What countries have the best exchange rate for the dollar?
King
I'm planning on traveling the world over the next year.....
One of my criteria is to travel to countries that have a good exchange rate
with the US dollar. That way I can get more for my dollar.
Anyone know a website where I can find this info? I've searched
unsuccessfully thru google.
Obviously I didn't put in the right words. No use going somewhere where my
money doesn't go very far (obviously everyone is different......this is a
matter of opinion).
Thanks
Mike
Spehro Pefhany
Well, try _The Economist_ for the Big Mac index. It's not always
indicative, but perhaps more so for a traveller than the cost
comparisons of capitals that tend to be aimed at padding Ex-pat
expense accounts and housing allowances.
It would be a shame if you missed some really great places because the
cost of living happens to be two or three times that of the cheaper
ones- maybe just limit your time there and camp on the beach for a bit
longer in the cheaper oens.
Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
--
"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward"
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Douglas S. Ladden
<king...@earthlink.net> shared its ideas in rec.travel.latin-america
on Sat, 27 Sep 2003 03:32:28 GMT:
> Hi,
> I'm planning on traveling the world over the next year.....
> One of my criteria is to travel to countries that have a good
> exchange rate with the US dollar. That way I can get more for my
> dollar.
This is a fallacy, since exchange rates have little to do with
relative costs. You have to look deeper at the things you are
interested in doing and purchasing, and comparing the actual costs of
those items. The exchange rate is really irrelevant.
Your best resource for relative costs, might be the U.S.
Government's Maximum per diem rates established for each country. And
for some countries, it is actually broken down into specific cities. It
is a long document, but fairly complete. You can see these rates here:
http://www.state.gov/m/a/als/prdm/2003/23594.htm.
> Anyone know a website where I can find this info? I've
> searched unsuccessfully thru google.
www.oanda.com/convert/classic is one of the best Currency
Converters I've found.
> Obviously I didn't put in the right words. No use going somewhere
> where my money doesn't go very far (obviously everyone is
> different......this is a matter of opinion).
Again, exchange rates won't really tell you much about actual
costs in the country you are visiting.
--Douglas
Markku Grönroos
another. Therefore they say little if anything about standard of costs in a
region in which whatever currency is in use. Naturally in the Communist
countries they followed a practice of several rates for a "hard currency".
One and the lousiest of them was the "tourist rate", which was fixed by the
government and was a lot inferior to the market rate (whatever that was).
For instance the GDR fixed their monopoly money 1:1 rate with the
Bundesmark. West German banks used the rate 1:9 or 1:10 in the famous year
of 1989 when GDR collapsed.............
For instance in Latin American countries both inflation and it's more or
less direct implication of the decline of the external value of the currency
can be extraordinarily fast making things a bit complicated. For intance
until 1981 Mexican peso was fixed to US dollar by 1:21 or 1:23 rate (can't
recall which). In summer 1984 a buck bought about 200 pesos and in summer
1986 some 600 pesos and in the end of that year some 1000 pesos.
In developing countries imported goods are typically about as expensive as
in the high cost countries because the raw price is [typically] about the
same anyways. The logistics structure may be somewhat more economical but on
the other hand import duties may raise the price at border well beyond
anything rational. Domestically made goods on the other hand are typically
cheap and often very cheap compared to the developed countries with similar
products.
Continentwise (extremely rough base for comparisons) Asia is the cheapest
for travellers. Naturally countries like Japan, Korea and Taiwan don't
follow the line.
"King" <king...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:gx7db.5816$NX3....@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net...
really man
>>One of my criteria is to travel to countries that have a good exchange rate
>>with the US dollar. That way I can get more for my dollar.
>
>You must be american
What a poor display of snobbery.
You must be European.
A@pandora.be Dieter A
"King" <king...@earthlink.net> schreef in bericht
news:gx7db.5816$NX3....@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net...
> Hi,
> I'm planning on traveling the world over the next year.....
> One of my criteria is to travel to countries that have a good exchange
rate
> with the US dollar. That way I can get more for my dollar.
You must be joking.
Never heared of people, culture, nature, ... ?
Please help me to understand how they brainwash people in the US on this
way...
James Blanford
to go on was the reference to US dollars, the statement that he wanted
value for "my dollar" and an email address from one of the major ISPs in
the US and he narrowed it down to someone from the western hemisphere.
BTW, there are plenty of snobs in the US, so being a snob is no longer
an exclusively European attribute, although they don't teach snobbery in
public schools yet.
- Jim
- Jim
James Blanford
"Dieter A" <Dieter A...@pandora.be> writes:
>
>
> Please help me to understand how they brainwash people in the US on this
> way...
>
>
considered the "father" of propaganda and brainwashing.
Gerry Scott-Moore
<nospamji...@cox.net> wrote:
> > Please help me to understand how they brainwash people in the US on this
> > way...
> >
> >
> You might want to study a little bit about Joseph Goebbels, generally
> considered the "father" of propaganda and brainwashing.
Excellent reference. The lessons learned from the Third Reich were very
helpful in constructing the extremely sophisticated forms of propaganda
that we have made a critical reality in Unitedstatesian political life.
Goebbels was crude by modern standards.
Endlessly viewed television, endlessly corrupted "news" papers,
magazines, and the 500-lb gorilla--Talk Radio. 100% fascist, 100%
agitprop, 24 hours a day. On *thousands* of stations.
The fascinating thing is that beyond a certain point the targets begin
dissemination of propaganda themselves. Endless "political opinions"
recited straight from fascist radio at the water-cooler like they just
thought it up; like it's *their* opinion. And this too converts other
people to do what every good honest Unitedstatesian attempts to do:
believe what they are told. We assume only the "other party" are the
liars, when we're both taking water from the same tap.
The words "conservative", "liberal", "tax", "welfare", mean almost
nothing or are used to label the diametrically opposite approach.
"Leave no child behind" is the slogan for cutting billions of dollars
in education. And so forth.
Back to the original post. Who wouldn't I want to go to the place
where I can get the most from my meager moneys? I don't see how that's
snobbery. That's minimizing my penury. I'd rather have two weeks in
some place pretty interesting than 2 days in some place pretty
interesting.
--
///---
Spehro Pefhany
nospamji...@cox.net (James Blanford) wrote:
>Hey, don't make fun of such an obviously intelligent person. All he had
>to go on was the reference to US dollars, the statement that he wanted
>value for "my dollar" and an email address from one of the major ISPs in
>the US and he narrowed it down to someone from the western hemisphere.
It's fairly easy to see he's in the DFW area.
>BTW, there are plenty of snobs in the US, so being a snob is no longer
>an exclusively European attribute, although they don't teach snobbery in
>public schools yet.
You have to go to a private school for that? ;-)
King
question.
That's why I wrote ....." (obviously everyone is different......this is a
matter of opinion)."
Yea....I love DIFFERNT cultures, food, people, religions, etc. I just
cannot visit them all at one time.
I'd prefer to go some place, like a previous post said......that I can stay
a 2 weeks instead of 2 days.
"King" <king...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:gx7db.5816$NX3....@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net...
Yaofeng
> Hi,
> I'm planning on traveling the world over the next year.....
> One of my criteria is to travel to countries that have a good exchange rate
> with the US dollar. That way I can get more for my dollar.
> Anyone know a website where I can find this info? I've searched
> unsuccessfully thru google.
> Obviously I didn't put in the right words. No use going somewhere where my
> money doesn't go very far (obviously everyone is different......this is a
> matter of opinion).
> Thanks
> Mike
If anything, a up to date list of per capita income of all contries in
the world should give you a good idea how far your money goes. With
that in mind, you should find good bragains in China, south-east Asia,
Latin and south America.
Eric Edwards
>If anything, a up to date list of per capita income of all contries in
>the world should give you a good idea how far your money goes. With
>that in mind, you should find good bragains in China, south-east Asia,
>Latin and south America.
This probably only works well in countries with similar economies. For
an example of where this fails, and badly, compare Kenya, South Africa,
and Malaysia: By per capita income, you might think that Kenya would be
dirt cheap compared to South Africa. Malaysia would be slightly
cheaper than South Africa.
Actually, Kenya, with barely more than 10% of South Africa's per capita
income, is the most expensive. Malaysia is a substantially cheaper than
South Africa, despite similar income levels.
--
Use the From: header. Sending mail to ese...@news8.exile.org
or ese...@news7.exile.org will only result in frustration.
Miguel Cruz
> If anything, a up to date list of per capita income of all contries in
> the world should give you a good idea how far your money goes.
I don't think that holds up. Africa has most of the world's poorest
countries and it is also fairly expensive to travel in.
From cheap to expensive, leaving out those I haven't spent enough time in to
make sensible judgments about, I'd think it would be roughly:
Southeast Asia
South Asia
Middle East
Eastern Europe
Australia/NZ
Africa
Central America
Caribbean
Western Europe/US/Japan
miguel
--
Hit The Road! Photos and tales from around the world: http://travel.u.nu
Site remodeled 10-Sept-2003: Hundreds of new photos, easier navigation.
James Blanford
ese...@news9.exile.org (Eric Edwards) writes:
> On 28 Sep 2003 14:46:32 -0700, Yaofeng <yc...@bmwe30.net> wrote:
>>If anything, a up to date list of per capita income of all contries in
>>the world should give you a good idea how far your money goes. With
>>that in mind, you should find good bragains in China, south-east Asia,
>>Latin and south America.
>
> This probably only works well in countries with similar economies. For
> an example of where this fails, and badly, compare Kenya, South Africa,
> and Malaysia: By per capita income, you might think that Kenya would be
> dirt cheap compared to South Africa. Malaysia would be slightly
> cheaper than South Africa.
>
> Actually, Kenya, with barely more than 10% of South Africa's per capita
> income, is the most expensive. Malaysia is a substantially cheaper than
> South Africa, despite similar income levels.
>
but where did you (does one) get such information?
Eric Edwards
These are places that I have personally visited within the last 2 years.
Before you travel, guide books are probably your best reference. Leaf
through the book at a library or bookstore and check the prices for
accomodation, transport, and special activities. Even a book a couple
of years old will usually be accurate enough for a ball park estimate.
Guide books often list prices for restaurants as well. However, I've
never seen any detailed or accurate enough to be of any use toward
estimating food costs.
Some guides are better than others for estimating costs. Bradt and
Rough Guides are pretty worthless. They have their strengths, but
estimating costs is not one of them. Lonely Planet and Let's Go do
well.
Sometimes you can find information online. The hostel I stayed at in
Pretoria has a web site. I used that to refresh my memory of
accommodation costs in South Africa.
Gerry Scott-Moore
<ese...@news9.exile.org> wrote:
> >> Actually, Kenya, with barely more than 10% of South Africa's per capita
> >> income, is the most expensive. Malaysia is a substantially cheaper than
> >> South Africa, despite similar income levels.
> >>
> >That fits with my vague impressions based on reading and discussions,
> >but where did you (does one) get such information?
>
> These are places that I have personally visited within the last 2 years.
> Before you travel, guide books are probably your best reference. Leaf
> through the book at a library or bookstore and check the prices for
> accomodation, transport, and special activities. Even a book a couple
> of years old will usually be accurate enough for a ball park estimate.
> Guide books often list prices for restaurants as well. However, I've
> never seen any detailed or accurate enough to be of any use toward
> estimating food costs.
>
> Some guides are better than others for estimating costs. Bradt and
> Rough Guides are pretty worthless. They have their strengths, but
> estimating costs is not one of them. Lonely Planet and Let's Go do
> well.
>
> Sometimes you can find information online. The hostel I stayed at in
> Pretoria has a web site. I used that to refresh my memory of
> accommodation costs in South Africa.
Additionally you can get the actual currency exchange rates here:
<http://www.exchangerate.com/>
--
///---
Peter L
"Yaofeng" <yc...@bmwe30.net> wrote in message
news:e89d1e3e.03092...@posting.google.com...
Per capita income and what travelers will pay are not necessarily
correlated.
Tom Keener
>>>I'm planning on traveling the world over the next year.....
>>>One of my criteria is to travel to countries that have a good exchange rate
>>>with the US dollar. That way I can get more for my dollar.
>>
>>What a sad criteria to use for a world trip.
>>You must be american
Hey, if he lives on the local economy and only stops at Niger, Chad,
Angola, and Bangladesh, his money will go a _long_ way. For someone
so concerned with economy, he'd deserve that trip.
Christopher
living that is important.
"Tom Keener" <keen...@cts.com> wrote in message
news:d182ov87buas1slv9...@4ax.com...
Spehro Pefhany
<NOchristoph...@NOSPAMtalk21.com> wrote:
>The 'exchange rate' has nothing to do with anything here - it is the cost of
>living that is important.
Closer, but it's the cost of living *for a visitor* of the OP's
specific type.
If the locals subsist on little but mashed taro root and sleep in
squalid, filthy and unhealthy conditions unacceptable to the OP, he
might find a place with an apparent low cost of living to be
relatively very expensive. If the government forces foreigners to pay
much more for many things, regulates where they can stay overnight and
what price they must pay, requires some shops to deny them service
without ration cards, or the forces them to exchange money
"officially" at a very unfavorable rate, the same result can occur.
Tom Keener
<spef...@interlogDOTyou.knowwhat> wrote:
>On Mon, 6 Oct 2003 09:45:15 +0000 (UTC), the renowned "Christopher"
><NOchristoph...@NOSPAMtalk21.com> wrote:
>
>>The 'exchange rate' has nothing to do with anything here - it is the cost of
>>living that is important.
>
>Closer, but it's the cost of living *for a visitor* of the OP's
>specific type.
>
>If the locals subsist on little but mashed taro root and sleep in
>squalid, filthy and unhealthy conditions unacceptable to the OP, he
>might find a place with an apparent low cost of living to be
>relatively very expensive. If the government forces foreigners to pay
>much more for many things, regulates where they can stay overnight and
>what price they must pay, requires some shops to deny them service
>without ration cards, or the forces them to exchange money
>"officially" at a very unfavorable rate, the same result can occur.
True, but even when that occurs, sometimes it's possible to enjoy a
very cheap trip. For example, Burma. It's been 18 years since I was
there, but in spite of the government control, it was dirt cheap. And
a great place to visit, too.
tom keener
WHY BOTHER COMING BACK WHEN ALL YOU DO IS GET IN THE WAY?
tom keener
TELL HIM TO VISIT GERMANY. YOU CAN SHOW HIM HOW TO SHOPLIFT FOR FUN AND PROFIT.
tom keener
GOD, AIN'T IT GREAT. NO MORE MR. WEENERS. GOOD RIDDANCE.
tom keener
Where, or where, has little tommy keener gone? Gee Whiz!