The first month in the DR is the hardest month. Almost everyone says this. And almost everyone who makes it past month one stays for much longer than they planned.
What follows is an honest account of what the first 30 days typically look like, based on patterns shared consistently by people who have done it.
Week one: everything is different and that’s the whole point
You arrive. It’s hot. The airport is louder than you expected. The drive to wherever you’re staying involves motorcycles doing things motorcycles shouldn’t be able to do.
In week one, you’re orienting. Not settling. There’s a difference.
The things to do in week one:
Get two SIM cards. Claro and Altice. Do this on day one. Your home country number costs a fortune in roaming charges and the coverage maps don’t overlap. Two SIMs costs $30-50/month combined. This is not optional.
Find the nearest good supermarket. La Sirena and National are the two main chains. Your first shop is disorienting because the layout is different, the brands are different, and some things you assumed would be available aren’t. The second shop is fine.
Walk your area. Not all of it. Your street, the nearest beach if there is one, the nearest café with wifi. Get a physical feel for a small radius before you expand it.
Find the local expat WhatsApp group. Every expat area has one. Ask in the Facebook group for the town. This group is where you find the answers to questions you don’t know how to Google yet.
Don’t make any big decisions in week one. Don’t sign a long-term rental. Don’t decide the DR isn’t for you. Don’t decide Cabarete is better than Las Terrenas based on one afternoon. You don’t have enough information yet.
Week two: the adjustment hits
This is usually the hardest week.
The novelty has worn off. The heat is just the heat now, not exciting heat. The power went out during your client call and you weren’t set up for it. The landlord wasn’t available. Something that should have been simple wasn’t.
This is normal. This is the adjustment.
The people who leave in week two are the people who compare week two of the DR to an average week at home. The comparison isn’t fair. Week two at home has all your systems, your network, your routines, your environment fully set up around you. Week two in the DR has none of that yet.
What helps: get out of your accommodation. Sit at a café with wifi. Talk to another expat. Ask the person at the counter how long they’ve been in town. The community is the fastest route through the adjustment.
If you’re working remotely: sort your power setup this week. An inverter keeps your router and laptop running through standard cuts. Most co-working spaces have backup power. Find one in your area and use it. Stop trying to work from an uncertain apartment connection.
Week three: the first signs of routine
By week three, something starts to feel familiar.
You know which café has the best wifi. You know approximately when the power cut happens. You have at least one number in your phone for a local person who can help you figure things out.
Start Spanish lessons this week if you haven’t already. One hour a week with a local tutor. $15-25 USD. Ask in the WhatsApp group for a recommendation. The Spanish you pick up in weeks three and four pays back every week after that.
Find a regular place to eat lunch. Not because you have to, but because having a place where people know you changes the texture of daily life faster than anything else.
The banking situation: if you need DR pesos regularly, this is the week to sort a cash system. ATMs in expat areas work reliably with international cards. Wise is the most cost-effective way to move money from abroad. Most people run on a combination of both for the first few months before their residency and local bank account are sorted.
Week four: the first real moment
Around the end of week four, most people have a moment. It’s different for everyone.
For some, it’s sitting at the beach on a Tuesday at 11am, realising they’re working and it’s beautiful and this is their life now. For some, it’s a conversation in broken Spanish that actually worked. For some, it’s the WhatsApp group telling them about a barbecue on Saturday and realising they have plans.
This is the moment that keeps people. The first glimpse of what the life actually looks like once the adjustment is done.
It doesn’t happen for everyone at week four. For some it’s week six or eight. But it comes.
What to have sorted by the end of month one
- Two SIM cards (Claro and Altice)
- Inverter or co-working space sorted for power backup
- Starlink or dedicated internet connection confirmed
- Local expat WhatsApp group joined
- Spanish lessons started
- At least one trusted local contact (driver, landlord, neighbour)
- Cash system working (Wise or ATM with international card)
- Health insurance confirmed and in effect
The people who have a difficult second month are almost always the ones who skipped some of the above. Not all of it. Just enough that the daily friction stayed high.
The DR rewards preparation and punishes the assumption that things will sort themselves out.
Not sure which region to start in? The quiz takes five minutes and matches you based on budget, lifestyle, and work situation. Getting the region right makes month one significantly easier.
