General Info

[QUOTE=Manizales911]Fellow mongers,

I am looking for help with determining my cost of living part time in the DR, POP to be specific. I now visit almost monthly for a week at a time but due to certain changes in my life I will be spending more time in the DR than in Colombia over the next year or so therefore I will be renting an apartment in POP on my next visit in a few weeks. I will spend about a third of my time in POP and the rest in the USA

I know asking what the cost of anything is can be very subjective and prices vary but any thoughts are welcome. I have asked some of the locals during my visits and have an idea but the more answers I get the more informed I will be.

Apartments, two bedroom, nothing fancy in one of the "local" barrios, not in the worst area and not a complete shithole but not a gringo palace either. I have lived amongst the locals both in Colombia and the DR, so I know what to expect.

Electricity for above apartment

Cable service

Internet service

Weekly food costs: yeah I know this one is an unfair question due to many variables but I thought I would throw it out there. I am used to eating the local cooking but don't know what to expect on cost.

Can someone point me to where I should go to look for furniture, appliances and general household furnishings as I have nothing there at the moment.

Any helpful comments are welcome,

Thanks[/QUOTE]

I have an apartment in Santo Domingo in a decent area but with the locals.

2 bedrooms, kitchen, dining room, bathroom, very big balcony, back patio 7,500.

150 for permanent water

~1,000 for electricity (I have air conditioning)
1,400 deposit for edesur

~1,300 for internet and phone (no cable as I do not watch too much TV)
Claro

~500 every 6 months for propane

It cost me 16,000 for air in one of the bedrooms with installation.

22,000 for an inversor, can't run air or refrigerator on it but the rest of the house runs fine.

30,000 for a refrigerator, stove and gas tank.

40,000 for living room furniture and a cheap dining room set from Ikea.

40,000 for a bed and bedroom furniture.

Food is fairly cheap, plaza lama has good price as does jumbo (don't know what is in your area).

I don't know if I left anything out. I bought new locks and installed myself, ceiling fans, floor fans, washing machine.

My girl stays with me when I'm their like every two weeks, cooks and cleans, etc.

Over all much cheaper than a hotel for the time that I stay there, I have a lot of clothes it's very comfortable and safe.

I have photos that I'll post later.

I have an Continental Airline President's club pass good until February 29th,2011.

I am flying November 29th with American Airlines laying over in Miami on November 29th.

PM me if you have one to trade.

[QUOTE=Love Bite]I am going to DR first time and like to know which city will be the best option for fun and all nighters.

1. Puerto plata

2. Punto cana

3. Sousa

4. S domingo

Or any recomendation. Usually how much is for all nighter in dollars. Thanks[/QUOTE]Your question is to general and is left to interpretation. But, I would say in order of chica fun in close concentration I would order it like this:
1. Sosua

2. Santo Domingo

3. Puerto Plata

4. Punta Cana

Read the sections to get a better perspective. Note if you are in Sosua, you very close to Puerto Plata. Punta Cana mainly for couples not really for mongering.

[QUOTE=Cagep1967]I have an apartment in Santo Domingo in a decent area but with the locals.

2 bedrooms, kitchen, dining room, bathroom, very big balcony, back patio 7,500.

150 for permanent water

~1,000 for electricity (I have air conditioning)
1,400 deposit for edesur

~1,300 for internet and phone (no cable as I do not watch too much TV)
Claro

~500 every 6 months for propane

It cost me 16,000 for air in one of the bedrooms with installation.

22,000 for an inversor, can't run air or refrigerator on it but the rest of the house runs fine.

30,000 for a refrigerator, stove and gas tank.

40,000 for living room furniture and a cheap dining room set from Ikea.

40,000 for a bed and bedroom furniture.

Food is fairly cheap, plaza lama has good price as does jumbo (don't know what is in your area).

I don't know if I left anything out. I bought new locks and installed myself, ceiling fans, floor fans, washing machine.

My girl stays with me when I'm their like every two weeks, cooks and cleans, etc.

Over all much cheaper than a hotel for the time that I stay there, I have a lot of clothes it's very comfortable and safe.

I have photos that I'll post later.[/QUOTE]Thanks CageP1967.

This is exactly what I was looking for. I would love to see pics of your place to use as a comparison to what I see when I look for places next week.

[QUOTE=Manizales911]Thanks CageP1967.

This is exactly what I was looking for. I would love to see pics of your place to use as a comparison to what I see when I look for places next week.[/QUOTE]
I would also be interested in seeing pics of CageP's apartment and the surrounding area.

CageP your rent is only $RD 7,500 per month? I honestly didn't think you could find any decent two bedroom in Santo Domingo Centro for less than $600 USD a month. The prices you paid for frig and stove were they new or used appliances. Where did they install the batteries for your inversor? Inside or outside?

[QUOTE=Cagep1967]I have an apartment in Santo Domingo in a decent area but with the locals.

2 bedrooms, kitchen, dining room, bathroom, very big balcony, back patio 7,500.

150 for permanent water

~1,000 for electricity (I have air conditioning)
1,400 deposit for edesur

~1,300 for internet and phone (no cable as I do not watch too much TV)
Claro

~500 every 6 months for propane

It cost me 16,000 for air in one of the bedrooms with installation.

22,000 for an inversor, can't run air or refrigerator on it but the rest of the house runs fine.

30,000 for a refrigerator, stove and gas tank.

40,000 for living room furniture and a cheap dining room set from Ikea.

40,000 for a bed and bedroom furniture.

Food is fairly cheap, plaza lama has good price as does jumbo (don't know what is in your area).

I don't know if I left anything out. I bought new locks and installed myself, ceiling fans, floor fans, washing machine.

My girl stays with me when I'm their like every two weeks, cooks and cleans, etc.

Over all much cheaper than a hotel for the time that I stay there, I have a lot of clothes it's very comfortable and safe.

I have photos that I'll post later.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Bq Ribs]I would also be interested in seeing pics of CageP's apartment and the surrounding area.

CageP your rent is only $Road 7, 500 per month? I honestly didn't think you could find any decent two bedroom in Santo Domingo Centro for less than $600 USD a month. The prices you paid for frig and stove were they new or used appliances. Where did they install the batteries for your inversor? Inside or outside?[/QUOTE]Inversor batteries look like car batteries, I have always seen them installed inside the house, I guess to keep them from getting stolen.

Do a search here [url]http://www.supercasas.com/reg/do/home.aspx[/url] and one can find unfurnished apartments in the northern and the eastern parts.
Is there a link or info about all the barrios?

With the ex, I had a casita in Cerro Norte, just north of Los Alcarrizos, off the autopista. Upper floor of duplex with 3 bedrooms, two baths, kitchen with pass thru to dining area/living room, big balcony and a little room on the roof where I put the washing machine. No a/c. Was there about four months and for Xmas, we went to Sosua for about ten days. When we returned, the washing machine was gone from the roof and I had placed the four inversor batteries outside under the back stairs to the roof in an iron box welded to the stairs, they were all gone too. 7500P a month.

[QUOTE=Jaosousa]Inversor batteries look like car batteries, I have always seen them installed inside the house, I guess to keep them from getting stolen.[/QUOTE]

My apartment has an enclosed balcony that is gated. I had the electrician install the batteries on the outside by drilling a hole in the wall and running the cables through the hole.

Here are some fotos of my apt. I don't have all of the rooms because some are fotos with people in them and I did not want to post those.

In this shot notice the ceiling light, I changed that to a ceiling fan and through the door is one of the 2 bedrooms and the 1 bathroom. In back of one of the bedrooms is a door to a back washing area that can easily hold a patio set or something.

[QUOTE=Bq Ribs]I would also be interested in seeing pics of CageP's apartment and the surrounding area.

CageP your rent is only $RD 7,500 per month? I honestly didn't think you could find any decent two bedroom in Santo Domingo Centro for less than $600 USD a month. The prices you paid for frig and stove were they new or used appliances. Where did they install the batteries for your inversor? Inside or outside?[/QUOTE]

I bought all new. I love to haggle with the locals. I just bought a mahogany table (respise) with a large wall mirror and I got the guy down to 5,250 for the table. It's very nice, hand made. An Item like that in the states might go for $500 or more.

[QUOTE=Cagep1967]My apartment has an enclosed balcony that is gated. I had the electrician install the batteries on the outside by drilling a hole in the wall and running the cables through the hole.[/QUOTE]Nice.

Are the batteries off the floor and enclosed in some type of casing to keep them from getting wet from the rain?

I hope you have thick metal bars on the outside of the balcony. Small thin metal bars will not stop thieves.

[QUOTE=Jaosousa]Nice.

Are the batteries off the floor and enclosed in some type of casing to keep them from getting wet from the rain?

I hope you have thick metal bars on the outside of the balcony. Small thin metal bars will not stop thieves.[/QUOTE]The guy who installed it had a little metal shelf that he put them on. They are about 2 feet off the floor.

The metal bars are actually welded concrete rebar, very secure. Also, we have a colmado downstairs and a landlord that is always home. Also to get into the staircase you have to unlock the downstairs gate and walk upstairs and open the upstairs gate.

Very secure.

Excellent report. I loved to see a lot more about your apartment, pictures of the area, details about the neighbors and living there.

I'm sure you could rent this project out at $300 a week to mongers interested in learning.