Would $1600 a month allow 1 person to live comfortably in the DR ?

[Castro156]

Ok let’s do some math here, I’ll speak for my personal experience in the north. The Salcedo/ Tenares área. I like it there very much, have lots of friends and family plus the people from the surrounding areas are amazing. ( La Vega, Bonao, Salcedo, Tenares, San Francisco De Macorís, Moca , and of course SANTIAGO).

I love this part of the country way more than the Capital.

And the women, to die for!!!

FYI: I’m a Dominican, born and raised in NYC. 54 years old and divorced. I date around but don’t live with anyone, I like it this way, it works for me on many levels…

Although my family has a house on both sides of the island, I rent my own place for peace of mind and personal space.

Anyway.

Rent in a brand new 3 bedroom apartment $11,000 in a gated complex
Light bill - $3800
Food $22,000
Gas $1200
$7000 for Cleaning lady that comes 2 times a week
Humano Health insurance $3000 (Royal plan)
$1600 Home internet
$1600 cell phone plan

I have a used Toyota Camry, nothing fancy and it does the job very well si I don’t have any car payments.

My driving can vary so I can’t give a fixed gas expense, roughly, $8000 per month if stay in the surrounding areas, everything is close to where I live so my gas is mostly spent when I drive to Santiago from Salcedo o have to go to the dreaded Capital… I dislike the Capital as you may have gathered by now. lol

Now the other expenses all depend on how Many times a week you eat out, if you spend money drinking, going out a lot, going to cafes, or socializing. I guess everyone has to add in those numbers but everything i mentioned above are about 60k per month in BASIC expenses FOR ME.

I live a decent low key life, most of my time is spend with friends and family. Im passed the night club scene, don’t drink much and enjoy home cooked meals at home and with my relatives.

Is it a fancy life? Of course not but I’m not a fancy pants and like a calm, low key kinda lifestyle. I go to the beach, catch a movie, once in a while I go to a nice restaurant to have drink or a meal while listening to some live music and do as the normal people do that actually live here and not take it like I’m on a life long vacation.

Anyway, those are my 2 cents. Would love to hear what you all think.

 

[Castro156]

Ok let’s do some math here, I’ll speak for my personal experience in the north. The Salcedo/ Tenares área. I like it there very much, have lots of friends and family plus the people from the surrounding areas are amazing. ( La Vega, Bonao, Salcedo, Tenares, San Francisco De Macorís, Moca , and of course SANTIAGO).

I love this part of the country way more than the Capital.

And the women, to die for!!!

FYI: I’m a Dominican, born and raised in NYC. 54 years old and divorced. I date around but don’t live with anyone, I like it this way, it works for me on many levels…

Although my family has a house on both sides of the island, I rent my own place for peace of mind and personal space.

Anyway.

Rent in a brand new 3 bedroom apartment $11,000 in a gated complex
Light bill - $3800
Food $22,000
Gas $1200
$7000 for Cleaning lady that comes 2 times a week
Humano Health insurance $3000 (Royal plan)
$1600 Home internet
$1600 cell phone plan

I have a used Toyota Camry, nothing fancy and it does the job very well si I don’t have any car payments.

My driving can vary so I can’t give a fixed gas expense, roughly, $8000 per month if stay in the surrounding areas, everything is close to where I live so my gas is mostly spent when I drive to Santiago from Salcedo o have to go to the dreaded Capital… I dislike the Capital as you may have gathered by now. lol

Now the other expenses all depend on how Many times a week you eat out, if you spend money drinking, going out a lot, going to cafes, or socializing. I guess everyone has to add in those numbers but everything i mentioned above are about 60k per month in BASIC expenses FOR ME.

I live a decent low key life, most of my time is spend with friends and family. Im passed the night club scene, don’t drink much and enjoy home cooked meals at home and with my relatives.

Is it a fancy life? Of course not but I’m not a fancy pants and like a calm, low key kinda lifestyle. I go to the beach, catch a movie, once in a while I go to a nice restaurant to have drink or a meal while listening to some live music and do as the normal people do that actually live here and not take it like I’m on a life long vacation.

Anyway, those are my 2 cents. Would love to hear what you all think.

 

[Castro156]

Get off the North Coast and things get much cheaper rentwise.

I live in a comfortable 3bd/2bath in San Cristobal for 230 a month, internet is about 60 dollars for FiberOptic 220Mbps, and electricity is around 20 a month. I have 3 cars but drive very little. No drinking. A few cigars here and there.

You can find 1-bedroom apartments for around 150.

1600 is definitely doable.

Totally agree, if you wanna live in Punta Cana or other high priced areas, than obviously $1600 won’t cut it, but if you actually live within the community and with the actual people that make up the Dominican Republic, you know,, The Dominicans, than it’s absolutely posible.

I read a lot of this “barrio” talk on these kind of posts.

Like in any country, there are good “barrios” and really bad “barrios”.

Do your homework!

A working class barrio is full of amazing people. Your doctors, your local lawyers, the small business owners, teachers, the people what work in the bank, people that work in the many offices that make a country run… You know, the actual people in the country you are living or considering living in… I live in such a barrio and absolutely love it!

 

[JDFriend]

In post # 8 by the OP, it says they have enough money to buy a car and pay rent without dipping into monthly retirement money, if I was reading it correctly. If $1600.00 is what they will have after paying rent, then I would say that is a decent amount to live on. The OP stated they are not looking to live an extravagant lifestyle. IMO the most important of all is to have a safety net, money set aside if anything that can and will go wrong. Our monthly budget (we try to have one) isn't always the same each month. Things come up. Sometimes we spend more, sometimes we spend less.

Agree on the safety net - if there's one thing clear in the DR is you always need a 'Plan B' or a Back-up Plan. And so you need some $$ aside in case something goes wrong. That is true for $$ and for everything else that is important. If you don't have a back-up plant - then Good Luck !!!

 

[Fulano2]

yes, that is a Dominican landlord; I have an Italian Dueno who lives on the property, I have lived in my apartment for five years, I've had to have a refrigerator, a washing machine, an air conditioner and 3 water heaters replaced in that time; the AC unit was replaced in 3 days, the frig and washer were replaced in less than 1 day, the water heaters were replaced in less than 12 hours, all at no cost to me; and he's only raised my rent one time a total of 5%; and he keeps the buildings and outside immaculate

Padre. I think you should buy a voltage regulator.

 

[Casino127]

I live on $1600 a month. 2 adults and 2 children, in a small village in the center of the country surrounded by cocoa, plantain, jungle and rice fields. I have my furnished cement house, my car and my scooter. We eat Dominican. Electricity US$100 with 2 AC. Propane gas $28 US for cooking, $20 internet and $50 for gas each month. Filet mignon sells for $3 a pound

 

[bob saunders]

I live on $1600 a month. 2 adults and 2 children, in a small village in the center of the country surrounded by cocoa, plantain, jungle and rice fields. I have my furnished cement house, my car and my scooter. We eat Dominican. Electricity US$100 with 2 AC. Propane gas $28 US for cooking, $20 internet and $50 for gas each month. Filet mignon sells for $3 a pound

Lifestyle and location are the two largest factors in daily costs. We semi-eat Dominican, we don't eat rice or bread, but we do eat plantains,yuca...etc. My wife loves chicken feet, mondongo...etc, me I don't eat any of that.

 

[RDKNIGHT]

Filet Mignon $3 a pound .... you sure its not horse meat..

 

[Fulano2]

Filet Mignon $3 a pound .... you sure its not horse meat..

I think he refers to carne de res, dominican style, encebollada.

 

[RDKNIGHT]

I think he refers to carne de res, dominican style, encebollada.

🤮 brangus is the worsted should be name canine

 

[SKY]

🤮 brangus is the worsted should be name canine

Could not agree more. Tried it once and tossed it after one bite..........

 

[malko]

I think he refers to carne de res, dominican style, encebollada.

Filet mignon, depending on where the poster is from, is usually the filet cut of the pig. Great piece of meat, btw. And dead cheap, even in supermarkets, in the DR.

 

[bachata]

Totally agree, if you wanna live in Punta Cana or other high priced areas, than obviously $1600 won’t cut it, but if you actually live within the community and with the actual people that make up the Dominican Republic, you know,, The Dominicans, than it’s absolutely posible.

I read a lot of this “barrio” talk on these kind of posts.

Like in any country, there are good “barrios” and really bad “barrios”.

Do your homework!

A working class barrio is full of amazing people. Your doctors, your local lawyers, the small business owners, teachers, the people what work in the bank, people that work in the many offices that make a country run… You know, the actual people in the country you are living or considering living in… I live in such a barrio and absolutely love it!

The good thing is that all those folks you just mentioned above they gather at the colmado or Karaoke in the evening after they get home from work.

I miss that life!

JJ

 

[bachata]

Ok let’s do some math here, I’ll speak for my personal experience in the north. The Salcedo/ Tenares área. I like it there very much, have lots of friends and family plus the people from the surrounding areas are amazing. ( La Vega, Bonao, Salcedo, Tenares, San Francisco De Macorís, Moca , and of course SANTIAGO).

I love this part of the country way more than the Capital.

And the women, to die for!!!

FYI: I’m a Dominican, born and raised in NYC. 54 years old and divorced. I date around but don’t live with anyone, I like it this way, it works for me on many levels…

Although my family has a house on both sides of the island, I rent my own place for peace of mind and personal space.

Anyway.

Rent in a brand new 3 bedroom apartment $11,000 in a gated complex
Light bill - $3800
Food $22,000
Gas $1200
$7000 for Cleaning lady that comes 2 times a week
Humano Health insurance $3000 (Royal plan)
$1600 Home internet
$1600 cell phone plan

I have a used Toyota Camry, nothing fancy and it does the job very well si I don’t have any car payments.

My driving can vary so I can’t give a fixed gas expense, roughly, $8000 per month if stay in the surrounding areas, everything is close to where I live so my gas is mostly spent when I drive to Santiago from Salcedo o have to go to the dreaded Capital… I dislike the Capital as you may have gathered by now. lol

Now the other expenses all depend on how Many times a week you eat out, if you spend money drinking, going out a lot, going to cafes, or socializing. I guess everyone has to add in those numbers but everything i mentioned above are about 60k per month in BASIC expenses FOR ME.

I live a decent low key life, most of my time is spend with friends and family. Im passed the night club scene, don’t drink much and enjoy home cooked meals at home and with my relatives.

Is it a fancy life? Of course not but I’m not a fancy pants and like a calm, low key kinda lifestyle. I go to the beach, catch a movie, once in a while I go to a nice restaurant to have drink or a meal while listening to some live music and do as the normal people do that actually live here and not take it like I’m on a life long vacation.

Anyway, those are my 2 cents. Would love to hear what you all think.

That's what am talking about 😉

JJ

 

[bachata]

But I have to say something else... If you are Dominican retired from US or any other Country you have an advantage as you know the language 100% and look like anyone else in the crowd.
Gringos in some cases always will have to pay a little bit more not matter how long they have been living in DR.

JJ

 

[USA DOC]

Yes I will live like a king in SOSUA.
Just think about I pay all services US $100. a month... internet RD 1,850. Electricity RD $800. HOR US $30. Including water service. A prepaid cellphone plan.
Food and beverage I would say RD $500 a day
I Will be driving around everyday looking for things to do.
I don't need a lot of money to live in DR.

Chapiadoras won't make not money with me.

JJ

I like your style.....just stay away fron the central bar in Sosua.........

 

[Fulano2]

Filet mignon, depending on where the poster is from, is usually the filet cut of the pig. Great piece of meat, btw. And dead cheap, even in supermarkets, in the DR.

Filet mignon is not from a pig. Is one of the finest part of filet pur and never cheap.

 

[JD Jones]

Filet mignon is not from a pig. Is one of the finest part of filet pur and never cheap.

He meant to say Filet pignon. LOL

 

[josh2203]

I read a lot of this “barrio” talk on these kind of posts.

Like in any country, there are good “barrios” and really bad “barrios”.

Do your homework!

A working class barrio is full of amazing people. Your doctors, your local lawyers, the small business owners, teachers, the people what work in the bank, people that work in the many offices that make a country run… You know, the actual people in the country you are living or considering living in… I live in such a barrio and absolutely love it!

I could not agree more. Many times just the term barrio is used to reference even a slum-like living conditions or just with people who do nothing... Perhaps I would admit that I would perhaps not be going to a doctor who lives in a barrio but other than that this is correct. Living in a barrio for a Dominican does also not necessarily mean they are poor. If the family home is there, I would think many Dominicans do not want to move. This is the case with my wife's sister's family. They are entrepreneurs, and based on what I have seen and heard, they are in fact wealthier than we are, yet they live in a barrio in POP. They do not live in a 1 bedroom sink roofed house obviously, but still...

 

[josh2203]

But I have to say something else... If you are Dominican retired from US or any other Country you have an advantage as you know the language 100% and look like anyone else in the crowd.
Gringos in some cases always will have to pay a little bit more not matter how long they have been living in DR.

JJ

I'm from Scandinavia, my pigment could not be whiter, so anytime I have spent time abroad from the DR and go back, I always get this treatment, but it's always nice to see their faces once I open my mouth... I would say I master even how Spanish is butchered in the DR to 80 - 90 % but that never goes hand in hand with how I look...