Rich or poor, the name of the game is to maximize your dollar.... living or otherwise.
RD fits the bill better than most.
RD fits the bill better than most.
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will expats leave DR?
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I was back in MN for three weeks, and being able to drink the tap water was awesome.
And Walmart, Walmart was nice.
Everything was so clean, and organized, and efficient. And inexpensive. My mom has a new CRV, paid about $20k for it. Just saw the same one on FB in the DR advertised for $33k!
You want a part for something, go to Home Depot. Need a new thingamahoozit, go to Walmart.
Food is cheaper, gas is cheaper! It was great.
I hate winter, but I can't handle hemorrhaging money anymore. One more year!
My pool has been empty for over a month. We're not getting water, and the pool is leaking. Landlord is refusing to fix the leak! The headaches just never end. I'd rather live in the real world, and vacation here.
Maybe it's because I come from the midwest, mostly lived in small towns, but I just don't think it is cheaper to live here. Whatever things are cheaper (rent and chickens) are balanced out by everything that is more expensive (cars and electricity).
Oh, It's cheaper for me....
My Cdn real estate taxes alone - schools, etc which i don't use - exceed my annual costs here which include the staff.
I too, live in small towns in Canada....really small..... less than 1,000 off season.
You need to know what to buy here in RD.
If its in a foil bag - stay away.
Fresh veggies, meat, etc.... way cheaper......even than farmer subsidized Ontario
My Cdn real estate taxes alone - schools, etc which i don't use - exceed my annual costs here which include the staff.
I too, live in small towns in Canada....really small..... less than 1,000 off season.
You need to know what to buy here in RD.
If its in a foil bag - stay away.
Fresh veggies, meat, etc.... way cheaper......even than farmer subsidized Ontario
Another reason I am leaving, is the damn flights are so expensive. I can fly to Puerto Rico, the USVI, or Mexico for far cheaper. It's cheaper for my family to visit, and for me to return home.
I looked at my receipt for my flight to work just the other day. Round trip Santiago to Cameroon with stops in JFK and Paris, and the DR taxes totaled $368 on a $2,100 ticket. I have to fly out of Santiago because POP is so damned expensive my company won't fly me out there.
I looked at my receipt for my flight to work just the other day. Round trip Santiago to Cameroon with stops in JFK and Paris, and the DR taxes totaled $368 on a $2,100 ticket. I have to fly out of Santiago because POP is so damned expensive my company won't fly me out there.
Dutchie,
go live anywhere.... you'll need $$$
your income needs to follow you............ or lead you
Take your pick
go live anywhere.... you'll need $$$
your income needs to follow you............ or lead you
Take your pick
My bills in Massachusetts used to run close 10k a month. I live on the beach here on the east coast for less than 3k. Cars are only more expensive if your stupid enough to pay what the ladrone is asking. I picked an condo by the beach so I didn't need to use my ac. Electric bill is 1800 pesos a month. 24/7 water unless the power goes out which is not very often. Food is equal . Humano platinum for 100 a month. It's way more economical for me to live here.
Bingo! It depends where you're coming from/comparing it to. If you're comparing it to a condo in Florida, with insanely low taxes, it's different than if you live in uptown Manhattan or any other big US/Canadian city.
Like crepuscular, we own our DR home. The taxes alone on our NJ home are $8,000 a year, and we're very lucky because taxes are lowish there. No RE taxes in DR, as we're in campo. We've paid $800 a month for heating the house for one month in the past - now we winter in DR and have the heat turned way back. We shipped our own car down, not ridiculously expensive if you do it within 6 months of residency. It does take some planning.
Yes, things seem to break down more in DR. Yes, it's aggravating to get things done sometimes. Yes, we have to have inverters, batteries and a generator. Once you have all those things, life isn't so bad. When they DO break, it's pretty cheap to fix, especially if you compare to NJ.
But we're relaxing on the beach while folks up north are dealing with ice and snow. The pedicure I pay $20+USD for in NJ costs 150 pesos in DR [less than the tip in NJ!]. Food is about the same cost as NJ, fresh fruits and vegetables cheaper in DR. Gas is more expensive in DR, but we don't have to drive as much as we do in NJ.
It's all a trade-off, and I can't see how people can say it's more expensive to live in DR, unless they're coming from some hole-in-the-wall place in Oklahoma or Mississippi.
Good for you. Good job we all do not live in some sort of competition.
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that's what it is. some things are cheaper, some not. personally, i don't find the life here as cheap as some paint it to be but then i come from a post communist country where good quality basics are covered from taxes. here the middle class folks still pay taxes but use no government facilities like hospitals and public schools.
No one said anything about a competition. My point is you can live well here for a fraction of the cost. I know everyones financial situation is different. For me it makes sense living here.
Massachusetts is an expensive state to live in especially if your near the ocean.
Good point, whole different ballgame in your case. My mindset was retirees/snowbirds.
I rent. I only invest in businesses here. And it's just me and my dominican wife. Her family lives in the capital.
True. However you did call me a "ladrone" (sic) and any expat i may sell a car to without negotiating is, to put it in your words, "stupid".
So, if there is no competition, are you just saying, you are better than most of us. Isn't that stupid?
Yea, I pay $1200 a month alone in tuition, transportation, uniforms, and school supplies.
You wouldn't believe the list of HAVE TO HAVES from the school, that we come to find out at the end of the year was completely unneeded. Along with $600 a kid registration, paying tuition even in the summer months, and new uniforms, it adds up quickly.
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