Villa Verano

Real estate in the Dominican Republic is still the most affordable housing market in all of the Caribbean. Although prices are starting to climb due to the increase in the tourism industry, the DR remains a favourite for foreign property investors, retirees, full-time expats, and second home buyers.

Prices to purchase a new two-bedroom villa with lot, your own private pool, parking space and tropical gardens for privacy in one of the most friendly and affordable gated communities in the North Coast start at $119,800 USD. Developer Casa Linda offers 10 different new home designs from a very moderate 2 bedroom to a custom designed villa.

Scotiabank Mortgage Financing

The Scotiabank has a new exclusive mortgage financing program with purchases at Casa Linda, with 30% down, up to 25 years term, and now a fixed interest rate for 5 years of only 5.95% in US dollars. This is the lowest (bank) mortgage interest rate ever seen in this country.

Monthly Costs and Fees (Villa Verano 2-bedroom)

• Subdivision Fees: $190.00 US (24-security, 6 day/week garbage collection, outside lighting, maintenance of common areas/roads, onsite office, staff, and tax)
• Water: $25.00 US
• Pool & Garden (Optional): $100.00 US
• Housekeeping – 2 days/week (Optional): $90.00 US

Additional Costs

• Internet ($ dependent on service required) $30-$100 US
• Cable ($ dependent on service required) $17-$50 US
• Insurance (based on villa size/value $600-$1800 US/Year

Buy Groceries and Win a Car 

Located in Cabarete and Sosua are several large supermarkets that carry a wide range of domestic and international brand names. Generally, imported brands are more expensive than domestic. Buying local produce is much cheaper (fruits & vegetables), as well as local dairy, meat (pork & chicken), and beef. Local beef can be a bit tough, as it is typically not aged and also has a stronger flavour because it is grass-fed. Our local butcher in Sosua sells imported beef if you are looking for better quality. 

The same is true with spirits and beer. Dominican’s Presidente beer is less expensive than imported and is also very popular with North Americans. We also pick up rum directly from the Brugal Rum Distillery in Puerto Plata. Brugal has a wonderful store available to the public, and if you have time, they offer tours.

Two of the larger supermarkets in Sosua are the Playero and Super Pola. The Playero offers daily specials during the week from Monday to Friday, plus the chance to win a new car. The number of tickets to enter in the draw depends on the total of your grocery bill. The more you spend, the more chances you have to win a free car! 

Here are some prices (US$): Loaf of multigrain bread $2.21, Dozen Eggs $1.80, Coffee $4.00, Kraft Macaroni $1.28, Can BumbleBee Tuna $1.57, Watermelon $6.00, Large Hellman Mayo $3.76, Cucumber (4) $1.57, Container of Mixed Greens $4.41, 1.5L Diet Pepsi $1.05, Crystal Farms Mozzarella Cheese Stixs $5.20, Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breast $2.62/Kilo, Hamburger $2.00/Kilo.

Buying fresh produce from the local truck vendor located alongside our main  road in Sosua has low prices. Broccoli, cauliflower and peppers are much cheaper compared to prices back home, and are also very fresh. Much of our fruit, vegetables and even flowers (apples, cherries, raspberries) are grown in an agricultural town called Constanza, found in a valley high in the mountains. 

“The Vegeman” is a fairly new quality food provider representing a small group of local farmers. They will deliver fresh grown fruit, vegetables, honey and even flowers to your doorstep every week. This service is affordable and also very convenient.

Restaurants  

We are very lucky to have a great selection of restaurants with a wide range of price points. Depending on your budget, you have lots of choices from “street food” to fine dining restaurants.

One of our favourite Cominican dishes is called Yaroa (made with plantain, cream or gouda cheese, chicken, ham, mayo, ketchup, oregano, onion & peppers – just depends who makes it). We buy this from our local food truck. It looks like a casserole with melted cheese on top and costs only a few hundred pesos, or approximately $5 USD. Perfect for two people or one very hungry person.

We often buy a whole BBQ chicken from several small restaurants in Sosua. The BBQ chicken is cut up nicely into pieces and comes with Yucca root.  There is enough for a family of four (for the two of us, we always have leftovers) and costs 350 pesos – $7.64 USD.

Cabarete, Sosua and Puerto Plata have so many restaurants. There are always specials for breakfast, lunch and dinner, happy hour, and 2-for-1 appetizers. Try Los Gringos on Cabarete Beach for their All You Can Eat Chicken Legs, with two sides for approximately $5.00 USD. 

New food delivery services are very popular. “Just Delivery” offers a choice of 35 restaurants to chose from and deliver to your front door. 

Tip: Check local public Facebook groups for posts on dinner specials. Don’t forget to ask a fellow expat what they may recommend.

Household Appliances and Electronics

Appliances are comparable in price, especially if they are on sale, while electronics are expensive compared to prices in Canada. The DR offers most of the popular North American brand name appliances such as Whirlpool, GE, and Frigidaire. Here in Cabarete and Sosua, we have several large hardware stores that carry a wide variety of appliances such as dishwashers, dryers, refrigerators, stoves, BBQ’s, and microwaves. 

Tip: Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Black Friday are special holidays in the Dominican Republic and the best time to buy big ticket items such as appliances at sale prices. Below, you will see the word “Mama” showing Mother Day sale prices with great savings.

• GE Stove $22,995RD ($498.33 US) – Sale Price $18,395RD ($398.64 US) approximately $100 savings.
• Refrigerator $40,405RD ($875.62 US)
• Char-Broil BBQ $18,495RD ($400.81 US)
• WhirlPool Wash Machine $23,500RD ($509.27 US) – Sale Price $18.800RD ($407.42 US) $102 savings.

Electronics: You can find most of the name brands such as Sony, LG, and Samsung, as well as less expensive brands such as Nikkei, which is a great option, especially if you are buying a home for a rental program. Clock radios are like tea kettles; they seem hard to find, and when you do find them they are a bit pricey. 

• Sony TV LED 40″ $36,750RD ($796.41 US) – Sale Price $29,400RD ($637.13 US) $159.28 US savings
• Sony TV LED 40″ Smart $35,695RD ($773.55 US)
• Nikkei TV LED 32″ $15,495RD ($335.79 US) – Sale Price $12,396R ($268.64 US) $67.15 US savings
• DVD Players – Westinghouse $1.595 RD ($34.57 US), Sony $2,395RD ($51.90 US)
• BlueRay Player – Samsung $5,795 ($125.58 US) – LG $4,995 ($108.23 US)

Tip: Always have electronics tested at the store before leaving. Typically, most retail stores will check all electronics to ensure everything works properly. Keep your receipt for returns. 

One of the benefits when living in a large expat community is social networking. There are several public Facebook groups for “Buy and Sell”. Local businesses will also advertise specials on these pages. This is a great way to buy items inexpensively. https://www.facebook.com/groups/everythingcabaretemag/

Puerto Plata has a large flea market every week where you can buy new and second hand items. You can pick up some great bargains. Sosua and Cabarete also have several flea markets – “La Pulga” that sell all sorts of new and second hand items plus it is always fun too!

Cabarete and Sosua both have a Dollar Store. I am a big fan of the Dollar Store, so I was happy to know we had two of them. The Dollar Store will post on various Facebook pages when they have new products/inventory. It’s a good idea to get in there and pick up what you want before it is gone. Expats love the Dollar Store.

Automobiles, Car Insurance, Gas Prices

To purchase a new vehicle in the Dominican you will find the cost is approximately 20-30% higher compared to Canadian prices. Importing your vehicle can be costly, with 18% taxes plus duty and taxes.

Car Insurance is similar to North America. The basic car insurance in the DR would cost approximately $200 per year.

Gas Prices US$/G (US$/L): Premium $4.40 (1.16/L), Regular $4.06 ($1.08/L) Diesel Ultra Premium $3.39 ($0.90/L), Diesel Regular $3.10 ($0.82/L)

A better option is propane, which costs half the price of regular gasoline. You can also buy or convert your vehicle from gas to propane for fuel savings. 

Electricity/Power

Electricity is expensive living on a tropical island. Propane is primarily used for cooking (using a gas stove) and heating for hot water tanks. Temporary power outages are part of life in the Dominican Republic and most companies and restaurants will have generators for backup. We live in a gated community, which has a large generator to manage any power outages.