I want to live in The Dominican Republic, but where?

Question

I'm about to go and tour the DR because I really want to live there and I've heard great things about the place, but I want to know some info. about the place! Also if there is anything else I need to know about the D.R. please tell me. Thanxs!

Answer 1

My family lives in the capital of Santo Domingo. Its alright. Its a 3rd world country, so unless you don't mind the violence and dangers, its up to you. The electricity in the country goes off , many times a day , so get used to no electricity for hours. you cannot drink the sink water cause its contaminated, only bottled water. The economy sucks, dollar goes up and down,  I live in the u.s, cause its 1st world and theres more security, but my family lives there cause they can afford to.  In my opinion unless you are rich and can afford a luxury apartment with air conditioning and cable tv and a security guard, you are better off in florida or puerto rico  where its kind of like dominican republic expect your secure.

Answer 2

I lived in the DR for years.  I now live on the other side of the island, in Haiti.  Living in DR can be very interesting if you have money.  I agree with the prior post.  If you want to match the U.S. standard of living in the DR, you must have money.  You can rent a nice condo in a gated community (off the beach) for about $800/month with everything included.  I prefer Cabarete, Sosua and Puerto Plata.  If you have retirement income, that is the best.  If you have to work for a living, the next best thing is to have a U.S. company transfer your job with the same salary to DR.  If you go to DR looking for a job, that is not a good idea.  The jobs do not pay well.  Even for professionals.  You would be looking at anywhere between $300/month - $1,000/month salary.  Unless if you are somekind of consultant and can guarantee yourself a contract.  If you have money to start a business, that is good but as you know a business can succeed or fail.   In my estimate, if you want to be comfortable in DR, you will need about $3,000/month.  Rent is cheap but imports such as food, cars, gas, electronic and  household goods are very expensive.  Healthcare is also different from the U.S., so you have to prepare yourself for that.  You can live on less than $3,000/month by getting a cheap apartment for $200/month but, it will not be by U.S. standards.  In the U.S., living standards are better (e.g., electricity, water, roads, security, jobs etc...).  However, the problem I had with the U.S. dealt with happiness and lack of freedom to a certain level.  You always have to work.  The worst was social connections.  I always had problems with relationships.  People do not seem to care about you.  It was next to impossible for me to get a good female companion.  It was easier getting a dog than getting the companionship of a beautiful young woman.  Furthermore, true friends were really hard to find.  Living in DR and in Haiti, people stop to say "good morning" and have a conversation with you.  They know your name.  You make friends and get invited to social functions.  Women are easy to get.  For example, in DR, an old man like myself can get a young woman to be a companion and live in the house with me.  She would cook, clean, and be a girlfriend as well but you would have to pay her a stipend of $500-$1000/month in addition to her living rent free.  In Haiti, you can get a 19 year old college girl to live with you and do not even need to pay her anything monthly.  Just the fact that she lives there in the condo with you just improved her living conditions tenfold.  If she leaves, 100 more prettier possible companions would be knocking on your door the same day.  In the U.S., not in a million years you can get a college girl to be your companion unless you are a millionaire.  But if you are on fixed income and getting as little as $3,000/month retirement, you can live like a king in a place like Haiti, Costa Rica, Honduras, Colombia, Panama, Venezuela, etc...You can always count on someone to help you out if you need to.  On a social level, DR and Haiti are better than the U.S. .  As a matter of fact, I find that Haiti is even better than DR.  Things are changing in DR these days.  Many women because of the poverty are looking for you to give them money in order to be your companion; or friends would want money in order to help you.  In Haiti, they are poorer than DR but will sincerely help.  Overall, DR and Haiti are better on a social level.  If you are looking for something different, you should look into Haiti.  The beaches are unspoiled and there aren't too many tourists yet because of the corrupted government and security issues but it is exciting.  Furthermore, Haiti and DR are good places if you want to do something rewarding with your life.  You can join a church and become a missionary.  There are programs teaching the poor "how to fish" to help them feed their families.  Eventually, Haiti will get better.  Please check:

http://www.discoverhaiti.com/sights_tour...

http://www.port-morgan.com

http://www.ilelatortue.com

http://www.nkfz.com/

http://www.yele.org

Answer 3

Hi B. C.Queen!,

I live here for many years now, and there so many things I would like you to know but this would be to long to elaborate on this site. This country is fantastic! So I suggest you contact me on my private mail [e-mail] and I will answer all your questions. Happy to help you!

Happy Feet