Living Costs in the Dominican Republic

[drSix]

If you're single, that is probably enough. But, if your like me, and had sex without a condom THREE TIMES, you'd just make it. This is me:

Wife and three kids, decent house with 3 A/Cs, and a pool. Old car and new moto paid for.

$1250- Rent
$550- Electric
$72- Cable
$30- Cell phone
$100- Pool chemicals
$2000- Grocery store
$400- Restaurants
$300- Liquor store
$200- Gas (car+ moto)
$50- Gas (house)
$200- Gardener
$200- Nanny
$80- Bank fees (wires and xoom)
$400- Tuition
$150- Medical Insurance
-------------
=$5,882

It adds up damn quick. This is not a cheap place to live, especially with a family. I don't feel like I am upper middle class! I have a twenty year old Montero, and rarely buy anything new or do the touristy stuff. The food costs and electric is what kills me! Got 5 to feed, plus two more when the gardener and nanny are around. I spent less in the states. Have the same size house, no pool. No gardener or nanny either, but paid teenagers to babysit and mow the lawn, so not much of a difference there either.

 

[kaykat18987]

If you're single, that is probably enough. But, if your like me, and had sex without a condom THREE TIMES, you'd just make it. This is me:

Wife and three kids, decent house with 3 A/Cs, and a pool. Old car and new moto paid for.

$1250- Rent
$550- Electric
$72- Cable
$30- Cell phone
$100- Pool chemicals
$2000- Grocery store
$400- Restaurants
$300- Liquor store
$200- Gas (car+ moto)
$50- Gas (house)
$200- Gardener
$200- Nanny
$80- Bank fees (wires and xoom)
$400- Tuition
$150- Medical Insurance
-------------
=$5,882



the Price of you home and the amount you spend on food it really exagerated. especially for the food. not sure what your family looks like but. there is a way of spending less money on food. if you adapt to the country, you can save alot.

we are 2 with a puppy and we spend about 250 on groceries. i buy all my vegitables from truck venders or the 30% wednesday sale in supermercados.

i also buy my meat fresh from the day, and not from supercolmados.

i do not stop myself from eating things i life that i am used to from canada, but i didnt come here to try to find everything from back home... then the bill would be much higher.

stop eating the american way, and you will save on food cost.

 

[drSix]

amount you spend on food it really exagerated. especially for the food. not sure what your family looks like but. there is a way of spending less money on food. if you adapt to the country, you can save alot.

Well yes, we need to adapt a little better. But, I didn't live here to eat rice, beans, and chicken all week. All I know is we go to La Sirena or Playero every three days and spend about $200. I buy fruits and veggies off the truck, and go get fish from the locals. That grocery bill also includes dog food, cat food, bird food, diapers, paper towel ect.

We honestly don't get a lot of boxed stuffs, and we cook. A restaurant maybe once a week, or order pizza. But with five, even a mediocre restaurant is $100.

 

[bob saunders]

If you're single, that is probably enough. But, if your like me, and had sex without a condom THREE TIMES, you'd just make it. This is me:

Wife and three kids, decent house with 3 A/Cs, and a pool. Old car and new moto paid for.

$1250- Rent
$550- Electric
$72- Cable
$30- Cell phone
$100- Pool chemicals
$2000- Grocery store
$400- Restaurants
$300- Liquor store
$200- Gas (car+ moto)
$50- Gas (house)
$200- Gardener
$200- Nanny
$80- Bank fees (wires and xoom)
$400- Tuition
$150- Medical Insurance
-------------
=$5,882

It adds up damn quick. This is not a cheap place to live, especially with a family. I don't feel like I am upper middle class! I have a twenty year old Montero, and rarely buy anything new or do the touristy stuff. The food costs and electric is what kills me! Got 5 to feed, plus two more when the gardener and nanny are around. I spent less in the states. Have the same size house, no pool. No gardener or nanny either, but paid teenagers to babysit and mow the lawn, so not much of a difference there either.

As has been many times, Lifestyle makes a big difference in costs. 2000 for groceries and 300 for booze, 550 for electric all point to a lifestyle of excesses. Fans will do the job during the day and on many an evening, AC is for sleeping only. You must buy a lot of expensive sugar cereals....etc for your children. We feed five adults, and usually two or three school children lunch on less than that. Granted no pampers. Are you smokers as well?

 

[pelaut]

I don't understand most of those costs drSix has, but I've noticed something from a life living in the tropics and being raised in southern Florida, namely:

Most people moving to the tropics from above 30? latitude (north or south) make the mistake of not considering topography and staples of their new home as they relate to living there full time. Vacation experiences may have left them with precepts that run counter to those that would square with their new environment. E.g., a/c in hotel rooms.

Example: a house must be oriented to prevailing breezes whether in the mountains or on the beach. If not positioned near beach breezes, the house should be at an altitude that is both cooler and accessible to night breeze from surrounding mountains (and sea breezes in the day if on the coast). Ceilings in the tropics should be high, and rooms spacious. Air conditioning can often be dispensed with by good placement of transoms and vents to conduct prevailing airflow through the house along a ridgeline roof. Roofs that look "artistic" with lots of separate peaks don't do the job ? especially if they are turned blind-side to the breeze.​

There are many other ways to live cool and well fed in the tropics, but a year or so on the ground renting, looking around at the older, tried and true, Victorian architectures without a/c, learning to use non-processed local whole foods, cashing American checks at Cambistas instead of wiring funds, shopping monthly in Santiago, etc., etc.

Question: how the heck can you get by on only $200/mo gasoline?

 

[william webster]

By 2011 figures:


Upper Middle Class 13%, Upper class 5%, Rich 2% = 20%

Middle 26%, Lower Middle 13%, Low Income 30.6%, Poor 10.4% = 80%

0. Poverty: USD$316 or less to live like 10.4% of these households
1. Low income: USD$527 to 922 to live like 30.6% of these households
2. Low middle class: USD$922 to 1,186 to live like 13% of these households
3. Middle class: USD$1,186 to 4,216 to live like 26% of these households
4. Upper middle class: USD$ 4,216 to 6,588 to live like 13% of these households
5. Upper class: USD$6,588 to 26,351 to live like 5% of these households
6. Rich/wealthy: USD$26,351 + to live like 2% of these households




*** Updates have been made to this breakdown for 2013-14 (available for purchase on demand)

I understand the classic demographic breakdown that you offer here, but I maintain that for day to day living , the lower 80% of the bracket refer to the top 20% as 'Rich'

in any part of the world

its all very subjective and references strictly the financial aspect of 'rich'

Try looking up the classic definition of 'Upper Class'
if you're not titled, you're not it.... money doesn't enter the picture

 

[kampinge]

it could be my bill, just what you spend on rent I spend on Tuition or more for my three[kids.
Those who say they can live cheaper, I just don't like chicken beans and rice everyday.UOTE=drSix;1480921]If you're single, that is probably enough. But, if your like me, and had sex without a condom THREE TIMES, you'd just make it. This is me:

Wife and three kids, decent house with 3 A/Cs, and a pool. Old car and new moto paid for.

$1250- Rent
$550- Electric
$72- Cable
$30- Cell phone
$100- Pool chemicals
$2000- Grocery store
$400- Restaurants
$300- Liquor store
$200- Gas (car+ moto)
$50- Gas (house)
$200- Gardener
$200- Nanny
$80- Bank fees (wires and xoom)
$400- Tuition
$150- Medical Insurance
-------------
=$5,882

It adds up damn quick. This is not a cheap place to live, especially with a family. I don't feel like I am upper middle class! I have a twenty year old Montero, and rarely buy anything new or do the touristy stuff. The food costs and electric is what kills me! Got 5 to feed, plus two more when the gardener and nanny are around. I spent less in the states. Have the same size house, no pool. No gardener or nanny either, but paid teenagers to babysit and mow the lawn, so not much of a difference there either.[/QUOTE]

 

[drSix]

it could be my bill, just what you spend on rent I spend on Tuition or more for my three

Yea, my mother in law pays half the tuition, and I only have two in school. The little one is a few years off. Forgot about the admission fee, that was $1,200, that adds another $100 a month. Probably spent $400 on uniforms and school supplies.

As has been many times, Lifestyle makes a big difference in costs. 2000 for groceries and 300 for booze, 550 for electric all point to a lifestyle of excesses. Fans will do the job during the day and on many an evening, AC is for sleeping only. You must buy a lot of expensive sugar cereals....etc for your children. We feed five adults, and usually two or three school children lunch on less than that. Granted no pampers. Are you smokers as well?

Not smokers, like our pina coladas. Mostly fruit, eggs, and bacon for breakfast, a sandwhich or wrap for lunch, and a big meal for dinner. As far as the A/C, my house sucks! It's just hot. At night it is significantly cooler outside than in. I've tried opening different doors and windows, fans blowing cool air in, shades and windows closed during the day. It's just hot. A/C's only run during the night, and one room for an hour or so during the day for nap time.

I don't understand most of those costs drSix has, but I've noticed something from a life living in the tropics and being raised in southern Florida, namely:

Most people moving to the tropics from above 30? latitude (north or south) make the mistake of not considering topography and staples of their new home as they relate to living there full time. Vacation experiences may have left them with precepts that run counter to those that would square with their new environment. E.g., a/c in hotel rooms.



Question: how the heck can you get by on only $200/mo gasoline?​

Yea, my house sucks. And I have no inverter A/C's. I'm working on buying newer ones, and shades for all the windows, more fans, but of course that stuff isn't cheap either.

We rarely drive anywhere. No more than a few miles from home, and I take the moto whenever I can.​

 

[Criss Colon]

DR6 and I are almost identical in our monthly expenditures.
Except I have no RENT, but 3 more people, & 2 vehicles,so it balances out.
Then again,I just ate some really nice EXPENSIVE Danish Blue cheese!
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[william webster]

send us a picture of you...

Stinky Cologne eating stinky blue cheese......

double up... like the bubble gum twins

there is a very ggod blue cheeses that is the cheapest of the bunch but IMO tastes the best
when the Home Economist gets home -- I'll ask her the name

BTW, at Playero, my Greek friends tell me that the cheaper feta is the better feta....
just saying....

 

[Contango]

DR6 and I are almost identical in our monthly expenditures.
Except I have no RENT, but 3 more people, & 2 vehicles,so it balances out.
Then again,I just ate some really nice EXPENSIVE Danish Blue cheese!
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You are the man! Now you are sleeping with Danish Tourists... :knockedou

 

[Criss Colon]

My favorite breakfast is a ?Danish-In-Bed?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Keep 'em coming!!!!!

 

[DRob]

Yea, my mother in law pays half the tuition, and I only have two in school. The little one is a few years off. Forgot about the admission fee, that was $1,200, that adds another $100 a month. Probably spent $400 on uniforms and school supplies.



Not smokers, like our pina coladas. Mostly fruit, eggs, and bacon for breakfast, a sandwhich or wrap for lunch, and a big meal for dinner. As far as the A/C, my house sucks! It's just hot. At night it is significantly cooler outside than in. I've tried opening different doors and windows, fans blowing cool air in, shades and windows closed during the day. It's just hot. A/C's only run during the night, and one room for an hour or so during the day for nap time.



Yea, my house sucks. And I have no inverter A/C's. I'm working on buying newer ones, and shades for all the windows, more fans, but of course that stuff isn't cheap either.

We rarely drive anywhere. No more than a few miles from home, and I take the moto whenever I can.

It sounds like you're somewhere along the North Coast (I'm guessing in or close to Sosua?), or in the Punta Cana area. Assuming you didn't purchase your property and/or you don't have a gig tying you to the area, I'd suggest you consider moving away from the coast. Santiago is only 90 min or so away from Sosua, and your rent and likely food costs would be FAR cheaper. In addition, being in the Cibao has the added benefit of cooler weather, which would substantially reduce your energy costs. Finally, there's more to do in Santiago overall, which your kids will appreciate. You can always go to the beach, for next to nothing, on the weekends.

 

[kampinge]

It sounds like you're somewhere along the North Coast (I'm guessing in or close to Sosua?), or in the Punta Cana area. Assuming you didn't purchase your property and/or you don't have a gig tying you to the area, I'd suggest you consider moving away from the coast. Santiago is only 90 min or so away from Sosua, and your rent and likely food costs would be FAR cheaper. In addition, being in the Cibao has the added benefit of cooler weather, which would substantially reduce your energy costs. Finally, there's more to do in Santiago overall, which your kids will appreciate. You can always go to the beach, for next to nothing, on the weekends.

Cannot agree with anything you wrote, maybe the rent will be cheaper but all other cost are more or less similar. Beside of this Santiago is a dirty, noisy big city full of haitian, dirty air and a hell of traffic. I would never recommend anybody to move from Sosua to Santiago. The only positive things this country have are the beaches and the ocean, moving to Santiago you can move to Calkutta, its the same more or less.

 

[Xavier_Onassis]

Santiago is not at all like Calcutta, but kampinge seems to know what he wants and where he wants to live. I don't see where he is complaining. If he wanted to save money, he could cut off the AC, but I imagine that he enjoys being more comfortable.

 

[Criss Colon]

Or he could move to Miami and live next door to XO, and just POST about living in the DR!!!!!!
Best of Both Worlds, RIGHT XO?????
What's the traffic like in Overtown today Mon Ami?????????????
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[DRob]

Cannot agree with anything you wrote, maybe the rent will be cheaper but all other cost are more or less similar. Beside of this Santiago is a dirty, noisy big city full of haitian, dirty air and a hell of traffic. I would never recommend anybody to move from Sosua to Santiago. The only positive things this country have are the beaches and the ocean, moving to Santiago you can move to Calkutta, its the same more or less.

Actually, I find Santiago to be a very pleasant city. It's less expensive than SD, still has some culture and "real" stores, decent weather, and traffic was never an issue. I don't recall the air being particularly "dirty," and if you think an abundance of Haitians is a "bad" thing, not really sure why you prefer Sosua. In addition, Santiago is centrally located, so lots of exploring options, and frankly, has more than its share of the best looking women in the country.

But to each his own, I suppose.

Back on topic: If you want to live in DR, still like the amenities which come with city living, and don't have to see the ocean every minute, Santiago is a very nice choice.

 

[Criss Colon]

Can Hillbilly be WRONG??????
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[kampinge]

Actually, I find Santiago to be a very pleasant city. It's less expensive than SD, still has some culture and "real" stores, decent weather, and traffic was never an issue. I don't recall the air being particularly "dirty," and if you think an abundance of Haitians is a "bad" thing, not really sure why you prefer Sosua. In addition, Santiago is centrally located, so lots of exploring options, and frankly, has more than its share of the best looking women in the country.


Back on topic: If you want to live in DR, still like the amenities which come with city living, and don't have to see the ocean every minute, Santiago is a very nice choice.

I am living in Santiago since 2006. Still don't like it.But I agree it is a matter of taste.
it is a matter of taste the bull said when licking the Cow in her a……..

 

[caribmike]

I think I am ill...

I spent last weekend in Ensanche Quisqueya / SDQ and I loved it... We went to different places, too. "Adrian Tropical", some "Drinks", a beer place at the Malecon where we met Cheddy Garcia (and took pics w/ her ).

Nothing of that was actually expensive. I am still surprised...

And, traffic is far less (yes, less) chaotic than in Higuey, even rush hour Monday morning when we headed back...

Guess I start to like the capital... Never thought that...