Sucks to be here....NY

WHY IS EVERYONE ON THIS BOARD SO TIGHT-ASS...LOOSEN UP.

LYOD

Trust TW when he says 30,000 is not enough. I have seen many people come in with alot more than 30K and were releieved of this gold in a short time. If you make a bad investment (which is not hard to do in DR) then you will not see your money last for a long time.

Most Dominicans earn $5000 pesos a month. That is why 80% are considered poor. I thought I understood a one time $30,000 briefcase full of money, not $30,000 a year. Someone must be confused.

Marion Harshman: Thanks to people like me, you are rich or live comfortably. Remember you sold one of my beach lots in Costambar by the Hotel Club to those Spaniards?(And didnt I get out of there at the right time) Well, you can say that you can live well. But this geek who has a lousy $30,000 will be a very poor fella after a few months. Just think. A small house with about 90 meters space in the Capotillo neighborhood, where riots take place every month and one of the worst slums of Santo Domingo will cost you about US$30,000. Rental of a small house in the poor neighborhood of Ensanche La Fe, near the baseball stadium will go for $5000 pesos a month. A studio(70m) at Naco 2000 condo US$1000 a month and four month deposits. Figured out electricity and phone service, the most expensive in the area? Remember, this is not just a guy, it is a guy and his grilfriend trying to move here with no job placement. Give me a break!

Okey, so $30.000 is peanuts... (I keep thinking of my dad in Sweden, who died last year and left $10.000 as the savings of a lifetime!) With the risk of leading this debate too far, how much money would be "enough" as starting capital and what would be a decent monthly salary?

I must say that I am really surprised someone has suggested that 30,000 USD is not enough to make a decent living in one year in DR. That is more than I make and I think I do have a decent living. This is not my budget, but it is fairly realistic and based in actual expenses. A litle shopping around is a must, but I guess real people do that all the time.

Let's see:

Appartment in Mirador Sur, Santo Domingo (1 st. north of Anacaona), I bd, 1 1/2 bathroom, maid's room with bathroom. Newly built, handsome appartment. Excellent location, residential area.: RD$6,500/month. Same app rented with nice furniture: RD$13,000.00

Telephone, VIP plan (no limits on local calls) and dial up internet: RD$975.00

Electricity, low consupmtion bulbs, ~232 kWh: RD$317.00

Car, regular maintenance and gas/transp would be about the same if you don't buy a car: RD1800.00

Groceries and toiletries, two people without meat or alcoholic beverages: RD3,800.00

Maintenance (water, garbage, gardening, security and common expenses): RD$800.00

Health insurance, two people, standard coverage: RD$750.00

That ammounts to: RD$21,442.00 of basic expenses.

30,000.00 USD ammounts to RD$41,625.00/month in one year. That would leave almost RD$20,000.00 left per month to be used for emergencies, entertainment, clothing, etc. Sounds like a pretty decent life to me. Maybe not luxurious like TW's life, but decent nonetheless.

Where the problem comes is that if you can't find (a) job(s) that can keep that level of income for the second year. But with a little adjustment and living in a cheaper place (yes, you can find them cheaper and still decent) you can stretch your money even more.

Havfrue??? Are you from Denmark??? Wherever you are from, thank you soooo much for you reply! Very helpful to me!

After hearing your concern about the cost of living here I must assume that you are not a wealthy person. The tip for your survival is PLAN AHEAD. Most of these guys are here for the fun and the girls, that is expensive. If you plan for the long haul then just take it easy, go cheap the first months or so.

The first month you will probably have to live in a hotel or something like that while you find a place of your own. That means eating "out" everyday too, that is not cheap anywhere. Rush and rent a place of your own. Being a foreigner and w/o "papers" your landlord would like to have some security that you will not run away without paying so plan for leaving 3-5 months deposit (reimbursable). That will eat out a little of your savings.

Your best bet is for a place with furniture, don't buy anything till you're sure you'll stay for good. You can call a REPUTABLE broker such as RE/MAX, they won't charge a dime to look for a place, the landlord will. If your girlfriend/wife is Dominican then just open Listin Diario's "Clasificados" and happy hunting. Let her do the bidding, it is true that foreigners pay more. But in the other hand if she doesn't have solid recommendations then it is best you do it, too many landlords would rather sub-lease to foreigners. It may take you about a month to get a place that suits your needs and budget.

Be aware that 1 year contracts are the standard, and that most contracts penalize the tenant for moving before the end of the contract. You will probably loose some (if not all) the money you left as deposit.

I had a few more things I'd like to say, but they keep escaping out of my mind (darn amnesia!). Maybe if you ask I can try to help. Don't get discouraged by these guys, life is not bad here, or else they would have left long ago. Don't you agree?