Housing and food expenses in the Dominican Republic
- Investing in Dominican real estate
- Expenses for living and food in the Dominican Republic
- Transportation infrastructure of the Dominican Republic
- Health insurance and costs in the Dominican Republic
Housing expenses
Acquiring real estate abroad is a common desire for many people. Often, popular tourist destinations for foreigners include places like the Dominican Republic, which features locations such as Sosúa, Cabarete, Punta Cana, and Bávaro. This not only offers the opportunity to enjoy nature and relax but also provides a chance to earn additional income through renting out the property. Due to the constant influx of tourists, the return on investment can sometimes exceed 10% annually.
Real estate prices in the Dominican Republic
Real estate in the Dominican Republic is available at prices that are not inflated. For example, for an amount ranging from €30,000 to €40,000, you can buy a small apartment just a few minutes' drive from the shore. Prices start at €1,000 per square meter on the secondary market, and in new buildings, they range from €1,500 to €3,000.
Acquisition of various types of real estate
Owning a house of 100 square meters in a gated community can cost from € 100,000, and prestigious villas start at €500,000. Foreigners can easily buy various types of real estate, including plots of land, starting at €30,000 per plot with a building permit. construction.
Price dynamics
Although real estate prices in the Dominican Republic are constantly rising due to increased interest from tourists, this does not stop the flow of those wishing to invest in this market.
Rental housing
As of today, a studio near the beach in Punta Cana can be rented for €15 to €20 per day for short-term rentals. For long-term rentals, studio apartments are available from €400, while a good apartment for a family can be rented from €650 to €700.
Finding and renting accommodation
You can find housing not only through well-known online platforms like Airbnb.com, but also on specialized websites in Spanish or English, such as SuperCasas, Corotos, Rent by Owner, and LongTermLettings. It's also worth keeping an eye on information in social media and reaching out to property managers.
Rental terms and prices
Keep in mind that rental prices greatly depend on the duration of stay. For example, an annual rental can be cheaper than a monthly one. The price difference can be as much as double. In winter, prices are higher due to the peak tourist season, so it's most advantageous to visit in October-November or March-April, when rates are 20-40% lower.
Pledge
It is important to remember about the deposit. Usually, the standard deposit is equal to one month's rent and is returned upon moving out, provided the property is in good condition.
Electricity
One of the biggest expenses when renting a home is paying for electricity. Prices range from €0.2 to 0.4 per kWh, depending on the region and type of accommodation. Particularly high costs can can be associated with the use of air-conditioning.
If you have decided to move and live in the Dominican Republic, you should consider all the expenses associated with living in this country. For example, if you rent a two-bedroom apartment, you will have to pay about €40-50 per month just for electricity. If you use air conditioning, your electricity bill could reach €170-250 per month. However, you can also use a fan to cool the air in the apartment, which would be a more affordable option. Gas, internet, cleaning of the premises, and garbage collection are already included in the rent. A family of two or three will have to pay about €130-150 per month for utilities. Water for washing and personal hygiene is quite cheap, but for drinking, you will need to buy 40-liter bottles, which cost about €2 each.
Regarding food and clothing in the Dominican Republic, sometimes prices for goods can be quite high. To feed two people, you will need to spend about €340-400 per month. The largest shopping malls and grocery supermarkets are located near Punta Cana. Here are some food prices: milk - €1 per liter, fresh bread - €1 for 500 g, a dozen eggs - €1.5-2, local cheese - from €3.5 to €10 per kilogram, chicken breast - from €2.5 to €4 per kilogram, and so on. Seafood can be expensive in stores, but if you reach out to fishermen, you can find fish for as low as €1.5 per kilogram.
Prices in cafes and restaurants for tourists can be higher than for locals. A dinner for two at a restaurant can cost around €40, while lunch with a bottle of wine may range from €70 to €90. However, lunch during the day will only set you back about €9-10 per person. In cafes, the prices for individual dishes are as follows: pizza - €9-10, soup - starting from €3, seafood dishes - starting from €6. At a local fast food place or when ordering pizza for delivery, you can have lunch for €5-7.
Clothing and shopping
In the Dominican Republic, clothing plays a key role in the closet. Prices in specialty stores, including American brands, are much higher. The assortment of warm clothes here is limited. For example, a T-shirt costs from €25 to €30, a swimsuit from €15 to €20, and shorts from €35 to €40. A summer dress can be purchased for €45 to €50, and quality shoes cost around €100.
Information and transport infrastructure
For the information you are interested in regarding real estate, immigration, and investments in the Dominican Republic, you can refer to a Telegram channel that offers exclusive information.
The transportation infrastructure in the country is well developed. The roads, especially between major cities, have good quality surfaces. For traveling between towns, cheap buses are used, with a ticket for 200 km costing around €8 - €9.
Local residents often use buses as their main mode of transportation. A ticket for local transport costs between €0.1 and €0.5, depending on the distance. A monthly pass will cost between €13.8 and €15.
Car purchase and transportation services
The purchase of a mid-range car in the Dominican Republic costs between €19,000 and €21,000. The price of gasoline is slightly lower than in Europe, ranging from €0.95 to €1. However, it's important to remember that local drivers do not always follow traffic rules, and the police may issue fines to tourists.
Local taxis usually do not have meters, so it's better to agree on the price in advance. The cost of a trip within the city is typically around €4 for 10 km.
Motorcycle taxis are another mode of transportation that is cheaper but less safe due to the characteristics of road traffic. Agreeing on the price is especially important, considering the lack of necessary equipment such as helmets and rearview mirrors.
Mobile communication
In the Dominican Republic, several mobile service providers are available. Claro offers the best coverage, followed by Orange and Tricom.
Living in the Dominican Republic without health insurance is not the smartest idea, given the high cost of medical services.The minimum cost of insurance for two people will be around €300 for six months with 90% coverage, which is approximately €500. If you have insurance, visiting a doctor will be much cheaper, by 4-6 times!
Free time can be dedicated to sports activities, visiting fitness clubs (from €25 to €40 per month), or going to the cinema (from €4 to €5).It's also worth going on excursions to nearby cities, as intercity buses are quite affordable.
Thus, for living in large cities in the Dominican Republic, one should prepare for expenses of around €1,500 - 1,700 per month for two people.That's taking into account renting a place to live, cooking meals every day. at home, using public transportation, taking care of health care, paying for health insurance, and visiting to other cities in the country. In the case of a single person moving, the monthly costs would be approximately €900 - 1,000. 000.
Housing expenses
Purchase
Foreigners prefer to buy property in resorts like Sosua, Cabarete, Punta Cana, and Bavaro. Moreover, in the Dominican Republic, you can not only relax but also profitably rent out your property – thanks to the year-round tourist season, the profit can sometimes exceed 10% per year.
The real estate prices here cannot be called sky-high. If you wish, you can find a modest apartment for €30,000 - 40,000, located about a 10-minute drive from the beach. On average, the cost per square meter on the secondary market starts at €1,000, while new builds range from €1,500 to €3,000.
A house with an area of 100 square meters, located in a gated community, can be purchased from €100,000, while luxury villas start at €500,000. Foreigners can easily buy any type of property – even a plot of land, which along with a building permit will cost at least €30,000.
Although prices have been rising steadily lately due to the tourism boom.
Rental
If we're talking about short-term rentals, you can find a studio apartment near the beach, for example, in Punta Cana for around €15 - 20 per day. As for long-term rentals, studio apartments start at €400, while a good apartment for a family can be rented from €650 - 700.
Question: where to look for housing? Besides Airbnb.com and our offers, we recommend checking out the following websites (all in Spanish or English!):
- SuperHouses
- Corotos (you can also buy/sell items here, find a job, etc.)
- Rent by Owner
- LongTermLettings
It wouldn't hurt to keep an eye on information in social media groups, and if you're already vacationing in the Dominican Republic and don't really want to leave, take a stroll through residential complexes, reach out to the administrators, or check out the bulletin boards.
Keep in mind that the rates vary significantly depending on the rental period. For example, renting an apartment for a whole year can be much more attractive in price than for a month or less. The difference can be more than double! Prices will be higher in winter because it's the peak season. The best time to come here is in October-November and March-April, when rates are 20-40% lower.
And don't forget about the deposit. The standard deposit, which is returned upon move-out if everything is in order with the accommodation, is equal to the cost of one month's rent.
Utility payments
The biggest expense is electricity. There are no fixed rates: prices vary between €0.2 and €0.4 per kWh depending on the type of complex and the region. Air conditioners consume the most energy.
Living in a two-bedroom apartment and trying to save money, you will spend €40 - 50. If you use the air conditioner continuously, you will spend about €170 - 250. But in many cases, it's quite possible you can get by with a fan.
Other expenses:
- Gas: €10 – 15 per month
- Unlimited internet: from €60 per month (with good speed).
- Site cleanup, fumigation, and trash removal are already included in the rent.
- The water for washing and washing up is inexpensive, but for drinking, I have to buy large 40-liter bottles. One of those costs about €2.
The average utility bill for a two-bedroom apartment for a family of two to three people is €130 to €150 per month.
Food and clothing
Imported products in the Dominican Republic, which are the majority here, are not cheap. On average, it will cost about €340 - 400 per month for two people, considering that we don't often visit cafes and restaurants.
The largest shopping centers with grocery supermarkets are near Punta Cana: "Iberia", "San Juan", "Palma Real". There is a good supermarket "National" in Punta Cana.
- Milk (1 liter) - €1.
- Fresh bread (500g) - €1.
- Eggs (12 pcs) - €1.5 - 2.
- Local cheese (1 kg) - €3.5 - 10.
- Chicken breast (1 kg) - €2,5 - 4.
- Beef (1 kg) - €4 - 8.
- Apples (1 kg) - €1.5 - 2.5.
- Oranges (1 kg) - €1 - 2.
- Bananas (1 kg) - €0.5 - 0.9.
- Potatoes (1 kg) - €0.5 - 1.2.
- Tomatoes (1 kg) - €0.5 - 1.5.
- Onion (1 kg) - €1 - 2.
- Rice (1 kg) - €1.
- Beer (0,5 liters) - €1,2 - 3.
- A bottle of wine - from €5.
Seafood in local stores is expensive, although you can find fish for €1.5 per kilogram. It's better to buy directly from the fishermen.
Cafes and restaurants
As in many other tourist countries, prices for "locals" and tourists differ significantly – the difference can be 3 to 4 times! So don't be surprised when you pay €40 for a not-so-fancy dinner for two at a restaurant. Although more often, a lunch with a bottle of wine will cost you €70 to €90. However, if you're willing to go during lunch hours, you can have a meal for quite cheap – around €9 to €10 per person.
If we talk about specific dishes, pizza in cafes typically costs around €9 to €10, soup starts at €3, and seafood dishes start at €6. For beer in a cafe, you can expect to pay about €2.
Coffee costs €0.7 to €1.5 depending on where you buy it. The cheapest option is from street vendors. However, the quality of the drinks here is on par with those sold in cafes.
If you want to save money, check out a local fast food place or order a large pizza to go. Either way. a hearty lunch will cost you around €5 to €7. By the way, there are plenty of local eateries out there with local food: if you're not picky, you'll pay €4 - 5 for a bite to eat here.
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