Different situations, different approach the sum may be doable for someone who is retired lets say, or maybe single. I am sure that when one works they also tend to save that is the main goal we are not trying to live as we did in College when we had our part time jobs from pay check to pay check, or from hand to mouth as some societies like to put it. I live on and of in Los Angeles, Ca but i find Santo Domingo a bit expensive and i will give you a couple of reasons why in my case lack of entertainment it gets boring so one seeks excitement which costs money. Then we have the blackouts, power goes out for more than 8 hours a day the Inversor cant manage more than that. The next factor is the climate the humidity, i prefer to leave the premises and head out. Once you have lived in the city for more than a year there is not much to do, and the places you want to go seem limited, or you have been to all the restaurant more than 5 times from Malecon to Zona Colonial, to all the Malls in the city. It all comes down to company back home you can have kick backs, BBQ's friends or neighbors pitch in bring their own drinks watch a game on the set next weekend its at someone else place, here you are in a new country being cautious because you want to be careful on who you invite to your home so not much entertainment going on there. Schools i had some family friends who's kids went to the French School all i can say it is expensive so is Caroll Morgan, plus they were always complaining how hard it is to make friends in the D.R. I went to a lot of Private Schools in my time, i can't imagine what it will be like when i have kids if the price range are what they are now. Bottom line is if it seems as such a stretch think twice.