Umm... you haven't travelled very much outside of the US have you?
Americans /foreigners are constantly charged more. I've been to China, Thailand, Mali, Senegal, Mexico, and Argentina, India, Nepal...blah, blah, blah.
In China, there is or was when I was there, a different currency for foreigners altogether. So, it's not just the DR. It's countries that are poor.
Most poor countries you negociate for things. So... we always get ripped off because we don't know what the standard
THERE is. It's how business is done.
Do I like it.Nope but that's how it is.
If you don't like it go to Europe, Canada, Japan, The Virgin Islands,
PR or Florida. They have set prices.