- Thread starter Mattinnorfolk
- Start date
Puerto Plata Versus Santo Domingo (COL etc..)
Please pay close attention where the poster says "it is doable", just getting by at entry level western living. You can take that $1500 budget and toss it out the window cuz no way will it give you anything close to western standard. which is what the original poster inquired about.
Again youre trying to twist the argument. So lets say he spends 1k a month on rent and that leaves him with $1500. Are you really trying to convince us that is just making it in Santo Freaking Domingo? Seriously?
Exactly, that is only $50 a day spending money. Now if you consider western living to be one you can buy a six pack, go to the movies at least once or twice a month, eat out at a restaurant a couple times a month, take a day trip to the beach, a couple of Uber rides a day, maybe some dress pants and shirts to get out the cleaners, than you are indeed at entry level western living.
Dios Mios lol. Having $50 a day to spend freely isnt entry level anywhere on this earth. Have a great day, Big Bird
that $50 is not to be spent freely, it has to buy groceries, bleach, cleaning supplies, maybe bedroom needs new curtains or the bed needs new sheets and that $50 ain't gonna go far.
Take Uber to Agora, get a salad at Green Bowl, do a little bit of grocery shopping at Jumbo and take an Uber back to your place and see how much of that $50 you got left.
Youre going to do that everyday huh. Like how many bed sheets and curtains does one need? Again have a great day, Big Bird.
I don't think alexw has any clue as to how upper middle class westerners live these days. Toss out the high and the low estimates to get a decent mean. From my perspective $3000 is the minimum I feel comfortable recommending but that is based on my own sensibilities and wants/needs. For thrifty people, this amount may leave a bit left over each month for unexpected costs or frivolous pursuits. Much less than this amount will be used up in its entirety pretty quickly.
The OP needs to come and see what his $2500 will get him not 2 years ago or even last year but at the time he is here ready to make the decision. With all that doesn't work quite right in this country, happiness or at least contentment might mean having a really good sanctuary from the craziness and you probably can't find a really good apartment, in a really good/safe neighborhood, with all the amenities for $800. You might be able to find an acceptable apartment, but big city life in this country can be draining month after month. Everyone needs a way to equalize the pressure and for me, that means a spectacular place to hide out in, when I just don't want to deal with the outside world.
Can one live on $2500, sure, but I wouldn't want to. Does the OP after seeing what that will be like, that's their call.
The OP needs to come and see what his $2500 will get him not 2 years ago or even last year but at the time he is here ready to make the decision. With all that doesn't work quite right in this country, happiness or at least contentment might mean having a really good sanctuary from the craziness and you probably can't find a really good apartment, in a really good/safe neighborhood, with all the amenities for $800. You might be able to find an acceptable apartment, but big city life in this country can be draining month after month. Everyone needs a way to equalize the pressure and for me, that means a spectacular place to hide out in, when I just don't want to deal with the outside world.
Can one live on $2500, sure, but I wouldn't want to. Does the OP after seeing what that will be like, that's their call.
Ahhh now we've changed the argument to "upper" middle class. I just live here and have expat and "Dominican" friends who we discuss this type of thing everyday.
Hell he can get an apartment in Lincoln Tower Suites with a pool for $750 a month.
Like I said, either you guys dont really live here or youve been inflicted with that expat curse where you arent connected to reality here. 90% of the people living in the capital barely make $250 a month and you all are acting like he is about to hit the soup line with $2500 a month. Hell some people live middle class lives in the states for $2500 but they cant here? Hogwash!
In light of the answers above, I think the answer to your question is "yes," but it really depends on your lifestyle choices. Speaking Spanish will help you avoid the "Gringo tax" in many instances. Living in a new tower will obviously be very different than living in the hood.
My advice to you is to do short term rentals and stays at first. Santo Domingo may be perfect for you, but you may also find there are areas that are more to your liking. Santiago is much less expensive, but has a great deal of culture and infrastructure not really seen anywhere else outside of SD. Las Terrenas is awesomely beautiful, and while it's getting more expensive, has the advantages of a very eclectic group of expats and locals, as well as a top quality highway that puts you in SD in 90 minutes.
The east coast is very North American in feel, but has amazing beaches. People who want to have a lifestyle similar to what they enjoy at home, but with better weather and a beach, enjoy Bavaro and Punta Cana very much.
And there are countless small towns, each with their charms. In those places, you will be hard pressed to spend $2,500 a month, unless you have serious issues with controlling your vices.
Go, see the country. Spend a couple two months in a number of different areas, and ONLY THEN, decide on a place to live.
In terms of budget, keep in mind that everybody who has previously posted is absolutely right - for them. You've gotta figure out what your reality is. I'd encourage you to have a first month number in your head. Figure out your monthly expense, then double it. You'll make mistakes, get taxes, do the "Margaritaville" thing with booze and chicas and whatnot. After a year, maybe less, you'll figure out what's what, and the numbers quoted above will likely make more sense to you.
Sometimes I feel like giving up on DR1.....it's post's like this that keep me here...kudos...
yes indeed and I would not even rule out Jarabacoa.
Like DRob said a few posts back, all depends on what the individual is looking for. What they say? What rocks "your" boat.,,,,,,,,,, but whatever you do don't move to la rep dom without an escape plan. Sometimes when you move to Paradise a person finds out Paradise surely isn't what they thought it was going to be. Quite a few expats here would love to go back to their country of origin but they sold it all on a dream that turned out to be a nightmare............ just sayin'
Beautifully written by a person that has never lived in the DR.
No arguing points, just stating a strong missing fact to take into consideration by the OP.
OP,
Take inputs from folks who actually "live" in the DR.
BB and Alex have provided excellent comments and they do live here.
Last edited:
90 % of people in SD make 250 a month and 2500 a month is middle class in the usa?
You and your friends must be really poor. Theres a difference between making it and living !!
I have lived in SD for 8 years and, as always, I agree with BigBird on this. If you want a reasonably nice apartment with 24 hour security, A/C, parking and maybe a pool or a gym, you're going to pay about US$ 1,500 a month absolute minimum. Each time you take an Uber it comes in at about US$ 5. So even two taxis a day work out at US$ 300. Electricity has to be about US$ 150 a month. Cellphone US$ 40 a month. Cable TV and home internet US$ 70. So we're already over US$ 2,000 and that's without any food, without going out at all, no money for clothes.
I certainly don't think Alex is right in saying that you can eat out in Santo Domingo for US$ 2. I've never seen anywhere in the capital offering food for RD$ 100. The cheapest Plato del Dia comes in at around RD$ 200 which is US$4, and it's usually very basic stodgy food.
I certainly don't think Alex is right in saying that you can eat out in Santo Domingo for US$ 2. I've never seen anywhere in the capital offering food for RD$ 100. The cheapest Plato del Dia comes in at around RD$ 200 which is US$4, and it's usually very basic stodgy food.
Try some of the places like deliciosus in ZC plate of the day basic is $100. lots of places less than 200 but your right rice bean and some chicken. but you can live comfortable for less than 2500us been here for 20 plus years. If you want a big US city life style then yes you can pay out the nose for it. My cable and internet is 16k for 6mo. cell I use prepaid so much less than a plan as I use mainly whatsapp and messenger, very few calls. so can be done for less than 2500us. electricty is way less than 150 I use the air only at night and then only for about 2 hours. hot water tank 2 times a day for 15min keeps the temp just the way I like it. no I don't have and don't want a pool.
Ah ! Santo Domingo ! Another world.......
I always wonder about people telling me about electricity and cable TV, internet, cellphone bills, etc...... ( in real life, not on dr1 ).
They are always like 9k pesos for la luz ! And i am like, dang you must live in a mansion in the middle of a park with 11 fountains........ nope......
Either its an exaggeration, or edelsud ( or whatever ede-something operates down there ), charges exhorbitant rates....... or the whole barrio or appartmemt block is hijacking their electricity lol....... or A/C is really a scam by electricity companies.
With edenorte, i am sad when it goes above 2k pesos lol.......and thats with a pool, a water pump, an electric water heater ( not used that much ), a gazillion lights ( even though most of the outside ones are solar now ), a fridge, a freezer, etc....... oh and a battery bank of 8, which thankfullly is hardly in use nowadays. A/C is never used...... it even gets cold at night ! ( thats karma for having acces to a mcdonalds, you get to live ontop of each other and burn in the heat
)
The capital is serviced by Edesur and Edeste. Ave Màximo Gómez is the boundary, if I remember correctly. East of there is Edeste country and the rest Edesur.Ah ! Santo Domingo ! Another world.......
I always wonder about people telling me about electricity and cable TV, internet, cellphone bills, etc...... ( in real life, not on dr1 ).
They are always like 9k pesos for la luz ! And i am like, dang you must live in a mansion in the middle of a park with 11 fountains........ nope......
Either its an exaggeration, or edelsud ( or whatever ede-something operates down there ), charges exhorbitant rates....... or the whole barrio or appartmemt block is hijacking their electricity lol....... or A/C is really a scam by electricity companies.
With edenorte, i am sad when it goes above 2k pesos lol.......and thats with a pool, a water pump, an electric water heater ( not used that much ), a gazillion lights ( even though most of the outside ones are solar now ), a fridge, a freezer, etc....... oh and a battery bank of 8, which thankfullly is hardly in use nowadays. A/C is never used...... it even gets cold at night ! ( thats karma for having acces to a mcdonalds, you get to live ontop of each other and burn in the heat
I assume most expats that live in the capital get an Edesur bill.
This person does not live in Santo Domingo. $1500 a month puts you in a "luxury" 2 or 3 bedroom condo in Naco or Piantini. Literally some of the best neighborhoods in the capital. Clearly a single man does not need a luxury apartment if he's on a middle class budget. Again I pay $1300 a month for an apartment in Evaristo Morales which would easily be $5k+ a month in NYC. This is getting beyond ridiculous.
As stated before, he can get a great apartment with all those amenities in zona unversitario or gascue easily for $500 or $600 a month; the absolute max $800. I even listed the towers earlier in this thread. In Torre Armonia in Gascue he can buy a 2 bedroom for $85k.
Uber is definitely not $5 a ride even when the traffic is nuts. Electricity is not $150 a month unless its July or August and thats only if youre running the a/c like a madman. Use fans and the costs plummets. Like where are you getting these numbers from? They dont make sense.