Christmas Eve dinner now costs RD5,265 pesos for 5 people.

Santo Domingo, DR
This Saturday of Christmas Eve, as it is tradition, the Dominican families gather at the table of their homes to share Christmas dinner, which with the passing of the years, has become an event where the Creole gastronomic custom shines for the number of dishes included, but it is also a challenge for the pocket.

The result showed that an average Dominican family’s approximate cost of Christmas dinner is RD$5,265 (US$95).

Depending on the person’s purchasing power, the number of family members, or what they will put on the table, the dinner may be more or less expensive.

Traditional dish

One of the star dishes of the Dominican Christmas dinner is pork. A pound of this meat is currently marketed for between 100 and 125 pesos. For dinner for a family of five, four pounds of unbaked pork costs approximately RD$480 (US$8.72).

Should one wish to buy roast pork, which sells for 500 pesos per pound, the family would have to buy the same four pounds for RD$2,000 (US$36).

A pound of chicken costs 80 pesos (US$1.45), and if one calculates the value of two chickens of four pounds each for this family of five, it would be RD$640 (US$11.63). The exchange rate is US$1 = 55 DOP.

To make the traditional moro de Guandules, you would need to buy 10 pounds of rice for RD$320 and a pound and a half of Guandules for 125 pesos. The one-pound package of vegetables is RD$60, and a medium can of salsa costs RD$80.

Onions cost RD$47 a pound, and “Barceló” tomatoes cost RD$42. A gallon of medium-sized oil costs RD$295, and a one-pound packet of salt costs RD$15. A 12-unit soup costs RD$85.

On the other hand, a family of five will have to spend approximately RD$570 for a pastry/pie of ripe plantains.

Ripe plantains are sold at RD$24 a unit, a pound of mozzarella cheese is worth 200 pesos, a pound of ground beef is 152 pesos, and raisins are RD$25 a pack.

For Russian salad, eggs are bought at RD$10 a unit, potatoes at RD$34 a pound, and carrots at 47 pesos a pound. A 200-gram jar of mayonnaise sauce costs 80 pesos.

Others

A pound of apple goes for RD$61, and a pound of grapes for around RD$150. A package of lasagna costs 65 pesos, and a dozen sheet cakes are marketed at 550 pesos.

For families who buy aluminum trays instead of using their own tableware for the celebration, these disposable containers are 50 pesos each.

This approximate balance does not include the cost of drinks or Christmas sweets.

Three weeks ago, the President of the Republic, Luis Abinader, started with the delivery of the Christmas Bonus 2022 for a total amount of RD$3 billion.

Each person.

The balance available for each person with scarce resources is RD$1,500 so that they can cover basic needs during this holiday season.