Every time I focus on the place, I’m struck again by just how affordable a better-than-comfortable life here can be.
Indeed, it’s possible to live a truly luxury-standard lifestyle in the Dominican Republic. Not everywhere. Some parts of this country are remote, offering a kind of back-to-basics experience.
But living some places… including some neighborhoods in the country’ s capital city Santo Domingo, for example… you could indulge in a truly luxury-standard lifestyle even if your budget is nowhere near five star.
For example, you could own…
- A three-bedroom, four-bath luxury penthouse built over two floors and featuring a rooftop terrace for US$200,000…
- A four-bedroom villa with a private pool for US$265,000…
- An ecological villa with solar power and rainwater collection system. Within a few minutes’ walk of the beach, this three-bedroom villa comes with its own pool and a price tag of US$349,000.
These are all recent listings. And, yes, you could own for less… even as little as US$97,000…
All things considered, what would it cost, specifically, to live full-time in this country?
Here’s a sample monthly budget for a couple living on the Samaná Peninsula:
| Rent | US$600 | Unfurnished, mid-range, one-bedroom apartment |
| Gas | N/A | Included with electricity |
| Electricity | US$145 | |
| Water | N/A | Included with electricity |
| Landline telephone | N/A | Included with cable |
| Internet | N/A | Included with cable |
| Cable TV | US$90 | |
| Basic groceries | US$275 | Basic items for a couple |
| Entertainment | US$245 | Eating out twice a week (for two), local drinks twice a week (for two), movie theater trip twice a month (for two) |
| TOTAL | US$1,355 |
Helping drive down the cost to the retiree in the Dominican Republic is the government’s effort to reform its energy sector from a heavy reliance (90%) on fossil fuels by capitalizing on its abundance of renewable energy sources.
The government’s goal is to derive 25% of its energy from renewable sources. To this end, generous tax incentives are offered to those who invest in sustainable energy developments and projects. This explains the number of eco-style villas you see on the market—particularly around the Samaná Peninsula.
Kathleen Peddicord
This article was originally published in 2017 and has been recently updated.
