How to Create a Self-Sufficient Life in Dominican Republic as an Expat

How I'm building a self - sufficient life in Dominican Republic as an Expat

In the pursuit of eliminating as many bills as possible, I’ve realized that some — like phone, internet, and (for now) electricity — are here to stay. But there's one way I’ve found to leave rent and mortgage payments behind: buying land. What if I told you that it’s possible to live largely self-sufficient in Dominican Republic, by eliminating rent or a mortgage, and to grow your own food? You might imagine a full-blown farm — but that’s not quite it. The idea of self-sufficient living is still new to me, but I’m constantly discovering cool and creative ways to make it work.

Rice fields (bus view)

Years back and I mean at least a decade or so — a friend of mine would always talk about leaving North America, to buy land and build his home far from society. For me at that time it was in one ear and out the other. Not that I didn't support his plan for himself, it was just over my head. He would talk about how he would grow his own food and eat from the land, that part particularly interested me. Back then I guess his idea didn't move me, I couldn't shake the idea of living away overseas in some rural country land. I’m a city boy; I didn't want to live in the bush far from everything (no shade lol). Fast forward to present day, I see it more now that my friend was on to something. As I’m getting closer to building my home, the vision of being self-sufficient in Dominican Republic becomes clearer.

Viveros (Plant nurseries)

A few weeks ago, my lady mentioned something about having chickens to produce eggs. Being from the countryside, she knows more about this stuff than I do. She was explaining that 2 or 4 chickens would be good enough. The eggs would be more nutritious and would taste better. Before she could finish speaking, I was all in. I thought it was a cool idea, I mean we do eat eggs (a lot). Hey, we could also house a dozen chickens to lay eggs and sell them after. Good thing a backyard chicken coop doesn't use up much space either. Majority of the land will be designated for the food crops. I’ve anticipated for a long time now of growing my own fruits and vegetables in the Caribbean. What a joy it would be to walk in the back yard and grab some mangoes off the tree. In the early mornings pick some oranges to prepare fresh squeezed orange juice. To grow hot peppers to make a tasty homemade hot sauce. Houses in Dominican Republic tend to get more humid during the dry season. Why? Because the homes are made of concrete, the concrete roof absorbs the sun's heat all day. There are a few different options to avoid this extra heat in the home other than the obvious AC or fan. The option that we will choose is to grow passion fruit (Chinola) on the roof. Not only is passion fruit an amazing healthy drink, but the plant will also help with the sun's heat. So many ideas of what to grow, I just know that some sort of plantains will have to be grown, after all this is DR lol. To get your choice of plants in DR, go to a local “Viveros”. These stores are the first option and will usually have whatever plants you are looking for when it comes to fruits, vegetables or just garden plants. Also “Tienda Agronoma” is a valuable second option if you're looking for something more specific such as seeds and rare (exotic) plants. Tienda agronoma (agricultural store) are all over Dominican Republic. The finished product of this land will have many food crops growing. It's not exactly living off the land but rather becoming more self - sufficient in Dominican Republic.

2 floor concrete home in early construction

Last but not least and perhaps saving the best for last — build an income property. The Dominican Republic has building practices that allow homeowners the flexibility to add a second level to their existing home. Adding a second floor is fairly simple and affordable. Some expats even report that the permitting process here is much faster than in North America or Europe. Permits in Dominican Republic take weeks, while in North America, they take months. I’m looking forward to building a two-bedroom rental apartment above my house. This idea will cover a great deal of expenses, if not all. Year by year the Dominican Republic breaks its previous record of tourists entering the country. Already one of the most travelled countries in the Americas (11 million 2024). With that in mind short term and even long-term rental markets aren't going away anytime soon. I was inspired by the few landlords that I rented from while being in DR. They were very informative while offering their resources for anything I may need in the future. This helping hand has saved me a great deal of headache and will guide the building process smoothly.

Cola de Pato, Dominican Republic

To truly live this dream, the key is owning a piece of land. Whether it be the countryside or in my case the city, anywhere is fine. Then build what your heart desires. Your cost of living will come down tremendously. The end of the month will not feel overwhelmed with the thought of bills. With most of your earned money going towards your leisure and not towards bills. A self - sufficient expat life in the Dominican Republic is possible — it all starts with land and a plan.

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