First, I share my estimated cost of living for two people in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Then I will cover my retirement livability factors, such as walkability, food, social considerations, things to do, weather, and real estate. We will cover the other two cities popular with retirees over the next few weeks, Sosua and Cabarete. Please subscribe so you won’t miss those. But today, we are talking about Puerto Plata. In a moment, I will discuss the cost of living in Puerto Plata, but first, I want to answer the question, who would love to live in Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic. How is it different from the other cities we cover in the Dominican Republic?
Who would love to live in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
If you would love to live in the Caribbean in a mid-sized colonial-era city of about 400,000 people, that is not focused completely on tourists, then Puerto Plata might be for you. Since life doesn’t completely revolve around tourists, it is more capable of feeling like a normal town. It is true that during high season you will be sharing Puerta Plata with 100k tourists, but the town is large enough that there are whole neighborhoods where you will experience a more local life than you will in the smaller towns of Las Terrenas, Sosua, and Cabarete. And if you are single, there is a larger population of locals for you to fall in love with. Whereas, in the more touristy towns, you are more likely to find other tourists that will be gone in a week or two, and prostitutes (which I caution against).
Also, with a large local population, there are more restaurants that are frequented only by locals which generally means lower prices than the restaurants frequented almost entirely by tourists. There is even nightlife where you will see almost no tourists. So if you want to live in a town with more locals and fewer tourists, more permanent people to mingle with and get to know, and more businesses that are accommodating the generally lower incomes of locals, then Puerto Plata might be right for you.
Cost of Living Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
Here is my estimated cost of living for two people in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Rents: First, here is a furnished apartment I found on Airbnb a few days ago for $397 USD per month. This $397 per month includes the utilities and Internet, but not the commission to Airbnb or the cleaning fee. But I think if you met the landlord at the property while you were in town you could get it even cheaper if you offer to stay for 6 months or 12 months. They may discount a little because they would eliminate all vacancies while you stay there for 6 to 12 months. I also met a few ex-pats that have 1 bedroom apartments for $200 to $300 per month plus utilities. But I would wait until I am on the ground there before making any offers, so I could test the Internet speed and check out the neighborhood before making a long-term deal. But for this estimate of cost of living, I am going to assume you can get a 10% discount on this rent. 10% of $397 is $39. So my estimated rents would be $358 ($397-$39=$358). Remember, that includes utilities. Here is the Airbnb place advertised for $397 on the day I searched.
Looking to immerse yourself in a new cultures & history?
If it’s history and culture you want, you’ll love Puerto Plata. Not far from the city, the first village in the New World, La Isabella, was founded in 1494.
Puerto Plata’s downtown core has been restored to its original Spanish colonial splendour, making it a great place to stroll and window shop.
The fortress of San Felipe looks out over the harbour. Built by Spain in the 16th Century as a base to defend the colony and guard shipping routes, it’s now home to historical artifacts from the city’s colonial era.
