Santo Domingo - Post Report Question and Answers
What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
Do not pay more than 1000 per day; the compound maids will ask for 3000 pesos and more. - Jun 2024
In my opinion, embassy staff are compensating household assistance generously. It's advisable not to exceed a daily payment of 900 pesos, which is notably higher than the typical remuneration offered by local residents to their domestic workers. - Sep 2023
Around 15 dollars per day. - Oct 2021
Inexpensive, but in my opinion they do not work very hard and are not very trustworthy. - Feb 2021
Household help is available and affordable, including nannies, maids, gardeners, drivers, etc. Non-Dominicans will likely pay more than Dominicans. - Jan 2021
Maybe $500-600/month but really hard to find someone honest and trustworthy. - Jul 2019
Readily available, but the quality of work and the integrity of the household help is an issue. I've heard it's normal for families to fire their staff due to integrity reasons (theft, lying, etc). - Jan 2019
Readily available and cheap (I paid ~$25 per day). - Nov 2016
Full-time, about US$500/month. Hard to get reliable help, but some families are quite pleased. - Apr 2016
Very available, low cost - we pay about US$350 for our full-time helper (nanny-housekeeper). Some families employ drivers, which is necessary if you have multiple kids and one vehicle. Keep in mind that you get what you pay for, many employees are lazy and under-educated and in our experience you have to really spell out everything you want them to do. It has been very challenging to find good help but we basically settled for someone because she shows up on time, can read and write, is available to babysit at night on occasion, and because we couldn't find anyone better. - Jan 2016
Never had "great' help as the few we employed at various times had attitudes and expected way more than they would get from other expats or Dominicans. There are a few good ones out there but many are lazy and never hesitate to ask for everything. We paid about US$300 a month for 3 days a week which did not include cooking, shopping or anything more than laundry and cleaning the bare minimum. - Jan 2016
For a part time, (2x a week) it can be anywhere from US$200 and up. Average costs is 600 pesos a day plus transportation. 600 pesos is roughly US$13. Anything can be negotiated. The people in the embassy tend to pay higher and the housekeepers do less. If you find a good housekeeper here who can cook AND clean, you are lucky. - Aug 2015
Housekeepers to nannies run US$200-500 a month, depending. - Aug 2015
Domestic help is plentiful but it's best to have them start on the low side of the salary scale and work their way up as they prove their abiltity to perform tasks appropriately and you are sure that they are not stealing from you. Starting salaries for a live-in maid for 5 1/2 days per week is between US$200-$250 per month. - Aug 2014
Domestic help is very affordable. We pay between $300-400 monthly each for our driver and housekeeper. - Jul 2013
About $300 per month for a full-time housekeeper. - Apr 2013
Inexpensive - $250-$300/mo. But the work ethic here is terrible. We suggest starting the employee at a lower rate and on a trial basis. Design a schedule of specific chores and how they should be completed. Create incentives for good work by increasing pay over time as the employee exhibits quality work. Managing domestic help can be a headache--more than in the rest of the developing world. - Apr 2013
Easily available and relatively cheap. You will need to speak Spanish and be clear on what/how you want done. - Jan 2013
Not a great work ethic, but affordable. Might cost you $300 or so per month. - Jun 2012
Cheap and plentiful. Don't expect inspired cooking though. - Jun 2012
Widely available and cheap-ish. Average salary for live-in housekeeper is about $250/mo. Work ethic is definitely below our expectations, but mostly acceptable. Expect to train your employee for a little while before s/he "gets it".Also expect to re-train a few times in your stay here, as they tend to slack off as time goes by. - Mar 2012
Very available, costs about $250-$300 per month for full-time help. - Feb 2012
Lots...but again I think Dominicans are lazy, so maids have this thing that they want you to hire two one to be nanny and cleaner and one to cook and do the laundry, if you are lucky enough to find one that does everything, she won't live she'll expect to leave at 4 or 5, so if you work you won't have any rest at night. Entitled, expecting a lot from you, and lazy, but I have one live in maid that is really good of course she does not iron or cook so there is other that comes to do that. But if you have big kids you should be ok, as the thing is that you can find one that does everything and leaves at 4, so if you have big kids you won't need extra help in the night. - Feb 2012
Cheap - Oct 2011
Domestic help is cheap and the quality is generally good. A housekeeper that cleans twice a week runs between $15-$20 per day. - Jun 2011
Widely available with wide range of skills. The cost is between $250-$350 month for a live-out housekeeper/nanny/cook. - May 2011
about 200-300 per month 2x a week.not sure about live in maids - Nov 2010
Domestic help is very available and relatively inexpensive. - Aug 2010
Very available.....people are poor and need jobs. We pay our live-in maid approximately $300 US dollars a month. We are going to hire a second one to work Sundays. Most ladies get paid approximately $15 dollars a day. - Jun 2010
Mid-range on both. - May 2009
Plenty available, pretty affordable. Most teachers have a maid twice a week and pay around US$100 a month. People with young kids have full-time nannies and pay more like US$200-300 a month, depending on needs and generosity. - Nov 2008
Plentiful. It will cost between US$200-300 a month for full time help depending on how much advantage of cheap labor you feel is okay to do. Let it be known that living here is expensive and those who labor very cheaply live in sad conditions and don"t have advantage of educational opportunities that those who make a "livable wage" do. - Oct 2008
Widely available. US$250/month for a full-time maid. - Aug 2008
Widely available and cheap, but they have little idea what they're doing, frequently have little experience with applicances (e.g., washing machine) and, based on personal experience and the experience of my friends, tend to steal whatever they can. Local laws make you pay salary and benefits if you fire for cause, even for theft, unless you can sucessfully press a court case. - Jun 2008
Cheap but the quality is questionable. - Feb 2008
