Recent History of DR exchange and prices
When I first went to the DR in early 2002 it was in the wake of 9-11 and the economy had taken a sudden shock from the lack of tourism. The Peso was at 16 to the dollar. Over the previous decade it had gradually slid from 10 to the dollar to 16.
The traditional prices for chicas for extranjeros which had been stable for a long time were 500 ST and 1000 TLN. There was somewhat less negotiating and variation in price because it had been stable. A top chica demanded more a more desperate chica went for less.
In 2004 in the last years of Hippo rates ballooned to 50 pesos to the dollar and briefly there were great deals on beer and pussy before Leonel got things under control and things settled down again.
Current exchange is about 2x what it was in 2002 or 32 peso to the dollar. Chicas are approximately double too about 1000 ST and 2000 TLN. Presidente's and many other things are higher in dollar terms relative to the price in 2002 - for reasons specific to each product or service.
The real bargain in 2002 was in real estate. There were lots of condo owners begging to sell at fire sale prices. You could get a beach front 2BR condo in Costambar for $15,000 or less. Many condos in Sosua and Caberete went for less than 30,000. These condos are now priced at 80K to 100K and more.
So dollar prices for chicas are about what they were traditionally but the market is more variable. In the future as in the past the prices will be set by supply and demand not by percieved fairness or cost of living though those factors may produce increased turbulence and harder bargaining.
One factor putting upward pressure on chica prices in dollars is the slide of the dollar against the euro. Lot's of eurozone guys have always been in the market in the DR. They always complained that the Americans screwed up the prices by overspending. Their argument was that europeans tend to vacation for several weeks to a month at a time but Americans would pop in for a few days to a week. Americans with their short holidays didn't care as much about getting good value so they spoiled the market.
Now Americans complain that Europeans, who now get 50 plus pesos per euro - when a couple years ago they were near parity, are spending like drunken sailors and spoiling the chicas.
While these spoiling effects can and do occur for a time in local markets (eg Sosua) the whole DR has a lot of "elasticity of supply". The word gets out fast to 10's of thousands of potential P4P chicas that there's more money than ever to be made and they flood the local market and drive prices back down.
History of Exchange and Prices
Ahhhhhhhhh, the economics of P4P
Bus from Santiago to Sousua
Does anyone have any info on if there is a bus from Santiago to Soussua? Or how much it would cost by bus or Taxi?
Any info would be greatly appreciated
Thanks,