It has taken some time to get use to the currency. The currency is “Rupiah”. The current exchange rate is 8500 Rupiah to one US dollar. Some examples:
--Taxi ride of 20-25 minutes is 30,000 Rupiah (includes a tip of 5000 Rupiah) or $3.50 US
--Dinner for both of us consisting of a main dish (small piece of mean, noodles, and vegetables) and bottled water/soft drinks and a tip was 110,000 Rupiah or $13 US. Meals don’t consist of bread, salad, and/or all the soft drinks you want—but we finished dinner and were not hungry. Most Indonesians are thin—they do not eat the volume of food at a meal like Americans do.
--We recently went to the Outback Steak House and had 8oz sirloin steak, two sides, one small loaf of bread, and lemonade—for the two of us the cost was 460,000 Rupiah or about $54. In Indonesia that is considered a very expensive dinner.
---Prices for services are cheap compared to the US. We met a driver for a couple who is paid $3/hour. A cleaning person is paid around $5/hour.
Imported items are expensive-- Cheerios are around $8.00/medium size box. Tide 50oz liquid was $22, Zip Lock freezer bags---54 count-- $6.50.
---Our apartment is 8,500,000 Rupiah/month. We will easily spend 20+ million/month.
So, if you like to spend millions, this is the place to be!
--Taxi ride of 20-25 minutes is 30,000 Rupiah (includes a tip of 5000 Rupiah) or $3.50 US
--Dinner for both of us consisting of a main dish (small piece of mean, noodles, and vegetables) and bottled water/soft drinks and a tip was 110,000 Rupiah or $13 US. Meals don’t consist of bread, salad, and/or all the soft drinks you want—but we finished dinner and were not hungry. Most Indonesians are thin—they do not eat the volume of food at a meal like Americans do.
--We recently went to the Outback Steak House and had 8oz sirloin steak, two sides, one small loaf of bread, and lemonade—for the two of us the cost was 460,000 Rupiah or about $54. In Indonesia that is considered a very expensive dinner.
---Prices for services are cheap compared to the US. We met a driver for a couple who is paid $3/hour. A cleaning person is paid around $5/hour.
Imported items are expensive-- Cheerios are around $8.00/medium size box. Tide 50oz liquid was $22, Zip Lock freezer bags---54 count-- $6.50.
---Our apartment is 8,500,000 Rupiah/month. We will easily spend 20+ million/month.
So, if you like to spend millions, this is the place to be!
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