 p/ month
in total - somewhere around 32,000 p/ month ~ = 750 usd month
I consider this life comfortable, I am so sorry&ashamed that I dont need more LOL. shame on me ! lol
agreed on that.
but we have to consider, that people who come over here ton a string budget, are people who at home in their country of oriin already live on a string budget, so it compares apples to apples and oranges to oranges.
a huge amount of people back home in our original "1st world countries"(what do i hate the term, as on so many points i would place them far away from a first place on competition) are runnin arpound town permanently to find the best deal on daily needed stuff, because they simply can not afford to buy everything at just one spot for the prices applied there. those people had that stress already since a long time/maybe all their lifes back home, they will have the same stress here on the Isle and everywhere else.
as for stressfree, i disagree, for myself, to keep a similar level, i found here on the Isle the less stressy way to achieve that. BUT, i did not find it right away, nor within the first couple years, it was a long lasting process leading towards the aimed for goal.
Mike
i have nothing opposed to say on that one.
but we have to realize that a vast amount of people looking on a topic like this one, are already at home looking for the next meal on daily bases and cutting their heart medication into portions to make it to the next delivery/insurance allowance.
we have on a topic, like this one, a number of very different backgrounded persons involved, and the advise for one portion would not suit the other.
it's difficult, we almost need separate topics handling different levels of income to provide what they can buy for the available bucks and compare it to what they are already purchasing for the same at home.
Mike
all you points sound completely reasonable to me, all manageable, for each the choosen level.
BUT!!!!!!
"" girls-not more than 2.0000 p/month"""
you mean Pesos or Dollars?
heck,
my wifey and Babygirl and some few left raising girlies cost me a fortune compared to your count on that point.
as a matter of fact they cost me more than all other stuff together each month, and to be honest, they are worth it and i would not like to miss any of it.
oooh, you mean "girls" as you are a single??
o.k., each his price for life's pleasures. but hey, if you are already here for a while, why do you still "pay"?
go out and socialize with your 'hood, it safe's on the "gals" budget and helps to finally start to blend in to the 'hood.
as long as you need a budget on that point, so long you are far from blending in.
Mike
yes, it means, "girls". usually for this money I get 2-3 times in month some nice massage..and thats all. Im fine with that.
"socialize" ?? - come on, man. in this country no girl is for "free". it doesnt matter that much if you "date" some girl or just pay for the hookers...
what they only want is your money, and thats all. "GF" will ask you constantly for money for her phone (as the old one broke 3rd time in 2 months), and whatever she will invent...just to extort some money.
been there, done that. maybe if you are lucky you will be in 1 % of male gringos who have some valuable relationships, the rest 99 % is just lies, lies and extortions....
I dont want to blend anymore into this culture lol....I'm totally fine with my level of "being blended in"....
"socialize" ?? - come on, man. in this country no girl is for "free". it doesnt matter that much if you "date" some girl or just pay for the hookers...
what they only want is your money, and thats all. "GF" will ask you constantly for money for her phone (as the old one broke 3rd time in 2 months), and whatever she will invent...just to extort some money.
been there, done that. maybe if you are lucky you will be in 1 % of male gringos who have some valuable relationships, the rest 99 % is just lies, lies and extortions....
I dont want to blend anymore into this culture lol....I'm totally fine with my level of "being blended in"....
I wouldnt call that "stress". its simply being money wise...If I for example want to buy laptop, why not search for it for few hours and pay 500 euros instead of 600 e ?
even if 100 e would be peanuts for me, why waste money like that, if you can spend it on another thing or save ?
even if 100 e would be peanuts for me, why waste money like that, if you can spend it on another thing or save ?
In the DR, your stress level is inverse relation to your income level!!!!
MORE money, LESS stress!!!
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MORE money, LESS stress!!!
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thats it if you have basics uncovered. if you have nice place to live and food to eat = no stress...
so how would you explain that 99 % of Dominicans seem to be really happy and friendly people, even if they earn only 10 k pesos ?
they dont look like stressed at all, lol....
so how would you explain that 99 % of Dominicans seem to be really happy and friendly people, even if they earn only 10 k pesos ?
they dont look like stressed at all, lol....
How "HAPPY" are they when they have a sick child that can't get medical care, or go to school, or live in a barrio controlled by drug gangs????
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because they do not need to stress out over "how to get the next 1K massage" and similars.
they date and are blended in to their 'hood, no stress factor, as 10K pesos are fine for that, lol.
totally agreed to what you said above, it fits what you want and how you want it, so it is a perfect fit, no discussion necessary on such, as each has to look for the own preferences/levels/suitable things.
as far as costs of GF's or Wife's or Hookers go, well, each has his/her own preferences and style of what fits best, so that is handled by each on his/her own way/manner, and fine with me how ever each wants it to be, it's not my thing to rule on such.
Mike
besides all that.. I would say that most of them are very often happier than people who earn 10, 20, and 50 times more....
which brings me to another conclusion: while you have to cover your basics, searching for happiness in material things is not exactly right....and there are many studies on that matter, too....
for those who dont know it already... ;-)
which brings me to another conclusion: while you have to cover your basics, searching for happiness in material things is not exactly right....and there are many studies on that matter, too....
for those who dont know it already... ;-)
Great post DRob, being able to downsize is the key. Revaluation is the heart of it all. I am selling my home 2000 sqft that I have a mortgage on to move into my smaller home I own outright. I have sold my ww2 gun collection, antiques, and tools. If a possession doesn't make me money or get used often ,it's gone. Hahah. It's about downsizing and early retirement with income. It's not getting easier in the states. This is coming from a guy who has a good job.
i am sure i live at much smaller budget than many posters here and i manage to do so quite comfortably. i don't think you need several thousand of bucks a month but also i would not go as far as putting the number at less than 1k per person. it's not that one cannot manage it, it's perfectly possible. it's not that i would not call it a life, although i would not pick this path for myself. it's because most of the newbies are stupid. they don't know DR well. they are slow on the intake. they cannot figure out where to splurge and where to save.
to tell a newbie who is looking for cheapo life that yes, no worries, it can be done is cruel. i've been here 9 years and i still don't know fair price for many services. to come here and from get go find everything there is to know is impossible. one can find a cheap apartment. but one needs to go where to look and how to negotiate the price. to manage this right off the bat is a difficult task.
all this talk about cheap DR gets people's hopes up. they hear what they want to hear. and may find themselves in hot water. last year we covered here few gringo suicides. they all had two things in common: money and health. sometimes it boiled down to money after all, as they were short on funds to leave DR and seek treatment in their home countries, or even to seek it here.
so the best advice to give to newcomers who want to simplify is: come if you must, but for for fcuks sake, have enough contingency money to go back where you come from after life in DR slaps you in the face with a sh*tty diaper.
to tell a newbie who is looking for cheapo life that yes, no worries, it can be done is cruel. i've been here 9 years and i still don't know fair price for many services. to come here and from get go find everything there is to know is impossible. one can find a cheap apartment. but one needs to go where to look and how to negotiate the price. to manage this right off the bat is a difficult task.
all this talk about cheap DR gets people's hopes up. they hear what they want to hear. and may find themselves in hot water. last year we covered here few gringo suicides. they all had two things in common: money and health. sometimes it boiled down to money after all, as they were short on funds to leave DR and seek treatment in their home countries, or even to seek it here.
so the best advice to give to newcomers who want to simplify is: come if you must, but for for fcuks sake, have enough contingency money to go back where you come from after life in DR slaps you in the face with a sh*tty diaper.
For me living comfortable means that I can wake up everyday and know that financially we are good. If I want to run the A/C I can. If I want to pay a bit extra for something because I do not want to drive in horrendous traffic to go across town to get it a bit cheaper than so be it. Does not mean I am free and loose with our money, not at all but the stress level is less because I know what it takes to keep us at a level we are comfortable at. There is always going to be stress in life but to be here and have to worry about making ends meet is one stress I would not have. I realize people do that and that is fine for them. But when asked the almighty question of "thinking of moving to the Dominican Republic, opinions please" I think honesty goes along way. The most important thing that keeps me sane and less stressed is knowing that we have a financial safety net for those things life throws at you every now and then. DV8 is correct when she says it is cruel to tell someone you can live cheap here without telling them that many here who are doing so probably had a few rough patches. One does not just get off the plane and automatically fall into island living. There is much to be learned, heck I am still learning. It is a process and one needs to be prepared. I can't emphasize that enough, be financially prepared for the what if's.