The Dominican Republic is a nation with white sandy beaches, tropical fruit and happy people. However, while the cost of living in the Dominican Republic is relatively low, many of its citizens live in poverty.

The cost of living in the Dominican Republic is 32.74 percent lower than in the United States. Their currency is called the Dominican Peso. As of 2017, one Dominican Peso is equal to 0.021 United States Dollar. The cost of living in the Dominican Republic is thus relatively cheap compared to living in the United States.

For Dominicans who want to leave the Dominican Republic, challenges arise because the exchange rate is quite high. As for tourists, it is usually cheaper to vacation in the Dominican Republic because of the inflated value of their money.

The Dominican Republic has an incredibly high poverty rate. In fact, a third of the nation’s population lives on less than $1.25 a day, and more than 20 percent live in extreme poverty.

For the poor, it is extremely hard to escape the cycle of poverty. Though the tourism market provides some income, it is definitely not enough.

As for a middle-class Dominican, it is fairly inexpensive to live in the Dominican Republic. According to Numbeo, rent is about 70 percent lower in the Dominican Republic than in the United States. Regarding healthcare, it remains one of the cheapest systems in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Although the cost of living in the Dominican Republic is somewhat inexpensive, the nation also suffers from a high crime rate.

Much of the poverty is due to a lack of governmental organization. The Dominican Republic’s government focuses more on tourism and less on its citizens’ welfare. Even though the cost of living in the Dominican Republic is cheap, it can still be expensive for the poor.

– Francis Hurtado

Photo: Flickr