Advice on moving to Santo Domingo from Texas

Hello everyone,

I've really enjoyed reading the various threads on this message board. Lots of good information.

Since we're moving to Santo Domingo, I'd really appreciate as much advice/information as you can spare.

Specifically, these issues:

Housing: how much do homes cost in the nicer, upscale areas of the city? What are the name(s) of these areas? I've read on here where it's not worth buying a house unless you're ultra-wealthy....that the electric bills are outrageous, that you need a full-time security officer or else you'll be robbed repeatedly, etc. Instead, it's recommended that you rent/buy an apartment. How much are apartment rental rates in these same upscale neighborhoods?

Safety: as noted above, I've read a lot of messages on here that imply it's not safe at all. Is it common-place to have your house robbed or to be personally mugged?

Salary: based on the cost-of-living in Santo Domingo, what is considered the general salary range for multi-national business professionals? Not in executive management, but for mid-level professionals.

Workplace: recognizing that local culture impacts workplace lifestyle, how would you rate the professional workplace enviroment...extremely fast-paced and hectic, very casual and slow-paced, or somewhere in-between?

For those who moved to DR from the US: How long have you been in DR, how would you rate the experience so far on a 1-10 scale, and what were some of the most difficult things to overcome?

General comments: feel free to add in comments for anything else, including helpful website links.

Thanks everybody. I'll anxiously await your comments. Have a great week.

Dear James:I'm Dominican and moved here from Chicago six years ago.To be frank with you, I live more comfortably here and the weather here is great.

However, to live well here you need lots of money. Housing is very expensive, although, if you have a U.S. type executive salary you should not have problems meeting your needs.

Typically, the middle class needs over $50,000 pesos(US$3000) a month to live comfortably in a nice neighborhood, but upscale neighborhoods are more demanding.

For instance renting a house in neighborhoods like Piantini, Naco, Arroyo Hondo, Anacaona Avenue(Cacicazgos, El Vergel, the top income neighborhoods is expensive.Rents for two and three bedroom Apts. would go over US$1000 to as much as $5,000. Houses would be much more expensive. In addition, all apartments here are condo type, that is you pay a maintenance fee every month which goes over a $1000 to as much as $10,000 a month(pesos) The highest range would be in the Anacaona Avenue and Piantini.

Food is expensive, almost as much as in the New York area and electric bills are outrageous. Basic VIP Phone service is $650 Pesos plus long distance and cellular calls, which are very common here. VIP service is really a necessity because the phone company always finds a way to jack up your regular bill with additional message untis you probably never made. Besides it is needed for internet use.

Restaurants, clubs, gasoline, automobiles(cost almost 3 times than in U.S.)and entertainment is expensive. Houses are going in the range of US$200,000 to $1,000,000 typically in better neighborhoods. There are many houses over US$1,000,000 in these neighborhoods I mentioned and in Anacaona Avenue, a house would probably exceed US$5,000,000.

In other words,check things out very well. Security guards are a must in houses and Apartments should have Armed Doormen.

James,

Well, life here is a lot different from Texas- coming from a native Texan. If you love great Mexican and Cajun food and rich Texas culture then you will miss it by living here. However, there are many great things to gain as well by the move.

As far as safety, I feel pretty safe here on the overall. I know that I have personally not felt so safe in Texas as times, especially when you look cumulatively at the recent major events that have happened in Texas (it's a pretty violent state). There are muggings and robberies here but the assailants are less likely to have deadly weapons or kill you here. Just be prudent and don't act like a naive foreigner and you will be fine.

The workplace is different and maybe somewhere in between like you stated. Things work slower here and are hectic because of the lack of organization and planning. There is a lot of uncouth treatment of workers here- so much sexual harrasment and just odd comments I hear etc. Their culture is truly different. I work in a pretty big company and I hear and see many things (things not even related to sexual harr.) that I feel uncomfortable with even when the comments aren't made towards me in any form or manner. However, my work co-workers are warm and friendly as are most Dominicans; this certainly helps make for good office days.

Well, I hope that info helps you some. Good luck!

Why Santo Domingo? Why not a small laid back village where you can get to know your neighbors and enjoy life? Santo Domingo would be the very last place on earth I'd choose to live. Email me if you're interested in more...

when you arrive it maybe the perfect 10 when you (have to) leave it may be an disapointing 1.

THINK ABOUT IT.