Live and Invest Overseas
7 Cheapest Places To live In The Caribbean
FREE REPORT: THE CHEAPEST PLACES TO LIVE IN THE CARIBBEAN
We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.
  • Home
  • Countries

    Top Destinations:

    Whether you’re looking for fun and sun, a peaceful retirement, or the chance to earn some extra income, you’ve got a real world of opportunity open to you… In short, we’ve done our best to narrow down your best options, but only you can decide the right country for you.

    • Spain
    • Portugal
    • Panama
    • Belize
    • Colombia
    • Cyprus
    • Mexico
    • France
    • Montenegro
    • Browse All Countries

    Best For:

    • The Best Places To Retire
    • Health Care Abroad
    • Cost Of Living
    • Investing in Real Estate
    • Establishing Residency
    • Gun Laws In The World
    • English-Speaking Countries
    • Safest Places For Retirement
    • Best Places In Latin America
  • Budgets

    How Much Will It Cost You To Live Overseas?

    The only honest answer is, we have no idea. And neither does anyone else. The only one who can answer that question is you. Here’s the most important thing to understand about budgeting your new life overseas…

    Super Cheap

    • Chitré, Panama
    • Santa Marta, Colombia
    • Phuket, Thailand
    • Dumaguete, The Philippines

    Cheap

    • Medellin, Colombia
    • Boquete, Panama
    • Kyrenia, Cyprus
    • Hua Hin, Thailand
    • The Algarve, Portugal

    Affordable

    • Valencia, Spain
    • Cascais, Portugal
    • Las Terrenas, The DR
    • Pisa, Italy
    • La Rochelle, France
    • Mazatlán, Mexico

    Luxury

    • Ambergris Caye, Belize
    • Kotor, Montenegro
    • The Panama City Beaches
    • Paris, France
  • Resources

    Global Living

    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore & Diversification

    Making Money

    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing

    Follow Us:

    • Meet Our Experts
  • Real Estate

    Buying Real Estate For Cashflow

    • Discover tips and strategies used by global property investing veterans

    Explore Our Latest Posts

    • Learn how to invest and purchase property abroad…

    Go To The Overseas Property Alert Site

    • How To Become Independently Wealthy And Fund The Lifestyle Of Your Dreams
  • Conferences

    Upcoming Events

    • Explore Our Events Site

    Live and Invest In Spain Conference

    Offshore Wealth Summit

    Greece Workshop

    VALENCIA, SPAIN

    Sep. 17-19, 2025

    PANAMA CITY, PANAMA

    Oct. 15-17, 2025

    VIRTUAL

    Nov. 13, 2025

    Learn More About This Event
    Learn More About This Event
    PRE-REGISTER
    Learn More About This Event
    PRE-REGISTER
    • MORE EVENTS

    Contact Our Events Team

    Toll-Free U.S. and Canada:
    1 (888) 627 8834
    From Outside North America:
    1 (443) 599 1221
    Working Hours
    Monday – Friday 08:00 am – 17:00 pm EST.

    Reach us with your questions by email at: events@liveandinvestoverseas.com

  • Store

    Unlock The World

    • Access Your Library

    Overseas Havens Reports

    • Expats' comprehensive destination guides

    Conference Kits

    • Hours of coverage  from our latests conferences

    Lahardan Books

    • Titles on living and investing around the world
    • Explore Our Store
    Your passport to a life well-lived abroad

    Services

    overseas living letter offers affordable retirement guidance
    The Simon Letter Wealth Protection Insights
    Global Property Advisor Global Investment Opportunities

    Our Customer Service team is here to assist with any questions or concerns CustomerService@LiveandInvestOverseas.com

  • My Library
Live and Invest Overseas
  • Home
  • Countries

    Top Destinations:

    Whether you’re looking for fun and sun, a peaceful retirement, or the chance to earn some extra income, you’ve got a real world of opportunity open to you… In short, we’ve done our best to narrow down your best options, but only you can decide the right country for you.

    • Spain
    • Portugal
    • Panama
    • Belize
    • Colombia
    • Cyprus
    • Mexico
    • France
    • Montenegro
    • Browse All Countries

    Best For:

    • The Best Places To Retire
    • Health Care Abroad
    • Cost Of Living
    • Investing in Real Estate
    • Establishing Residency
    • Gun Laws In The World
    • English-Speaking Countries
    • Safest Places For Retirement
    • Best Places In Latin America
  • Budgets

    How Much Will It Cost You To Live Overseas?

    The only honest answer is, we have no idea. And neither does anyone else. The only one who can answer that question is you. Here’s the most important thing to understand about budgeting your new life overseas…

    Super Cheap

    • Chitré, Panama
    • Santa Marta, Colombia
    • Phuket, Thailand
    • Dumaguete, The Philippines

    Cheap

    • Medellin, Colombia
    • Boquete, Panama
    • Kyrenia, Cyprus
    • Hua Hin, Thailand
    • The Algarve, Portugal

    Affordable

    • Valencia, Spain
    • Cascais, Portugal
    • Las Terrenas, The DR
    • Pisa, Italy
    • La Rochelle, France
    • Mazatlán, Mexico

    Luxury

    • Ambergris Caye, Belize
    • Kotor, Montenegro
    • The Panama City Beaches
    • Paris, France
  • Resources

    Global Living

    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore & Diversification

    Making Money

    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing

    Follow Us:

    • Meet Our Experts
  • Real Estate

    Buying Real Estate For Cashflow

    • Discover tips and strategies used by global property investing veterans

    Explore Our Latest Posts

    • Learn how to invest and purchase property abroad…

    Go To The Overseas Property Alert Site

    • How To Become Independently Wealthy And Fund The Lifestyle Of Your Dreams
  • Conferences

    Upcoming Events

    • Explore Our Events Site

    Live and Invest In Spain Conference

    Offshore Wealth Summit

    Greece Workshop

    VALENCIA, SPAIN

    Sep. 17-19, 2025

    PANAMA CITY, PANAMA

    Oct. 15-17, 2025

    VIRTUAL

    Nov. 13, 2025

    Learn More About This Event
    Learn More About This Event
    PRE-REGISTER
    Learn More About This Event
    PRE-REGISTER
    • MORE EVENTS

    Contact Our Events Team

    Toll-Free U.S. and Canada:
    1 (888) 627 8834
    From Outside North America:
    1 (443) 599 1221
    Working Hours
    Monday – Friday 08:00 am – 17:00 pm EST.

    Reach us with your questions by email at: events@liveandinvestoverseas.com

  • Store

    Unlock The World

    • Access Your Library

    Overseas Havens Reports

    • Expats' comprehensive destination guides

    Conference Kits

    • Hours of coverage  from our latests conferences

    Lahardan Books

    • Titles on living and investing around the world
    • Explore Our Store
    Your passport to a life well-lived abroad

    Services

    overseas living letter offers affordable retirement guidance
    The Simon Letter Wealth Protection Insights
    Global Property Advisor Global Investment Opportunities

    Our Customer Service team is here to assist with any questions or concerns CustomerService@LiveandInvestOverseas.com

  • My Library
Live and Invest Overseas
 Free Caribbean Guide
7 CHEAPEST PLACES IN THE CARIBBEAN
SUPRISINGLY AFFORDABLE CARIBBEAN DESTINATIONS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
Simply sign up to receive the FREE daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter plus our In Focus: Caribbean newsletter and we’ll immediately email you our editors’ latest research report… absolutely FREE
[contact-form-7 id="018d56a" title="lios-header-toggle-caribbean" html_id="lios-header-toggle-caribbean" ]

We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.

Home Countries Dominican Republic

12 Reasons Why We Chose To Move To The Dominican Republic

12 Reasons We Love This Sugar-Sand Escape

by Kathleen Peddicord
Jun 30, 2022
in Dominican Republic, Retirement/Living
0 0

“I’ve had enough of your Caribbean vacations for this year!”

This is the response Bill Piatt got from his wife Anne when he proposed a trip to the Dominican Republic one cold February day in Virginia.

At that point, the couple had just returned from four weeks on another Caribbean island. They’d originally booked for five weeks but couldn’t bring themselves to stay a minute longer. Not when a new cruise ship pulled up every day, releasing thousands of tourists to swarm the shores and fill the restaurants and shops.

Anne was just happy to be home. But Bill felt shortchanged. He found a Delta voucher that was about to expire and looked at where it might take him…

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, it was. Alone.

When Bill shared his story with us, he explained how, for many years before this random trip to the DR, the couple had been searching for their dream location overseas.

Over the course of 10 years, they’d been to parts of Nicaragua, Ecuador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Belize, and Spain—spending a month or so in each. They’d seen a lot. And, nothing, so far, had been just right.

Bill and Anne had a list (you should, too). And, on the ground in Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic, it took just three days for Bill to figure he’d found the place… pending approval from Anne.

This is the Piatts’ list of criteria for their new home overseas—along with their impressions for how Las Terrenas measured up…

1. Close to the beach… but with mountains nearby and trees for shade

Palm fringed sandy beach of El Portillo, Las Terrenas
Alamy/Peter Schickert

Las Terrenas has some of the most beautiful beaches in the DR. Each of its five beaches has its own character. The area is surrounded by mountains and has plenty of palm trees for shade.

2. Affordable restaurants and cafés within walking distance

Pavement cafe, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Alamy/a-plus image bank

Not only are dining options affordable here, but almost every cuisine is covered from French to Italian and Asian fusion. You can get a tasty barbecue dish at the beach for US$2 to US$4… a three-course dinner at a French restaurant for US$7… and, when you want to splurge, you’ll be hard-pressed to spend more than US$40 at the highest end (including drinks). Expats here complain that there are too many restaurants they’ll never have time to try out.

3. A welcoming, cosmopolitan community.

Friendly locals in the streets of the Dominican Republic.For decades, European expats have been living in Las Terrenas and are welcoming of new neighbors. Each nationality brings its own flavor to town and provides an eclectic mix that’s not typical of a Caribbean island.

4. Relatively undiscovered.

dominican republic beach in the morning
Image Source: iStock/sborisov

Part- and full-time expats here far outnumber tourists. There are no cruise ships. Many Caribbean islands offer little more than T-shirt and trinket shops and bars. In Las Terrenas, you can find all sorts of food specialty shops—from the German butcher to the French boulangerie—and also buy high-quality clothes.

5. Ease of access for local and international journeys.

a woman holds her passport at the airport
Image Source: iStock/kieferpix

Las Terrenas is connected by a highway to capital Santo Domingo. It’s a two-hour drive to the airport, more shopping, and a sophisticated entertainment scene. From Santo Domingo, you can fly to Miami in two hours and New York City in three-and-a-half hours.

Get Your Free Caribbean Report Today!
Simply enter your email address below and we'll send you our FREE REPORT – The Cheapest Places To Live In The Caribbean.
We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.

6. An up-and-coming location with a visible Path of Progress.

View from property in Las Terrenas Dominican RepublicLas Terrenas has evolved much since the installation of electricity in 1994. El Catey airport, 30 minutes away, was opened in 2006. The highway to Santo Domingo was completed in 2008. And a promenade was constructed along Playa Bonita in 2014.

7. Quality construction.

Serene street in Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Adobe Stock/Wirestock

Concrete homes are built to be quake- and hurricane-proof. High-quality finishings are available locally—as are highly skilled general contractors. And construction prices here are lower than elsewhere in the Caribbean, averaging US$200 per square foot.

8. Political stability.

Election in Dominican Republic
Alamy/Saphiens

The DR government is stable and conservative in its management of the country.

9. Foreigners are welcome here.

Punta Cana, DR
Alamy/Danita Delimont

New residency and citizenship options are perhaps the most accessible, cheapest, and quickest available anywhere in the world… and make the DR an easy place to live and invest.

10. An active lifestyle.

Caribbean Dominican Republic Horseback riding on the beach with ocean beyond
Alamy/Chad Case

The Piatts found that in many other places they’d looked, it cost money to stay fit and healthy. Here in Las Terrenas, you have options for many free activities… and others at a low cost. Popular pursuits include kiteboarding, surfing, kayaking, horseback riding, fishing, sailing, hiking, and swimming.

11. A completely walkable community.

Las Terrenas, DR
Alamy/Hackenberg-Photo-Cologne

You can reach everywhere around Las Terrenas, from beaches to town, by foot or bike.

12. Moving To The Dominican Republic: Quality Health Care.

Nurse doing blood pressure monitoring for senior woman.
iStock/dragana991

A new international clinic—with English-speaking staff—opened in Las Terrenas in 2014. There is also emergency helicopter service to Santo Domingo where you’ll find a world-class hospital with specialist doctors.

So, Bill found Las Terrenas ticked every single box on his list.

But what about Anne?

It took her just 48 hours to go from “I’ll come and look at it, but we’re not buying anything!” to “No, we’re not getting a condo… I like that little villa over there…”

Sincerely,
Kathleen Peddicord signature
Kathleen Peddicord
Founding Publisher, Overseas Opportunity Letter

Tags: best beaches in the Caribbeanbest beaches in the Dominican republicbest places to live in the Caribbeanbest places to retire in the Caribbeanbill piattexpats Dominican republicexpats las terrenashealth care Dominican republichealth care las terrenaslive and invest in the Dominican republic conferenceliving Dominican republicliving las terrenasretire dominican republicretire las terrenas
Share101Tweet52
Kathleen Peddicord

Kathleen Peddicord

Kathleen Peddicord has reported on opportunities for Americans to live, retire, and do business overseas for 40 years. She has traveled to more than 75 countries, invested in real estate in 24, established businesses in 7, renovated and built properties in 6, and educated her children in 5.

Kathleen has moved children, staff, enterprises, household goods, and pets from the east coast of the United States to Waterford, Ireland, then to Paris, France, and finally to Panama City, Panama, where she has based her Live And Invest Overseas business. Peddicord and her husband, Lief Simon, now divide their time between Panama and Paris.

Peddicord was a partner with Agora Publishing’s International Living group for 23 years. She opened, staffed, and operated International Living publishing and real estate marketing offices in Waterford, Ireland; Panama City, Panama; Granada, Nicaragua; Roatan, Honduras; San Miguel de Allende, Mexico; Quito, Ecuador; and Paris, France. Peddicord launched Live And Invest Overseas group in 2008 and has built it into a successful multimillion-dollar business. Today, she shares her firsthand experience of expat life with more than 500,000 readers of her publications, including Overseas Opportunity Letter and Overseas Living Letter.

Kathleen has been featured often in The New York Times, MSNBC, AARP, CNN, Bloomberg, CNBC, and more and writes monthly about expat matters, international real estate, and offshore diversification for Forbes and U.S. News.

Kathleen has written several books including the memoirs “At Home In Ireland” and “At Home At Los Islotes” and her latest title “At Home Abroad,” all published by Lahardan Books. Her best-selling "How To Retire Overseas: Everything You Need To Know To Live Well (For Less) Abroad” was published by Penguin Random House in 2018 and her “Buying Real Estate Overseas For Cash Flow (And A Better Life)” was published by Wiley in August 2020.

Get Your Free Caribbean Report Today!
Simply enter your email address below and we'll send you our FREE REPORT – The Cheapest Places To Live In The Caribbean.

We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.
Our Expertise Unlocks The World

quick links

  • Best Places To Live
  • Best Places To Retire
  • Finding A Job Overseas
  • Real Estate

LIOS Resources

  • New To LIOS
  • Ask An Expert
  • Media Center
  • Contact Us
  • FAQs
the 10 best places to retire in 2025
Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and get your FREE REPORT: The 10 Best Places To Retire Overseas In 2025

We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.

As seen in

US Media Logos

© 2008 – Live and Invest Overseas™ – All Rights Reserved.

About Us / Contact Us / Privacy Policy / Terms / Unsubscribe
Facebook-f X-twitter Youtube Linkedin-in Instagram

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
HOME

Top Countries

  • Spain
  • Portugal
  • Panama
  • Belize
  • Colombia
  • Cyprus
  • Mexico
  • France
  • Montenegro

Best For:

  • Health Care Abroad
  • Retirement Living
  • Cost Of Living
  • Investing in Real Estate
  • Establishing Residency
  • Gun Ownership
  • English Speakers
  • Safety
BROWSE ALL COUNTRIES

Budgets

How Much Will It Cost
To Live Overseas?

Super Cheap

  • Chitré, Panama
  • Santa Marta, Colombia
  • Phuket, Thailand
  • Dumaguete, The Philippines

Cheap

  • Medellin, Colombia
  • Boquete, Panama
  • Kyrenia, Cyprus
  • Hua Hin, Thailand
  • The Algarve, Portugal

Affordable

  • Valencia, Spain
  • Cascais, Portugal
  • Las Terrenas, The DR
  • Pisa, Italy
  • La Rochelle, France
  • Mazatlán, Mexico

Luxury

  • Ambergris Caye, Belize
  • Kotor, Montenegro
  • The Panama City Beaches
  • Paris, France

Resources

Global Living

  • Living & Retiring Overseas
  • Raising A Family Abroad
  • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
  • Offshore & Diversification

Making Money

  • International Real Estate
  • Banking
  • Employment
  • Investing
Meet Our Experts

Real Estate

Overseas Property Alert 

 

How To Become Independently Wealthy And Fund The Lifestyle Of Your Dreams

VISIT SITE

Buying Real Estate For Cashflow

 

Discover tips and strategies used by global property investing veterans

READ MORE

Explore Our Latest Posts

 

Learn how to invest and purchase property abroad…

EXPLORE

Conferences

Live and Invest In Spain Conference

VALENCIA, SPAIN Sep. 17-19, 2025
Learn More About This Event

Offshore Wealth Summit

PANAMA CITY, PANAMA Oct. 15-17, 2025
Learn More About This Event
PRE-REGISTER

GREECE WORKSHOP

VIRTUAL Nov. 13, 2025
Learn More About This Event
PRE-REGISTER
MORE EVENTS

Contact Our Events Team:

Toll-Free U.S. and Canada:
1 (888) 627 8834

From Outside North America:
1 (443) 599 1221

Working Hours
Monday – Friday 08:00 am – 17:00 pm EST.

Reach us with your questions by email at: events@liveandinvestoverseas.com

Store

Overseas Havens Reports

  • Expats' comprehensive destination guides

Conference Kits

  • Hours of coverage  from our latests conferences

Lahardan Books

  • Titles on living and investing around the world

Services

  • Overseas Living Letter: Affordable Retirement Guidance
  • The Simon Letter: Wealth Protection Insights
  • Global Property Advisor: Global Investment Opportunitites
VISIT OUR STORE

Free Report

THE 10 BEST PLACES TO RETIRE IN 2025

FREE REPORT: The 10 Best Places To retire in 2025

Sign up to receive the FREE daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter and we’ll immediately email you our editors’ latest research report…

We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.

LIBRARY

Follow Us:

© 2008 - Live and Invest Overseas - All Rights Reserved.

RETIRE OVERSEAS AND LIVE LIKE ROYALTY

Sign up for FREE to learn how. Plus, check out our FREE report on THE 10 BEST PLACES TO RETIRE


We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.

RETIRE OVERSEAS AND LIVE LIKE ROYALTY

Sign up for FREE and learn how to live the good life on a modest budget, find bargain property, and more. Plus, check out our free report on the 10 BEST PLACES TO RETIRE.

We Value Your Privacy! We will not share your email address with anyone else, period.