Average Cost of Extended Vacation

So here it is

I'm facing almost certain layoff from my job and have been thinking about taking a break from the rat race for awhile.
I've been pondering spending 3 months or so in Sosua, Caberete or maybe even Santiago to recharge and clear my head before starting another job.

What would you say is the average monthly cost of living including food, phone transport...etc. I'd be looking for a safe, furnished 1 bedroom apartment. AC, Cable with english speaking channels and Wi-FI is a must. My main focus would be relaxing and working out. I'm single and in my late 30's and don't necessarily need to party or take out passions chicas every night. I'd want to be comfortable but don't need to ball out every day either. What are some of the pitfall's and unforeseen expenses I should plan for.

I'd appreciate any info the expats or extended vacationers can offer.

Thanks and wish me luck

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Originally Posted by BadJokes

So here it is

I'm facing almost certain layoff from my job and have been thinking about taking a break from the rat race for awhile.
I've been pondering spending 3 months or so in Sosua, Caberete or maybe even Santiago to recharge and clear my head before starting another job.

What would you say is the average monthly cost of living including food, phone transport...etc. I'd be looking for a safe, furnished 1 bedroom apartment. AC, Cable with english speaking channels and Wi-FI is a must. My main focus would be relaxing and working out. I'm single and in my late 30's and don't necessarily need to party or take out passions chicas every night. I'd want to be comfortable but don't need to ball out every day either. What are some of the pitfall's and unforeseen expenses I should plan for.

I'd appreciate any info the expats or extended vacationers can offer.

Thanks and wish me luck

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I'm not an extended vacationer, but I would advise staying out of Sosua, hard to resist the lure of the party, when that shit is right outside your front door.

around $1,500US to $2,000US would cover you....$2,500+/month would be living Grand...$1,000/month be like a budget traveler
mi spent paradise on another island this winter and it cost mi around $1,250/month....and the cost aren't much different than the DR
the food, booze, beer and of course the gurls were my biggest expense......transportation and living accommodations were in line......
if you don't drink.......you'll save a lot of dollars.....if you walk a lot versus motos and taxis......you save a lot of dollars
you'll need a kitchen to cook.........but buying food is more expensive than in North America......gurls luv to come over and cook for you.....
mi apt with water and electric was $250 month...cable TV was $25 a month...got wifi free from next door....cellie $20 month

Very difficult to answer that question because of so many variables. An apartment can range from a $325 a month place in Sosua to a $1000 per month place in Cabarete. Furnished places are harder to find in Santiago. Only you can know what kind of place you would be comfortable living in. The cost of just about everything (food, transportation ect) would be cheaper in Santiago than on the north coast. I never spend more than $2000 per month. On the other hand I know people that live here that couldn't imagine doing it on less than $4000+ per month.

It all depends on your needs and expectations.

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Originally Posted by eastcoastallstar

I'm not an extended vacationer, but I would advise staying out of Sosua, hard to resist the lure of the party, when that shit is right outside your front door.

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I was looking at Sosua primarily because the large expat community and my espanol being minimal at best. One would think that hitting the strip every night would get old fast. But i feel what you're saying about the temptation.

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Originally Posted by eastcoastallstar

I'm not an extended vacationer, but I would advise staying out of Sosua, hard to resist the lure of the party, when that shit is right outside your front door.

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eastcoast has a very valid point. If you can't separate living her for 3 months from vactioning here it is going to be difficult regardless of where you live....depending on your budget.

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Originally Posted by BadJokes

I was looking at Sosua primarily because the large expat community and my espanol being minimal at best. One would think that hitting the strip every night would get old fast. But i feel what you're saying about the temptation.

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If your Spanish is "minimal at best" you can rule out Santiago.

It does for some and it doesn't for others. I rarely go out more than twice a week and a lot of weeks I only go out one night.

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Originally Posted by Robert13212

Very difficult to answer that question because of so many variables. An apartment can range from a $325 a month place in Sosua to a $1000 per month place in Cabarete. Furnished places are harder to find in Santiago. Only you can know what kind of place you would be comfortable living in. The cost of just about everything (food, transportation ect) would be cheaper in Santiago than on the north coast. I never spend more than $2000 per month. On the other hand I know people that live here that couldn't imagine doing it on less than $4000+ per month.

It all depends on your needs and expectations.

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So taking rent out of the equation, what would some the other cost be such as...cable....internet.. electric...cell phone...transportation? I'm cool on a beans, rice and vgi diet and don't anticipate eating at hi price restaurants every day.

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Originally Posted by Robert13212

eastcoast has a very valid point. If you can't separate living her for 3 months from vactioning here it is going to be difficult regardless of where you live....depending on your budget.

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true....it's a rarity to go and blow a $100US in one night or day....mi was averaging around $30-$40 a day....quite different than vacationing
mi actually crunching numbers right now for the J island for the summer.....mi will be der for June....and like to be der for July....and August...lol

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Originally Posted by BadJokes

So taking rent out of the equation, what would some the other cost be such as...cable....internet.. electric...cell phone...transportation? I'm cool on a beans, rice and vgi diet and don't anticipate eating at hi price restaurants every day.

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Cable 800 - 1000 pesos per month. Internet depends on if your apartment complex provides it or not. Mine provides it at 500 pesos per month but it would never be confused with high-speed internet. It works pretty good for surfing the net, email ect but you couldn't stream video with it. Electric: using A/C, would probably add 4000 pesos or more to your electric bill. I have A/C in my bedroom but have never turned it on. My electric runs around 900 pesos per month. Cell phone: 800 pesos per month. Transportation: Depends. Renting a car will be very expensive. Might be better off buying a used moto (if you can find a decent one) for around $500 and selling it before you leave. Or, if in Sosua, you can always walk.

I can always provide you with the "cheap, broke-ass expats guide to eating inexpensively":lol:

Did two months in Santiago and spent about 3k total. And that included Spanish classes. Furnished apartments aren't as difficult to find in Santiago as they used to be. Try sites like Flipkey, or Airbnb.

But most of this is irrelevant in your case since you don't speak Spanish. Though you might want to consider taking an immersion course while you're there. 3 months is definitely enough time to get a very firm grasp of the basics. And it will definitely open up more opportunities for you. Mongering and otherwise. That's how I learned Santiago. I'd never set foot there before I took that immersion course. Now it feels like a second home.

I'd imagine you could do the same thing in Santo Domingo. Couldn't spend three months in Sosua personally. But that's me.

You might want to consider Puerto Plata as a compromise. Bigger town than Sosua, more facilities, and a bit cheaper. Better place to find a non-working girlfriend (or two) especially if you are here for three months. But only a US$1 ride away from Sosua anytime you want to party with friends.

Main problem would be finding a furnished apartment. They do exist but might take some looking around.

I would reckon on US$2000 per month including rent. You could live comfortably on that but not live large.

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Originally Posted by weyland

You might want to consider Puerto Plata as a compromise. Bigger town than Sosua, more facilities, and a bit cheaper. Better place to find a non-working girlfriend (or two) especially if you are here for three months. But only a US$1 ride away from Sosua anytime you want to party with friends.

Main problem would be finding a furnished apartment. They do exist but might take some looking around.

I would reckon on US$2000 per month including rent. You could live comfortably on that but not live large.

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In Santo Domingo, I had a small studio apartment for $US100 per week on a short term basis (5 weeks in May/June and then returned for two more in October) including cleaning, power, reliable water, internet, television, two burner cooker and small fridge. No A\C, but did have fans. Nice balcony overloading El Conde to watch the chica parades. Right on El Conde about 100 metres from Pacos. Food costs were small -- I bought stuff at the local supermercado, some meals out but not at touristy places. ... chicas and booze of course are self-paced costs....

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Originally Posted by commander kirk

In Santo Domingo, I had a small studio apartment for $US100 per week on a short term basis (5 weeks in May/June and then returned for two more in October) including cleaning, power, reliable water, internet, television, two burner cooker and small fridge. No A\C, but did have fans. Nice balcony overloading El Conde to watch the chica parades. Right on El Conde about 100 metres from Pacos. Food costs were small -- I bought stuff at the local supermercado, some meals out but not at touristy places. ... chicas and booze of course are self-paced costs....

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How much do you think you spent (total) in a month?

I think a good baseline estimate for Sosua is $1500 monthly for everything other than pussy. The latter can get expensive depending upon you libido. Even getting the best rates, two a day sessions could add up to $1500 a month. Don't expect your desire to deminish because you're fucking lot. If you are reasonably physically fit you'll be ready to go each and every day. What fuels this is your close proximity daily to young women releasing sex phermones. Its dificult not to be horny when you're immersed in that chemical bath day in and day out.

Word of advice, stay out of the casino.

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Originally Posted by commander kirk

In Santo Domingo, I had a small studio apartment for $US100 per week on a short term basis (5 weeks in May/June and then returned for two more in October) including cleaning, power, reliable water, internet, television, two burner cooker and small fridge. No A\C, but did have fans. Nice balcony overloading El Conde to watch the chica parades. Right on El Conde about 100 metres from Pacos. Food costs were small -- I bought stuff at the local supermercado, some meals out but not at touristy places. ... chicas and booze of course are self-paced costs....

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$100 a week is over 16K pesos a month. A little steep, but not too bad for the Colonial City, especially with everything included.

If you're doing internet searches, avoid any place that advertises in dollars. Also look how long the ad has been published.

A lot of folks have the misconception that a Studio will be cheaper than a 2 or 3 bedroom house/apartment. That's not the case.

If you see a place for $750 dollars a month, and it's been on line for 3 months, that's telling you something. Good places go fast.

If you're not really particular on how fast your internet is, you can get service from Claro or Orange for less than $25 dollars a month. It's what I do when I'm on vacation, and I mostly just use it to check emails, sports scores, and news. It takes a year to load any sort of video, but I've found for some odd reason putlocker movies run better than they do stateside. As far as cable with English channels, I have SKY cable, and for about $45 dollars a month I get a ton of American channels, mixed in with local channels, and great movie channels like Cinemax, and HBO, and a couple of others, and it comes with a great sports package, ESPN, NFL Network, and a couple of others. As far as everything else I'd assume that's up to you depending on what type of apartment you'd want, cost of food, and drinks, and last but not least the girls. I've done 2 months in Santo Domingo with as little as $600 dollars (excluding housing.) My budget never allows me to exceed $500 dollars monthly, and I've found that to be enough for me, although my case is extremely different from most others, but I agree with others with about $1,500 a month and anything north of there you can have your basic needs covered, as well as a couple of the carnal ones.

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Originally Posted by DCIronman

Did two months in Santiago and spent about 3k total. And that included Spanish classes. Furnished apartments aren't as difficult to find in Santiago as they used to be. Try sites like Flipkey, or Airbnb.

But most of this is irrelevant in your case since you don't speak Spanish. Though you might want to consider taking an immersion course while you're there. 3 months is definitely enough time to get a very firm grasp of the basics. And it will definitely open up more opportunities for you. Mongering and otherwise. That's how I learned Santiago. I'd never set foot there before I took that immersion course. Now it feels like a second home.

I'd imagine you could do the same thing in Santo Domingo. Couldn't spend three months in Sosua personally. But that's me.

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If you don't mind...could share some of what you liked/ disliked about living in Santiago. What would you do differently if you had to do all over?
Lastly, Santiago is a pretty good size city, In what areas would you suggest looking for housing for around $5-$600 a month.

Thanks everyone for all the good feeback and info. Please keep it comin.

I would suggest renting an apartment on the North coast for the 1st month. take a bus to santiago one weekend and check it out. I live in santiago and it is very hard to find an apartment for short term that is furnished.

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Originally Posted by jcrew2020

I would suggest renting an apartment on the North coast for the 1st month. take a bus to santiago one weekend and check it out. I live in santiago and it is very hard to find an apartment for short term that is furnished.

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That goes for the entire country. The ones you do find, are not exactly cheap.

Finding a nice furnished apartment (or even an unfinished one) that won't bust the bank is a major challenge in this country.

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Originally Posted by MrHappy

That goes for the entire country. The ones you do find, are not exactly cheap.

Finding a nice furnished apartment (or even an unfinished one) that won't bust the bank is a major challenge in this country.

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Doesn't this contradict what Shogun wrote on his thread saying about monthly salaries?

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Originally Posted by eastcoastallstar

Doesn't this contradict what Shogun wrote on his thread saying about monthly salaries?

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I think it would be safe to say that very few Dominicans are looking for furnished apartments.

Most of them already have furniture, and can't afford furnished rentals anyway.

Added: I met a girl a couple of weeks ago that lives in add-on to a house. Basically just 4 walls and a tin roof. I couldn't believe when I stepped inside. She has a 50" flat screen on the wall, a double door stainless steel Frigidaire with an icemaker, and a stainless steel industrial 6 burner stove, and matching stainless steel appliances.

Any one of those items cost more than her "apartment" is worth.

Even poor Dominicans want to have high end appliances.

As said, If your spanish isnt up then Santiago would be a far reach. As for sosua and surrounding areas it depends what you are looking for. Do you require security, 24 hour electric, cable and internet? These are all things you have to consider as "Must Haves" in order to decide what suits you. I currently live amongst the locals and pay damn near nothing in rent. There are many options out there. Also POP is not a bad place to start because as said, Sosua can become expensive when the price of pussy goes up! :wink:

I would suggest PM'ing don quixiote. He has several units, furnished at a place called Tradewinds in Sosua. Very nice, quiet, internet, cable, great pool, walking distance to town but not on the strip where you have to hear all the noise. You wouldn't need a vehicle.
Ask him what he can do for you.

I would also try it without the AC. Save money on the elect.

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Originally Posted by eldorob

I would suggest PM'ing don quixiote. He has several units, furnished at a place called Tradewinds in Sosua. Very nice, quiet, internet, cable, great pool, walking distance to town but not on the strip where you have to hear all the noise. You wouldn't need a vehicle.
Ask him what he can do for you.

I would also try it without the AC. Save money on the elect.

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Excellent suggestion. I don't know why I didn't think of it, but I'm glad you did!

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Originally Posted by eldorob

I would suggest PM'ing don quixiote. He has several units, furnished at a place called Tradewinds in Sosua. Very nice, quiet, internet, cable, great pool, walking distance to town but not on the strip where you have to hear all the noise. You wouldn't need a vehicle.
Ask him what he can do for you.

I would also try it without the AC. Save money on the elect.

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I believe it's actually the Palms, no? Tradewinds is right across the street though.

Hit the Sosua Vacation Rentals banner and it'll take you right there.

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Originally Posted by Irie

I believe it's actually the Palms, no? Tradewinds is right across the street though.

Hit the Sosua Vacation Rentals banner and it'll take you right there.

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oops, Thanks. A mind is a terrible waste.

It's possible to get an inexpensive apartment in Puerto Plata (I have an apartment I pay $285.00/month for, including utilities) but you really need to be around for a bit and either know someone, or know someone who knows someone.

I'd check the small hotels in wherever you want to be. See what kind of monthly rate you can get. You can bargain them lower this time of year. Far less hassles than an apartment.