moving to Santo Domingo with family of 5

[Mauricio]

I came back here in 2010, (I lived here from 2001 - 2005 on a 35,000 pesos salary, 2 adults)) and I was told I could live well here (2010: 2 adults and 2 children) with RD$80,000. I started earning 100,000 (after tax about 84,000) and it was totally NOT possible.

You need at least RD$150,000 after tax to live ok (not luxury, not even yet comfortable).

breakdown of our cost of living

40,000 living
35,000 supermarkt
13,000 insurance
16,000 gas (2 cars)
20,000 maids (having teenagers you can reduce that to one, we have two)
8,000 telephone, internet, cellphones, cable)
5,000 Edesur (I pay about 3,000 in winter and 7,000 in summer.

Only this sums up to 138,000. Not counting education, while my parents in law own a school: 10,000 per child / month if you want something good, medicines, eat out, clothes, anything else: 150,000 is still a very tight budget.

 

[nostradamnit]

I don't know how it works in SD, but...

Get in touch with The French Embassy (service social normalement). In NY, there are several "commissions" par annee qui examinent les dossiers.

Lycee francais is 25K/year in NYC :dead:

My wife called and was told we had to apply sur place.

 

[Africaida]

My wife called and was told we had to apply sur place.

Je comprends bien mais quel est le delais ? Vous allez pas attendre 1 mois avant d'envoyer les enfants a l'ecole par exemple, du moins je l'espere.
Ici, j ai fait la demande pour ma fille 6 mois a l'avance.

They also have a french school in Las Terrenas which is certainly more affordable. You could settle the family there, while you settle yourself in SD. Come to think of it, you could even work in SD while the family is in LT (and come back every week end). Your budget may stretch a little further.

Just a suggestion

 

[george1]

I came back here in 2010, (I lived here from 2001 - 2005 on a 35,000 pesos salary, 2 adults)) and I was told I could live well here (2010: 2 adults and 2 children) with RD$80,000. I started earning 100,000 (after tax about 84,000) and it was totally NOT possible.

You need at least RD$150,000 after tax to live ok (not luxury, not even yet comfortable).

breakdown of our cost of living

40,000 living
35,000 supermarkt
13,000 insurance
16,000 gas (2 cars)
20,000 maids (having teenagers you can reduce that to one, we have two)
8,000 telephone, internet, cellphones, cable)
5,000 Edesur (I pay about 3,000 in winter and 7,000 in summer.

Only this sums up to 138,000. Not counting education, while my parents in law own a school: 10,000 per child / month if you want something good, medicines, eat out, clothes, anything else: 150,000 is still a very tight budget.

After many years of living in the Ciity I can fully confirm what you said. RD$10,000 per child per month of school is a bargain. This is a very, very expensive country, especally the city. If you look for any rentals right now in Supercasas.com, they start at US$2,000 and that is not even in great neighborhoods.

 

[dv8]

of course it can be done! if you want to live like a pauper, that is. dominican families survive on way less but knowing this is not going to help you at all. what would be the point of moving to a foreign country to live on a shoe string budget? maybe if you were young, and stupid, and in love and just wanting to try new stuff... but with a family? you will not save anything and while you may learn the language it is way cheaper and more effective to start spanish classes wherever you are now.

our friends in santiago with two kids go through minimum 100.000 pesos a month to live decently and this is with paying just one set of school fees (the other child is not even two yet). SD? double the rent, double school fees, double the cost of going out.

 

[Givadogahome]

I want to flip this a little bit for you and show you how it can be done if you are willing to sacrifice certain things. Whether you would want to do it like this only you know. Money = comfort, there is no getting away from that.

Bare in mind you can find very nice homes for much less than what is being stated here. I'll tell you how to do it and how you would have to do it on that money, and yes, we've done it.

Large 3 bedroomed house, driveway for 4 cars, put a 20' standing pool on one side, car on the other. Santo Domingo oriental, various areas, some very nice houses, probably best to be familiar with the area, culture and understand the people. Rd11,000

No health insurance, use the public hospitals, everyone here swears by it, but If you don't need it then you are no worse off for not having it. If anything you can learn a thing or two from a trip to a public hospital through the night. Not for everyone.

The figures for electricity bills on here are ridiculous, unless you don't care about your usage there is no need for the bill to be over RD1,300. Some have bills for 14-15-16,000, and to me that is just plain craziness, or extremely large houses and families, I have a friend with a super Colmado and runs 4 large freezers 24/7 Music blasting 15 hours a day, TV's fans etc who doesn't consume such electricity.

Your telephone, Internet connection can be as little as RD895, if you want more and have the cash then go for it, but for personal use it's enough.

Your cable only needs to RD795.

A maid? Maids are what you have when you have too much money or a lazy wife IMO. I see people here with a maid as a status symbol when there is no real need. Most peoplewho aren't after the status symbol employ a maid to help out family members, the mother in law, sister or just a local down on their luck. There is no need for a maid in reality, it is something everyone seems to have, just because everyone else has. My wife wouldn't allow another woman to clean her house, but then she's not lazy.

Fuel for the car, RD8,000 ish (probably less imo, but I use a motorbike when by myself and so for me it's only RD5milish), probably, who needs two cars if on a budget? The same as those who prioritise a maid in the budget!

You probably are looking at RD40,000 per month for supermarket shopping.

I can't comment on schooling, but I'd imagine not everyone has fortunes (whatever that price might be) a month to spend per child, so maybe one of the teachers on here can dive in on how a saving can be made there.

And then you cut your cloth, remembering EVERYTHING your kids do, will cost you something. In the city there is nothing for free to entertain anyone, not really.

I am not saying this is how you should or anyone should live their life. But not everyone is from a wealthy background, not everyone needs what others take forgranted. This is just a flip side to what you 'could' get away with if you had to.​

 

[pauleast]

Thats not enough money. If you rent a house 15,000 food 30,000 youre halfway before you pay for electric or anything. If your contract included rent and a maid you would still be tight
good luck

Totally agree ! "Three teenagers" you would be stretched and stressed.

 

[bronzeallspice]

I want to flip this a little bit for you and show you how it can be done if you are willing to sacrifice certain things. Whether you would want to do it like this only you know. Money = comfort, there is no getting away from that.

Bare in mind you can find very nice homes for much less than what is being stated here. I'll tell you how to do it and how you would have to do it on that money, and yes, we've done it.

Large 3 bedroomed house, driveway for 4 cars, put a 20' standing pool on one side, car on the other. Santo Domingo oriental, various areas, some very nice houses, probably best to be familiar with the area, culture and understand the people. Rd11,000

No health insurance, use the public hospitals, everyone here swears by it, but If you don't need it then you are no worse off for not having it. If anything you can learn a thing or two from a trip to a public hospital through the night. Not for everyone.

The figures for electricity bills on here are ridiculous, unless you don't care about your usage there is no need for the bill to be over RD1,300. Some have bills for 14-15-16,000, and to me that is just plain craziness, or extremely large houses and families, I have a friend with a super Colmado and runs 4 large freezers 24/7 Music blasting 15 hours a day, TV's fans etc who doesn't consume such electricity.

Your telephone, Internet connection can be as little as RD895, if you want more and have the cash then go for it, but for personal use it's enough.

Your cable only needs to RD795.

A maid? Maids are what you have when you have too much money or a lazy wife IMO. I see people here with a maid as a status symbol when there is no real need. Most peoplewho aren't after the status symbol employ a maid to help out family members, the mother in law, sister or just a local down on their luck. There is no need for a maid in reality, it is something everyone seems to have, just because everyone else has. My wife wouldn't allow another woman to clean her house, but then she's not lazy.

Fuel for the car, RD8,000 ish (probably less imo, but I use a motorbike when by myself and so for me it's only RD5milish), probably, who needs two cars if on a budget? The same as those who prioritise a maid in the budget!

You probably are looking at RD40,000 per month for supermarket shopping.

I can't comment on schooling, but I'd imagine not everyone has fortunes (whatever that price might be) a month to spend per child, so maybe one of the teachers on here can dive in on how a saving can be made there.

And then you cut your cloth, remembering EVERYTHING your kids do, will cost you something. In the city there is nothing for free to entertain anyone, not really.

I am not saying this is how you should or anyone should live their life. But not everyone is from a wealthy background, not everyone needs what others take forgranted. This is just a flip side to what you 'could' get away with if you had to.​

He has 3 teenagers,the phone bill is gonna go thru the roof!

 

[Givadogahome]

He has 3 teenagers,the phone bill is gonna go thru the roof!

What phone bill? Kids use what is on a pre paid cell, local calls are free, what bill?

 

[bronzeallspice]

What phone bill? Kids use what is on a pre paid cell, local calls are free, what bill?

My mistake!just realized

 

[JMB773]

I came back here in 2010, (I lived here from 2001 - 2005 on a 35,000 pesos salary, 2 adults)) and I was told I could live well here (2010: 2 adults and 2 children) with RD$80,000. I started earning 100,000 (after tax about 84,000) and it was totally NOT possible.

You need at least RD$150,000 after tax to live ok (not luxury, not even yet comfortable).

breakdown of our cost of living

40,000 living
35,000 supermarkt
13,000 insurance
16,000 gas (2 cars)
20,000 maids (having teenagers you can reduce that to one, we have two)
8,000 telephone, internet, cellphones, cable)
5,000 Edesur (I pay about 3,000 in winter and 7,000 in summer.

Only this sums up to 138,000. Not counting education, while my parents in law own a school: 10,000 per child / month if you want something good, medicines, eat out, clothes, anything else: 150,000 is still a very tight budget.

You spent almost 11,000USD a year on trips to the supermarket? La Sirena or Jumbo should sent you a Christmas card every year.

 

[Givadogahome]

My mistake!just realized

You're confusing me, or is that the intentionaranoid: I shouldn't have mentioned these pain killers:bunny:

 

[Castle]

Thing is, we are all assuming OP is living well and comfortable at the moment, and in a sudden urge of trying something new he's considering this move. Maybe that's not the case. One thing that seems consistent in this forum is that we all assume that those who live abroad and faring well in their lives, and coming down here is necessarily a step down in quality of life, and that's not always the case. I'm not saying this is OP's case, but there are a lot of other unknown factors that we usually ignore when we tell someone not to move here. Maybe OP has some money saved, maybe his wife is willing to work too, maybe he's unemployed at the moment and those US$2,000/mo seem very good (they would to me, if that was the only offer in the horizon).

 

[Givadogahome]

Well, think of it like this and let the OP make his mind up about the contributions made by the Expat community of DR. Since I first set foot on the island I hadn't come across such a community that begs borrows and schemes as much to get by. Everyone is always borrowing money, drinking on tab, waiting for a money transfer etc etc etc.
There are some very wealthy people in DR, some very wealthy expats also. But if I have to make a judgement by percentages of people I know and have met who are typical Expats in DR, then people talk a lot, people in general talk a rich game , but are rarely living it. And that is the truth of it in DR.
Just remember that half of what you hear will be BS dreaming, probably how they 'wish' their expenses log read, not necessarily how it reads. It's up to you to figure out which.

 

[bronzeallspice]

You're confusing me, or is that the intentionaranoid: I shouldn't have mentioned these pain killers:bunny:

Now I'm the one confused!

 

[Givadogahome]

Now I'm the one confused!

Then we are even:classic:

 

[bronzeallspice]

Then we are even:classic:

I like that!:laugh:

 

[JohnnyBoy]

If you are in country a while you can make a dollar stretch alot farther I will give you that. I dont know the OP nor his situation but 75000 RD is simply not enough money for a family of four. Teenagers go through clothes,shoes at high speed. Even if the tuition is free they need money for sports, uniforms, social functions etc. Its not like the wife is going to pick up a part time job that will take up alot of slack.
If the job paid for rent, electric, tuition, with a car and food allowance you would still be tight to live a middle class existence, but it could be done without tramautizing your children.
Or you could be barrio royalty.

 

[MJSantoDomingo]

I know that I could not live in SD on only 75,000 RD/month. But I am sure that there are people that do. And yes, it would be more of a barrio life. So - is it possible? - yes. Is it recommended? - I would not recommend living in SD on a mere 75,000 pesos a month (even if that is after taxes and includes insurance). I agree with some of the other posters that it would be a very big economic strain for a family of four, never mind a family of five.

 

[Barnabe]

Lyc?e fran?ais: i paid 4000 rd$ a month 10 years ago. i was told it was around 12K now.

So it would be something like 3000€ a year.

Still too much for your budget, I'm afraid.

Barnab?